NBA Rising Stars Challenge Odds, Rosters, & Predictions 2026

Last Updated: Feb 13, 2026

NBA All-Star Weekend tips off on Friday, Feb. 13, with the 2026 Rising Stars Challenge. The four-team, three-game tournament will commence at 9 p.m. ET from Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Since 2022, the NBA Rising Stars game has featured this format, in which 21 of the league’s top rookies and sophomores are drafted into three teams by honorary coaches Carmelo Anthony, Tracy McGrady, and Vince Carter. They’ll compete in a bracket-style tournament with a fourth team of G League rising stars, led by honorary coach Austin Rivers.

To no one’s surprise, Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg was the top selection of the Rising Stars draft, but he’ll miss the event with a foot injury. Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell also won’t participate due to injury.

Below, we’ll examine the NBA Rising Stars rosters before diving into the odds and making our best bets for the event.

NBA Rising Stars Rosters

Team Melo — Coached by Carmelo Anthony

Ace Bailey, Stephon Castle, Donovan Clingan, Jeremiah Fears, Cooper Flagg (OUT), Dylan Harper, Collin Murray-Boyles, Reed Sheppard

Team Vince — Coached by Vince Carter

Matas Buzelis, Cedric Coward, Egor Demin, VJ Edgecombe, Kyshawn George, Derik Queen, Jaylen Wells

Team T-Mac — Coached by Tracy McGrady

Bub Carrington, Tre Johnson, Kon Knueppel, Ajay Mitchell (OUT), Alex Sarr (OUT), Zaccharie Risacher, Cam Spencer, Jaylon Tyson, Kel’el Ware

Team Austin (G League Players) — Coached by Austin Rivers

Sean East II, Ron Harper Jr., David Jones Garcia (OUT), Yanic Konan Niederhauser, Alijah Martin, Mac McClung (OUT), Tristen Newton, Yang Hansen, Jahmir Young

NBA Rising Stars Odds

All NBA odds for the 2026 Rising Stars Game are current as of Friday, Feb. 13, at 11:15 a.m. ET, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Team T-Mac (+180)
Team Melo (+200)
Team Vince (+240)
Team Austin (+850)

Team Melo would have been the betting favorite in the Rising Stars Challenge if Cooper Flagg had been healthy, especially since it has the advantage of playing Team Austin’s G League squad in the opening game.

With Flagg sidelined, Team T-Mac has taken the top spot in the Rising Stars odds, though it also will miss one of its better players, Alex Sarr, due to injury.

NBA Rising Stars Best Bet

Team Melo (+200)

Despite Flagg’s injury, I’m sticking with Team Melo to win the NBA Rising Stars Challenge.

This roster still has a lot of talent, with former UConn teammates Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan leading the way.

Castle was named the 2025 Rising Stars MVP as a rookie, leading Team Chris (Mullin) to the title with 12 points in the championship game.

We’ve also seen teams playing in the first game of the night go on to win the Rising Stars championship each of the past three years, and Team Melo starts the night with a matchup against the G League squad.

With that in mind, I’m buying the dip on Team Melo at +200 odds as my NBA bet of the day.

NBA Rising Stars Contender

Team Vince (+240)

Although Team T-Mac’s Kon Knueppel is now the top rookie in the Rising Stars game, Team Vince offers better balance at more appealing odds.

VJ Edgecombe and Cedric Coward rank third and fourth behind Knueppel and Flagg in rookie scoring, and Derik Queen is a versatile big man who can make a significant impact at both ends of the court.

I’m intrigued by what this squad can potentially offer defensively, so I’d also consider Team Vince at +240 odds.

Check out the rest of our NBA All-Star predictions and best bets:

NBA Rising Stars Format

The NBA Rising Stars Challenge is a mini-tournament with three games: two semifinals and a championship. This competition features NBA rookies and sophomores, as well as G League players.

Team Melo will take on Team Austin in the first round, while Team Vince will face Team T-Mac. The winners will play in the championship game.

For each semifinal game, the target score is 40 points. In the final, the target score is 25 points.

Author

John Arlia

Before joining The Game Day, John served as the National Writer for the United Soccer League, where he primarily covered the USL Championship out of the league’s headquarters in Tampa, FL. A devout soccer fan, John attended the men’s World Cups in Brazil and Russia and can’t wait for the 2026 edition to come to North America. Having also written for Sporting News Canada since getting his master’s from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at ASU, John has acquired a diverse sporting background, but considers football, golf, and soccer his three strong suits.