The most star-studded event of NBA All-Star Weekend is the 3-Point Contest, which has become my personal favorite in this era of elite long-range shooting.
Last year, Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro ended Damian Lillard’s two-year reign as the 3-Point Contest champion by posting a final-round score of 24, which held up despite the best efforts of Buddy Hield and Darius Garland.
Herro, who is recovering from a rib injury, will not be defending his crown on All-Star Saturday in Los Angeles. However, Lillard returns among a star-studded list of participants looking to take the title.
Without further ado, let’s dig into the State Farm 3-Point Contest odds and make some winner predictions.
NBA 3-Point Contest Odds
All NBA odds used for these 3-Point contest predictions are current as of Thursday, Feb. 12, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Kon Knueppel (+350)
- Damian Lillard (+450)
- Jamal Murray (+550)
- Donovan Mitchell (+600)
- Tyrese Maxey (+650)
- Devin Booker (+750)
- Norman Powell (+800)
- Bobby Portis (+1100)
NBA 3-Point Contest Best Bet
Donovan Mitchell (+600)
I like backing players with previous experience in this event, so I’m going with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell to win his first 3-Point Contest.
Mitchell leads the NBA in 3-pointers made (185) heading into the All-Star break, although that has more to do with his volume than his efficiency.
Still, his 37.6% clip from beyond the arc is up nearly a percentage point from the past two seasons and would currently stand as his third-best 3-point percentage of his career.
Mitchell put up reasonable first-round scores (22 and 21) in his two previous appearances, both of which would have been good enough to qualify him for the final round last year.
At 6-1 odds, I’m backing Mitchell to win the NBA 3-Point Contest as my NBA bet of the day.
NBA 3-Point Contest Contenders
Kon Knueppel (+350)
Charlotte Hornets rookie Kon Knueppel is the betting favorite to win the NBA 3-Point Contest in his debut.
The No. 4 overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft sits second behind Mitchell in made threes (183) and is shooting a much stronger percentage (43.1%).
Connecting at that rate on nearly 8 three-point attempts per game is particularly impressive, especially for a rookie.
Still, I’m a bit concerned that nerves could get the best of him on this big stage, so I’m fading Knueppel at this price.
Damian Lillard (+450)
Lillard is the biggest wild card in this year’s NBA 3-Point Contest.
The two-time winner hasn’t played all season due to a left Achilles injury that he suffered in the 2025 playoffs. However, he has started to ramp up his recovery and has been given the go-ahead to compete.
Lillard ranks fifth all-time in threes made (2804) behind only Stephen Curry, James Harden, Ray Allen, and Klay Thompson.
If he’s healthy, he could join Craig Hodges (1990-1992) and Larry Bird (1986-1988) as three-time winners of the NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest.
Check out the rest of our NBA All-Star predictions and best bets:
- NBA Rising Stars Predictions
- NBA Shooting Stars Predictions
- NBA Slam Dunk Contest Predictions
- NBA All-Star Game Predictions
- NBA All-Star Game MVP Predictions
NBA 3-Point Contest Format
Players competing in the 3-Point Contest will get 70 seconds to make as many shots as possible, with a maximum of 27 shots. Five ball racks are positioned at various spots around the three-point line, each loaded with five balls, and two “From the Logo" spots are positioned well behind the three-point line.
At the end of each rack is a money ball, which is worth two points instead of one. Additionally, one rack is made up entirely of money balls. The position of this rack is chosen by each player before they begin their round.
The “From the Logo" spots have one ball apiece, and because these shots are significantly deeper than a regular three-point shot, they’re worth three points each.
Once all eight competitors have finished the first round, the top three scorers will advance to the final round, where they’ll compete for the trophy. Tiebreaker rounds will take place between competitors when necessary.
When is the NBA 3-Point Contest?
The NBA 3-Point Contest will take place on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 5 p.m. ET. It will be the first event of the league’s All-Star Saturday festivities at the Intuit Dome, home of the Los Angeles Clippers.
NBA 3-Point Contest Winners
2025: Tyler Herro
2024: Damian Lillard
2023: Damian Lillard
2022: Karl-Anthony Towns
2021: Stephen Curry
2020: Buddy Hield
2019: Joe Harris
2018: Devin Booker
2017: Eric Gordon
2016: Klay Thompson
2015: Stephen Curry
2014: Marco Belinelli
2013: Kyrie Irving
2012: Kevin Love
2011: James Jones
2010: Paul Pierce
2009: Daequan Cook
2008: Jason Kapono
2007: Jason Kapono
2006: Dirk Nowitzki
2005: Quentin Richardson
2004: Voshon Lenard
2003: Peja Stojakovic
2002: Peja Stojakovic
2001: Ray Allen
2000: Jeff Hornacek
1999: Canceled due to NBA lockout
1998: Jeff Hornacek
1997: Steve Kerr
1996: Tim Legler
1995: Glen Rice
1994: Mark Price
1993: Mark Price
1992: Craig Hodges
1991: Craig Hodges
1990: Craig Hodges
1989: Dale Ellis
1988: Larry Bird
1987: Larry Bird
1986: Larry Bird
