NBA All-Star Weekend 2026: Rising Stars Challenge | Preview & Best Bets
Written by: Varun Sharma
Last Update: Thu Feb 12, 2026, 10:28 pm ET
Read Time: 5 minutes
nba
The 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend is coming to you live from the City of Angels and for the first time ever, the Clippers will host this big weekend from their very own home arena. Vibes are incredibly high in Los Angeles and as always, we're kicking the weekend off with the NBA's Rising Stars Challenge.
For additional information on picks, props, money lines and more on today's NBA slate, take a look at our NBA Picks Page or our NBA Odds Page.
Tournament Breakdown & Rules
The Rising Stars Challenge has changed a ton over the years. Established in 1993, the 'Rookie Challenge' began as a game of the top rookies in the NBA, split into two teams; completely at random. Two years later they would change the format to East versus West, now resembling the actual All-Star Game.
In 1999 the NBA was in the midst of a lockout and All-Star Weekend was cancelled. The rookies never got their chance to play in the Rookie Challenge and because of that, the 'Rookies versus Sophmores' era began. The current 'Rising Stars Challenge' came about in 2012 when the NBA decided to combine the rookies and sophomores, while bringing in NBA Legends to draft two respective teams.
Tournament Format
The current tournament format we see in the Rising Stars Challenge first came about in 2022. We've seen some tweaks here and there, but for the most part it's remained the same. This year features a pool of 21 combined rookies/sophomores, as voted on by NBA Assistant Coaches, and splits them into three teams of seven. These three teams and an additional (fourth) team made up of G-League players will compete for this year's trophy.
The honorary coaches this season are Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady and Austin Rivers (G-League). The tournament consists of two semi-final games, both with a final score goal of 40 points. The winners of each game go head to head with the winner being first to reach 25 points.
Player Selection
Like I said above, Assistant Coaches across the league voted on this year's Rising Stars. They were given ballots and told to rank the top 10 rookies so far this year and the top 10 sophomores. The higher your ranking, the more points the player is awarded. Then the top 10 in each category, in terms of points, are selected to make the game with the 21st spot going to the 11th highest point total; regardless of classification.
These 21 players are then drafted to three respective teams, all coached by this year's honorary coaches. Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and VJ Edgecombe were the three players selected in the first round, unfortunately Flagg will miss the game due to injury. Ace Bailey as since been selected to be his replacement on Team Melo.
Alexander Sarr has also been ruled out of the Rising Stars Challenge. His teammate Bub Carrington has been named as his replacement on Team T-Mac.
Betting Odds
- Team T-Mac (+160)
- Team Melo (+200)
- Team Vince (+225)
- Team Austin (+900)
Odds via Lucky Rebel, an industry leader in the sports betting world.
Rising Stars Best Bet: Team Vince (+225)
With the injuries to both Team T-Mac and Team Melo, it's hard for me to look anywhere other than Team Vince.
Team Vince consists of studs rookies like VJ Edgecombe, Derrick Queen, Cedric Coward and Egor Dëmin. Add to that sophomores like Matas Buzelis, Kyshawn George and Jaylen Wells; you can see why I like this squad.
Edgecombe's become a full time starter for the Philadelphia 76ers, ranks third among rookies in points, 2nd in steals and top five in net rating. Coward's started 35 games for the Grizzlies, averaging 12.9 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in these matchups.
Egor's been one of the best 3-point shooters in the league and is 2nd among all rookies in 3-point percentage (min. 3.0 attempts per game). He's shooting 39.6% from beyond the arc and the only rookie he's behind is Kon Knueppel.
Buzelis is having a stellar sophomore year. Since the start of 2026, Buzelis is averaging 16.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and shooting 39.7% from beyond the arc. George has started all 43 games this year, nearly doubling his points per game average this year (15.1) and doing it while shooting better from everywhere on the floor.
Team Vince is sneaky and this price tag just feels like the best bang for my buck, here in the Rising Stars Challenge.
Looking for More
More NBA News
NBA Betting News
2026 NBA Finals | Spurs vs. Knicks: Game 4
NBA Betting News
2026 NBA Finals MVP Odds: Race Tightens After Spurs' Game 3 Win
NBA Betting News
2026 NBA Finals | Spurs vs. Knicks: Game 3
NBA Betting News
2026 NBA Mock Draft: Predicting the Top Five Picks
Get FREE Picks and Props Weekly
Sign up for
THE WEEKENDER NEWSLETTER
Follow me on 'X' @VSaaauce for all my picks and sports takes you didn't ask for! Follow Betting News on 'X' and Twitch and catch us on stream! Betting News is also on TikTok! Follow us for more picks, and news!
Looking for a great promo for a new sportsbook? Check out our reviews of the best sportsbooks.
You may know me as ‘VSaaauce’. I’ve been a die hard hoops fan my entire life. I’ve been betting on the NBA/NCAAB/NFL/MLB for six years now, each year gaining more and more knowledge about being a profitable handicapper. I’m eager to learn, and eager to pass on everything I’ve gained over the last few years. I started my Twitter page four years ago, and this community makes me so thankful I did. Outside of sports and handicapping, I enjoy traveling, hoopin, a strong espresso and I’m currently studying to obtain my MD. I’m all about the vibes, good vibes only. If that sounds like you, follow me on 'X' @VSaaauce.
This site contains commercial content. We may be compensated for the links provided on this page. The content on this page is for informational purposes only. Betting News makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the information given or the outcome of any game or event.