The NBA has shaken up the All-Star Game format yet again, hoping to find something that gives the players a reason to compete — and fans a reason to care. The NBA settled on a structure that is clearly hoping to capture some of the magic of the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off. Below, we’ll get into the new rules, what the rosters look like, and how you should be betting the event. That said, keep reading if you’re looking for some action for the 2026 All-Star Game on Sunday, February 15.
2026 NBA All-Star Game Format
This year’s All-Star Game, which will be played at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, features three teams of eight players competing in 12-minute games, in a round-robin setting. Game 1 will see Team World versus USA Stars. The winner will then take on USA Stripes in Game 2. The loser of the first game will then face USA Stripes in Game 3.
The two best teams from the round robin will play in the Championship, which will see the winning players receive $125,000 each. The tiebreaker for the round-robin portion of the event will be point differential.
In totality, we’ll still see 48 minutes of basketball, making this more like one full game with mini-games.
2026 NBA All-Star Game Rosters
Team World: Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Deni Avdija, Jamal Murray, Alperen Sengun, Pascal Siakam, Norman Powell
USA Stripes: Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Brandon Ingram, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Donovan Mitchell, De’Aaron Fox
USA Stars: Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Maxey, Scottie Barnes, Devin Booker, Jalen Duren, Anthony Edwards, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Johnson
(Stephen Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are all injured)
2026 NBA All-Star Game Odds
Odds from DraftKings Sportsbook as of 2:15 pm ET on Friday, February 13
- Team World +160
- USA Stripes +175
- USA Stars +200
2026 NBA All-Star Game Betting Tips
I won’t be handicapping each individual game, as it’s still hard to know exactly how seriously this event will be taken. However, if you do like a team to win a certain game, I’d suggest laying the points instead of playing juiced moneylines. The tiebreaker being a point differential means we’ll see some wacky stuff towards the end of each game, much like we see in Group Play of the Emirates NBA Cup. Teams will have their foot on the gas at the end of the 12 minutes, even if they are comfortably winning that game — at least when talking about Game 1, and the loser of each game competing in their second game.
2026 NBA All-Star Game Pick
It’s boring to take the chalky pick, but I went Team World at +165. Three of the five best players on the planet are on this squad, with Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, and Luka Doncic all lacing them up. Team World also has the advantage of having not been split up into two teams. On top of that, I think there’s some added edge to being the “outsider” in an event like this. Team World will surely be eager to go out and win in enemy territory.
I’ll also add that having Jamal Murray playing with Jokic isn’t lost on me. Not only will Team World have the most talented players, but the team will also have the two-man action of Murray and Jokic to lean on. That’s a pretty big advantage — especially late in games.
I also have some serious doubts about what USA Stripes will look like. A team with Jalen Brunson, Kevin Durant, Brandon Ingram, LeBron James, Donovan Mitchell, and De’Aaron Fox sounds like it could be easy to score on. Also, I’m not sure Kawhi Leonard, one of the best defenders in the league, will be eager to tax his body to defend in an exhibition setting. That said, if you want to go with one of the American teams, go with the younger, hungrier USA Stars. That team has more overall dogs.
Also, if you’re looking for an MVP pick, I think Wembanyama at +450 is the move. He’s going to go out there looking to kill, and he has the ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor. Look for him to stick out like a sore thumb with his ability to score, throw down monster dunks, and take things away from opponents on the defensive end.
