Grab some hidden edges for the best all-star event in pro sports.
NBA All-Star Weekend delivers the best betting experience of all the major sports’ all-star games. The game itself gets competitive in the closing minutes, and this year there’s a new tournament format where players can go all-out for shorter games. The Dunk Contest and 3-Point Contest are still solid Saturday night options for betting action too, and bettors can also get in on NBA All-Star Game props and predictions for the Rising Stars Challenge, the Shooting Stars competition, and the Celebrity Game.
Check the latest odds at Lucky Rebel.
Slam Dunk Contest
Jordan. Carter. Kemp. Wilkins. Webb.
Ok, those days are gone. NBA bettors understand that the big names use a risk-reward calculation these days. That means cracking a finger on the rim or tearing an Achilles isn’t worth the upside of slam dunk glory and a few social media clips to boost their brand. Even worse, it’s now a reputation issue. The risk of a missed dunk or a low scoring slam going viral can represent a real downside to a player’s stock long after the event is over.
So maybe NBA All-Star Saturday Night doesn’t attract the stars or the buzz it used to. But the value in the Dunk Contest odds is still there, not to mention some epic jams.
We’re down to 4 guys competing for the dunk crown, and three of them are rookies. This leaves the edge in the hands of the sharps, since the books can’t fully dial in the odds of known brand names anymore.
The Lakers’ Jaxson Hayes, Miami’s Keshad Johnson, and Jase Richardson (Magic) are all first-year players who can jump out of the gym. Carter Bryant, the senior member of the dunk competitors, is only 25. The oddsmakers are taking that seniority and marking him as one of the NBA All-Star Weekend best bets at +180.
NBA All-Star Saturday Night betting tips are usually easier to make, but this group of anon players is anybody’s guess. Scan the YouTube clips for each player and go with the one you like. If you think they’re all pretty much equal, look for the hometown Lakers crowd to potentially push Hayes (+230) over the top.
If it looks too tight to call a winner with any confidence, there’s a bet on who will qualify for the Slam Dunk Final. Bryant is more of a sure thing than anyone at -240, with Richardson next at -180. Both Johnson and Hayes have longer odds on the plus-money side. Check the socials to get an edge – either of them might be cooking up something special that gets them into the final.
3-Point Contest
The strangest storyline of the season might be the appearance (and the 3-point favorite status) of Damian Lillard. He hasn’t played a game since April, but the Blazers’ sharpshooter is looking to make it rain this weekend. He’s won the contest in two of the past three years. Most NBA All-Star game odds and picks didn’t even have Dame in the conversation until last week, but if you don’t think rust is a factor and consider the fact that he’s had 9 months of drilling shots in a rehab gym, his 3-point game might be in great shape. Lillard leads the 3-Point odds at +400, tied with rookie Kon Knueppel.
Other players to consider as NBA All-Star Weekend best bets include the Nuggets’ Jamal Murray and Tyrese Maxey, both at +600 and both in the top 10 in the NBA this season for 3-point percentage. Donovan Mitchell is ahead of them all in that same category, so his odds of +650 could be a steal.
2026 NBA All-Star Game
Sunday’s All-Star Game has a new format, a 3-team round robin.
One of the USA sides just lost a key component, with Steph Curry getting injured and Brandon Ingram replacing him. You don’t just lose one of the all-time All-Star Game greats and expect to recover. That puts the USA Stripes team down but not out. Kawhi just poured in 41 earlier this week and might want to put on a show after last year’s embarrassing sponsorship scandal. Plus, any team with LeBron and KD can’t be ignored.
On the World team, we’re looking at Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as winners of 4 out of the last 5 NBA MVP awards. Throw in Wemby and Luka and you wonder who can possibly keep up. The oddsmakers like Wembanyama (+500) to take home the All-Star MVP award, with Luka next up at +1000.
Can the USA Stars answer the bell? They might get by on hustle, since the NBA All-Star Game is not big on defensive effort. It’s their only card. Sure, Ant, Tyrese Maxey, and Devin Booker can put up points, but talent-wise this is the weakest side overall. What they do have going for them is youth. The Stars team is the young lineup that has more to prove, while the USA Stripes and the World team are made up of older vets who might prefer to take their foot off the gas.
The NBA All-Star Weekend best bets for the big game give the World team the best odds at +140, with Stripes at +175 and the Stars crew at +220. If you think that young legs and a chip on their shoulder might deliver over players who’ve been there before and might want to take the weekend off, that +220 looks like good value.
NBA All-Star Celebrity Game
This one is for the serious bettors who want to get in on all the All-Star events. The 2026 Celebrity Game bets include short MVP odds on some ex-NBA players like Jeremy Lin and Jason Williams, but we’re looking for value in the longer odds for the game’s most valuable player. NFL wide receivers Keenan Allen and Amon-Ra St. Brown are both at +1200. If you see how hard St. Brown goes on every down during football season, it’s easy to imagine him going all-out for this matchup too.