NBA Skills Challenge Odds, Predictions & Best Bets for 2025

• The NBA Kia Skills Challenge tips off the NBA All-Star weekend
• Four teams of two players will compete to be crowned champion in the first event on All-Star Saturday Night
• See the Skills Challenge odds, predictions and best bet for the event on Feb 15

The NBA All-Star weekend is upon us, and with that, a twist to the Skills Challenge will feature four teams of two players squaring off for glory. The past three years, it’s been three teams of three, with a tweak made for 2025. The teams will consist of Cavs, Spurs, Warriors and Rooks. Action tips off from the Chase Center in San Francisco at 8:00pm ET. It marks the first time the Bay Area has hosted the All-Star festivities since 2000. TNT and truTV will carry the broadcast in the United States and Sportsnet in Canada.

NBA Skills Challenge Odds & Betting Splits

The Cavs duo of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley are the slight favorites over Chris Paul and sensation Victor Wembanyama. With Golden State hosting the festivities, Draymond Green and Moses Moody are the third choice with the Rooks tandem of Zaccharie Risacher & Alex Sarr being the longest shot to claim the crown.

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Over 36% of tickets are on the favorite Cavs tandem, with over 27% placed on the Spurs duo. Both the Warriors and Rooks have the same 18.2 ticket percentage. The handle is solidly on the Cavs at 57.1%, followed by the Spurs at 31.4%. The Warriors have the faith of a 10% handle, with a minisicule 1.5% on the Rooks.

The NBA hasn’t revealed yet which challenges will be presented to the eight players, but it’s a solid bet to think it’ll obviously involved shooting, passing, dribbling and speed.

NBA Skills Challenge Winner Prediction

• NBA Skills Challenge pick: Spurs (+200)

With the format changing and the events not immediately known, it’s a bit of challenge to handicap a winner. The Rooks tandem of Zaccharie Risacher & Alex Sarr (top-two picks in the 2024 draft) are having solid, if unspectacular, rookie campaigns, both averaging 11.4 points, but the assists per game are 2.2 and 1.2. Having never competed in an event like this against veterans might be difficult to come out on top.

Despite being the third choice, Golden State might have a good omen, with the last three teams players who hosted the skills challenge (Cleveland, Utah, Indiana) winning the competition. Speed might be an issue for Draymond Green, who has 13 years and countless deep playoff runs to add to his wear and tear. Shooting was never his strongest suit anyhow, particularly from three point land.

As the odds suggest, this one very well could come down to the Cavs and Spurs. The veteran Cleveland tandem of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley have the edge in three-point shooting, with both close to 40% shooting on the campaign, compared to the Spurs duo who are around 35%.

Despite approaching his age-40 season, Chris Paul is still dishing the ball well, with just over eight assists per game, best of all the competitors. His teammate Wembanyama has improved field goal and three-point percentage in his sophomore season. It’s really a tight battle between the Cavs and Spurs on this one, so I’d rather go with the slightly more value on the Spurs tandem.