NBA All-Star Game – How Does It Work? What Can You Bet?

• The 2026 NBA All-Star Game uses a USA vs. World round-robin tournament with three teams competing in 12-minute games
• Team World is the betting favorite at +155, with Victor Wembanyama leading MVP odds at +390
• Full format breakdown, rosters, schedule, and NBA All-Star betting odds below

The NBA scrapped its All-Star format again. For the third time in three years, the league is trying something new, and this time it’s a USA vs. World round-robin tournament. The 2026 NBA All-Star Game tips off Sunday, February 15 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, and if you’re confused about how it works, you’re not alone.

Here’s everything you need to know about the NBA All-Star Game format, full rosters, and the best All-Star betting odds and markets.

How Does the 2026 All-Star Game Work?

Three teams. Four games. One champion.

The 24 All-Stars (plus Kawhi Leonard as a commissioner addition) are split into three squads: USA Stars, USA Stripes, and Team World. American players were divided by age, with the younger guys on USA Stars and the vets on USA Stripes. Every international player lands on Team World.

Each game is 12 minutes, no quarters. The round-robin starts with USA Stars vs. Team World, and then the winner and loser each play USA Stripes. The two teams with the best records advance to a championship game. If all three teams finish 1-1, point differential breaks the tie.

The prize pool is $1.8 million. Winners take home $125,000 per player, the runner-up gets $50,000, and third place gets $25,000. That’s real money, and it’s the NBA’s way of trying to get these guys to actually compete. Whether it works is a different question.

All-Star Game Schedule (Sunday, Feb. 15)

The whole thing airs on NBC and Peacock. This is NBC’s first NBA All-Star Game broadcast in 24 years.

2026 All-Star Rosters

Starters were voted in through the usual process: 50% fan vote, 25% player vote, 25% media vote. Coaches picked the reserves. Injuries forced three late replacements after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Stephen Curry, and Giannis Antetokounmpo all pulled out.

One interesting wrinkle: Karl-Anthony Towns was born in New Jersey but represents the Dominican Republic internationally. He was placed on Team World. That left the American side a player short, which is why Commissioner Silver added Kawhi Leonard as a 25th All-Star. Leonard also happens to play for the Clippers, who host the game at Intuit Dome. Convenient timing.

Team World

Coach: Darko Rajaković (Toronto Raptors)

USA Stripes

Coach: Mitch Johnson (San Antonio Spurs)

USA Stars

Coach: J.B. Bickerstaff (Detroit Pistons)

LeBron James is making his record 22nd consecutive All-Star appearance at age 41. Kevin Durant is up to 16 career selections. On the other end, Jalen Duren, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Johnson are all first-timers. Deni Avdija became the first Israeli player ever named an NBA All-Star.

All-Star Weekend Events

Sunday’s game is the main event, but All-Star Saturday Night on February 14 is worth your attention too. The lineup starts at 5:00 PM ET on NBC and Peacock.

The 3-Point Contest features eight shooters including Devin Booker, Tyrese Maxey, Donovan Mitchell, and rookie Kon Knueppel, who broke Steph Curry’s rookie three-point record with 179 makes this season. Damian Lillard is also in the field despite not playing all year while rehabbing a torn Achilles.

The Slam Dunk Contest gets a new champion with three-time defending winner Mac McClung out with a calf injury. Carter Bryant (Spurs) and Jaxson Hayes (Lakers) are co-favorites. Jase Richardson, son of two-time dunk champion Jason Richardson, rounds out a fun field.

The Shooting Stars competition is back after an 11-year hiatus, pairing current players with retired legends. Team Knicks (Brunson, Towns, Allan Houston) opened as the favorite.

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NBA All-Star Game Odds and Betting Markets

Every major NBA betting app has NBA All-Star odds posted. The tournament format gives sportsbooks more to work with than the old East vs. West setup, so you’ve got plenty of options.

Tournament Winner

Team World is the slight favorite across the board. That Jokić-Dončić-Wembanyama trio is the best top three of any squad, and the international players tend to take these things more seriously than their American counterparts.

All-Star Tournament Winner Odds

Odds as of Feb. 13 via FanDuel and DraftKings.

All-Star Game MVP Odds

Victor Wembanyama is the clear frontrunner. He opened at +700 and got bet all the way down to +390 after saying publicly that he’s not stepping on the court to lose. In 12-minute games with a small player pool, one big performance can run away with this award.

All-Star MVP Odds

Odds as of Feb. 13 via FanDuel.

Saturday Night Props

The best NBA betting apps also have full menus for Saturday’s events. Carter Bryant is the Dunk Contest favorite at +175 on DraftKings, while Kon Knueppel leads the 3-Point Contest field at +250. Team Knicks opens at +150 to win the Shooting Stars.

You’ll also find individual game lines for Sunday’s round-robin matchups, player prop markets, and live betting options throughout the weekend. The point differential tiebreaker is worth keeping in mind for totals bettors, since teams have no reason to let off the gas even in lopsided games.

For a full list of available promotions from the top sportsbooks, check out SBD’s NBA betting apps page.