2026 NBA All-Star Rising Stars Odds and Predictions

Some observers are focused on who won't be playing in Friday night's NBA All-Star Rising Stars Game rather than who will be on the court. But, that's a mistake, because if history tells us anything, we know there will be about 2-3 future Hall of Famers in action.

The best NBA rookies and sophomores will compete in a three-game event at Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California. Forget LeBron James and Luka Doncic, these are the next faces of the NBA, and in some cases, the current face.

Getty Images

NBA Rookie of the Year hopeful Kon Knueppel will be in uniform for one of the four hand-picked teams of emerging NBA stars. One of the four teams is stocked with players from the G League.

The Rising Stars event can be seen live on Peacock and NBC, starting at 9 p.m. ET. The format calls for four teams to play for the right to meet in a championship game, which will tip off at approximately 10:45 p.m.

Odds on Four-Team Tournament: Team Melo Favored

There will be three games played for the Rising Stars event:

• Team Melo (-4.5) vs. Team Austin
• Team Vince vs. Team T-Mac (-2.5)
• Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner

Please note that not all sportsbooks have odds for this event. FanDuel does, based on the rosters listed for each of the four teams. To win the championships odds are:

• Team Melo: +155
• Team T-Mac: +170
• Team Vince: +260
• Team Austin*: +850

*Team consists of G League players.

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Injuries Playing a part in availability for the Rising Stars Game

Team Melo had the first overall pick, and selected Cooper Flagg, the amazing rookie from the Dallas Mavericks. That's in large part why Team Melo is priced as favorite. But, Flagg will not compete due to injury, per a report from the NBA and the Mavericks.

Knueppel will play in the game. That means Team T-Mac will have the best player on the court. He can shoot, score close to the basket, and defend.

• BEST BET: Team T-Mac to Win Rising Stars Competition, +170

Your winning $100 wager would be worth $170, should Tracy McGrady's team win this event Friday.

Be advised the semifinal games will be played to 40. First team to reach 40 points win. In the title game, it will be played to 25 points. For this reason, I would stay away from O/U bets, which are essentially set to around 74 points for each semifinal game. There's just too much that is unpredictable about the scoring in these contests.

Prediction: Team T-Mac Rides ROY Candidate to Win

Cooper Flagg is the leader for NBA Rookie of the Year. Odds from FanDuel are -750 for Flagg to win that award.

However, Kon Knueppel is having an amazing rookie season too. He enters the All-Star break averaging 18.9 PPG, and he's played in all but one game. Knueppel has a bright future: he's shooting better than 43% from beyond the 3-point line.

I like Knueppel to lead Team to an easy semifinal win against the overmatched G-Leaguers, and to go on to take the title.