NBA All-Star Weekend Betting Is Back, And There’s Plenty to Play

Once the confetti from the Super Bowl is swept up, the betting focus shifts somewhere completely different. All-Star Weekend isn’t about grinding defense or playoff intensity. It’s about shooting, creativity, and chaos, and sportsbooks still hang full menus for every bit of it.

There’s action on the dunk contest. The three-point shootout. The return of Shooting Stars. And now a brand-new All-Star Game format that looks more like a mini-tournament than an exhibition.

It’s not serious basketball. But the betting markets absolutely are.

The dunk contest feels wide open this year. There isn’t a household superstar in the field, which usually makes books hesitant to hang a heavy favorite. Carter Bryant and Jaxson Hayes are sitting near the top of most odds boards, but neither is running away with it. Hayes has the experience and some in-game highlight dunks on his résumé. Bryant brings the rookie wild-card factor. Behind them, Keshad Johnson and Jase Richardson are longer shots, but in a judged event, one creative idea can flip everything.

That unpredictability keeps the prices tight. There isn’t an obvious favorite, which is honestly what makes it interesting.

The three-point contest has a much different feel. There’s a recognizable favorite, even if he hasn’t played this season. Damian Lillard is at or near the top of most sportsbooks, largely because pure shooting travels. He’s won this event before, and rhythm in a rack-based format isn’t the same as game conditioning. Books are clearly trusting track record.

Still, it’s not a runaway market. Kon Knueppel is right there in the mix. Jamal Murray and Tyrese Maxey aren’t far behind. Devin Booker and Donovan Mitchell are lurking at slightly longer prices. It’s deep enough that backing someone other than the favorite doesn’t feel reckless. In this event, especially, one hot rack can erase any gap in implied probability.

The Shooting Stars competition returning adds another wrinkle. It hasn’t been part of All-Star Weekend in years, and now it’s back with mixed teams of current players and alumni. Team Knicks is sitting as the early favorite, which makes sense on paper given the shooting profiles involved. But this event leans on timing and chemistry as much as talent. It’s not just about who can shoot; it’s about who figures out the rotation and shot selection the fastest.

Then there’s the new All-Star Game setup itself.

Instead of one long exhibition, the league is rolling out a three-team round-robin with short games and an aggregate score deciding who advances. That changes the dynamic. Fewer minutes mean more urgency. Shorter bursts favor scoring runs. And depth may matter more than star hierarchy.

Sportsbooks are split on the favorite. Some lean toward one of the USA squads, others give the edge to the World team, loaded with size and more than enough guys who can score on their own. What’s clear is that there isn’t overwhelming separation between them. Even the longest-priced team isn’t that far off.

All-Star Weekend won’t affect the standings. But from a betting standpoint, it’s one of the more creative weekends on the calendar. Different events. Different rules. Different ways to approach risk.

And that’s why people keep playing it.

All Star Game Betting Odds

odds can be found to wager at BetUS.com