Filip Tomic
This year’s NBA All-Star game comes with a twist and it’s all about bringing back the excitement which has been a bit lost over the past few years with players not actually giving their best effort. Sunday’s game will feature the biggest stars we have in today’s game, led by their host Stephen Curry who will represent the host city San Francisco.
There are plenty of betting markets to consider ahead of this weekend’s festivities, so let’s break down everything you need to know about Sunday’s main event taking place at Chase Center.
What is the 2025 NBA All-Star Game Format?
Unlike in previous years where we had team captains select their rosters from each Conference, this time around we have a mini-tournament of 4 teams who will compete in two semi-finals, with the winners squaring off for the title. The first team to reach 40 points wins each game.
NBA All-Star Game Rosters
Team Shaq: LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Jayson Tatum, Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, James Harden, Jaylen Brown and Kyrie Irving.
Team Chuck: Donovan Mitchell, Nikola Jokic, Trae Young, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, Pascal Siakam, Alperen Sengun and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Team Kenny: Anthony Edwards, Jalen Brunson, Jaren Jackson Jr., Cade Cunningham, Darius Garland, Tyler Herro, Evan Mobley and Jalen Williams.
Team Candace: Stephon Castle, Ryan Dunn, Zach Edey, Keyonte George, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Dalton Knecht and Jaylen Wells.
NBA All-Star Game Outright Winner Odds
Team Shaq (OGs): +100
Team Chuck (Global Stars): +200
Team Kenny (Young Stars): +410
Team Candace (Rising Stars): +900
At +100 odds it’s quite clear that Team Shaq will be the team to beat in this mini tournament. With legendary players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, they should handle their semi-final match-up against Team Candace with ease. And if that is not enough, reigning ASG MVP Jayson Tatum, reigning NBA Finals MVP and last year’s NBA finalist Kyrie Irving are also in there to give them added versatility.
Meanwhile, Team Chuck lost one of its best players in Giannis Antetokounmpo to an injury, they’ll look to rely on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic to carry them, but in the past neither of those two has really excelled in these types of games. Team Kenny is all about up-and-coming stars, with the likes of Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards and a couple of Cavaliers as their best players. If they take this game seriously I can definitely see them pulling off the upset against Team Chuck in the semi-final.
The bottom line is, Team Shaq has the best combination of talent and experience out of the four rosters. Playing in front of the home fans will encourage Stephen Curry to do well here, backing him for ASG MVP at +500 odds is also a solid bet in my opinion. I’m rolling with the aging, but still dominant, superstar roster in Sunday’s game.
