2026 NBA All-Star Game Picks & Predictions
2026 NBA All-Star Game Odds, Format, Predictions, & Picks
- World +145
- USA Stripes +170
- USA Stars +210
- Date: February 15th, 2026
- Location: Intuit Dome
- TV: NBC, Peacock
- Time: 5:00 p.m. ET
The NBA will wrap up its All-Star festivities on Sunday night with their 75th annual All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
Similar to last year, the All-Star “Game” will feature a round-robin tournament. This year, each of the 4 games will be 12 minutes. The winning team from Game 1 between World and USA Stars will play USA Stripes in Game 2, followed by the losing team of Game 1 meeting USA Stripes in Game 3. After Game 3, the top two teams by record will advance to face each other in the championship (Game 4). Point differential will be used as the tiebreaker if each team is 1-1 after pool play.
Tip-off for the first head-to-head matchup of the night is scheduled for shortly after 5:00 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock..
Below, we take a deeper dive into the rosters and offer a betting prediction for the event.
World
- Deni Avdija
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Injured, will not play)
- Luka Doncic
- Jamal Murray
- Norman Powell
- Pascal Siakam
- Giannis Antetokounmpo (Injured, will not play)
- Nikola Jokic
- Alperen Sengun
- Karl-Anthony Towns
- Victor Wembanyama
If everyone for World was healthy, they would have far and away the most talented roster for this year’s All-Star Game. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Victor Wembanyama are 4 of the 5 top contenders for this season’s MVP award. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the all-time leader in points per game in the All-Star Game.
Unfortunately, not all of those players will be available. Gilgeous-Alexander and Antetokounmpo are injured and will not play at all. Doncic will reportedly be on a minutes restriction and will be unable to participate if World makes it to the championship of this year’s tournament.
It’s also worth noting that regular season production doesn’t always translate to the All-Star Game. Jokic has rarely shown much interest in competing in this event: He’s scored 6 points or fewer in 6 of his 8 All-Star appearances. His motivation for the 2026 All-Star Game might be at an all-time low considering that he’s dealt with multiple injuries during the first half of the campaign.
In short, World has plenty of big names, but not all of them will be available, and the stars who are available might not be particularly invested in winning.
USA Stripes
- Donovan Mitchell
- Stephen Curry (Injured, will not play)
- Jalen Brunson
- De’Aaron Fox
- Jaylen Brown
- Kevin Durant
- Brandon Ingram
- LeBron James
- Kawhi Leonard
USA Stripes has multiple players with a strong history in the All-Star Game. LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and Kevin Durant each rank in the top 6 in points per game in the event. Donovan Mitchell scored 40 points in the 2023 All-Star Game. Even Kawhi Leonard has scored 17+ points in 3 of his 6 All-Star appearances.
Jalen Brunson and De’Aaron Fox are both capable facilitators for this team, which should lead to plenty of good looks for their teammates. This roster is also very guard-forward heavy, which should play better in this style of basketball than the other rosters that will be allocating minutes to traditional centers.
USA Stars
- Cade Cunningham
- Devin Booker
- Tyrese Maxey
- Anthony Edwards
- Jalen Johnson
- Scottie Barnes
- Jalen Duren
- Chet Holmgren
USA Stars isn’t short on star power, but this is a relatively inexperienced group as far as the All-Star Game goes. The team’s top player, Cade Cunningham, has only logged 5 career minutes in this event. Devin Booker and Anthony Edwards are both premier talents, but neither has produced particularly strong numbers in their All-Star Game careers.
Players like Jalen Johnson, Scottie Barnes, and Jalen Duren are excellent contributors in regular season action, but two-way stars don’t usually shine in this style of basketball, which rewards good shooting and isolation offense more than it does quality defense.
There are also some injury concerns with this roster given that Booker, Edwards, and Holmgren have each missed time recently due to various ailments. These guys might be less eager to compete at a high level than some of their peers on Sunday.
All-Star Game Prediction
The NBA All-Star Game doesn’t usually play out the way a person would expect based on the quality of the rosters. Top-tier regular season players like Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic are sometimes more concerned with staying healthy through the event than they are with winning the game.
Strong two-way talents such as Scottie Barnes and Cade Cunningham are often less valuable in this type of format, which emphasizes perimeter shooting and isolation scoring.
If betting the All-Star Game, it makes sense to roll the dice on a team that has capable shooters and players who have historically performed well in this event. USA Stripes, led by LeBron James and Kevin Durant, fits the criteria nicely in 2026.
PICK: USA Stripes (+170), Caesars
Image Credit: Imagn