2023 SlamBall Odds| Odds Shark

SlamBall is back. The high-flying, slam-dunking basketball spinoff will return to television this summer on ESPN. The league has been on and off for the last 20 years, but this iteration has the backing of NBA star Blake Griffin and will take place in Las Vegas.

Tomorrow.

This is back. All of this. It’s back. pic.twitter.com/y6QM4s9JAv
— SlamBall (@SlamBall) July 21, 2023

Below, I'll break down the following for the upcoming SlamBall season:

What Is SlamBall?
2023 SlamBall Best Bets

SlamBall Championship Betting Odds

2023 SlamBall Championship Betting Odds
Team	Futures Odds
Mob	+300
Rumble	+450
Buzzsaw	+550
Slashers	+550
Gryphons	+550
Lava	+650
Ozone	+650
Wrath	+700

The Mob's +300 odds imply a 25% chance they'll take home the 2023 SlamBall title. Why are they favored? Beats me. They've got an experience coach, sure, but I looked at their roster and didn't recognize any names. Maybe it's because they have easily the best jerseys in the league, with a cool red-and-white stripes design?

Can Coach Carter Lead Rumble To Victory?

The league is mostly comprised of middling former college basketball and football athletes, so there's not much talent for us to handicap these SlamBall odds.

But, there is one coach who sticks out — Coach Ken Carter. Yes, THE Coach Carter of Samuel L. Jackson film fame. He's 25-6 in three seasons as a SlamBall coach, leading the Rumble to the best regular season record three times and earning the 2002 championship.

I don't know what being a good SlamBall coach would entail, but Coach Carter clearly has it.

On This Day, 14 Years Ago 'Coach Carter' Hit Theaters.

Is This A Top 5 Hoop Movie? pic.twitter.com/30di1hfdz8
— Finish Line (@FinishLine) January 13, 2019

Wrath Best Bet In 2023 SlamBall Odds

I refuse to believe that oddsmakers have any idea which SlamBall teams will be good this year. There is no way these books have analytical models or player statistics to be basing these odds off of. So, why not take the best value they're giving us?

Predicting a SlamBall champion would be mostly luck anyway, so let's take the +700 Wrath for maximum payout!

What Are The SlamBall Rules?

SlamBall is kind of like basketball. Well, there's a basketball, you have to dribble, and you're trying to put the ball through the hoop. Past that, there are plenty of differences to know:

There are four trampolines in front of both baskets for offensive and defensive players to use
Standard baskets are two points. Shots from beyond the ark and dunks are worth three points
SlamBall is a contact sport. If you're dribbling the ball you can be checked
Each team has four players on the court at each time and subs are made on the fly
Games are comprised of four five-minute quarters.
The game begins with a "bounce-off" where the ball is bounced at center court.

How To Watch SlamBall

Starting on July 21st, SlamBall will become a permanent fixture on ESPN, ESPN+ , and ESPN2 every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night for the next few weeks. Games start as early as 5:30pm ET and as late as 11pm. The 2023 season is slated to run from July 21st until the Championship Game on August 17th.

Will This Version Of SlamBall Last?

Short answer? Probably not. SlamBall has tried to launch multiple times over the last two decades, but never really carved out a consistent place in the sports market. Realistically, by the time the 2023-24 NBA season comes around, SlamBall will become a thing of the past.

The one benefit of this 2023 relaunch is there's a lot of money behind it. NBA star Blake Griffin is involved and professional rich guys like David Blitzer and Michael Rubin are on board, too. As well, getting a deal with ESPN to air games could help.