NBA All-Star Game Predictions & Best Bets: Expert Picks for Sunday, Feb. 15

A new tournament format provides us with plenty of betting opportunities on Sunday, so we're delivering four NBA All-Star Game predictions and best bets.

The NBA has separated the American players into two separate teams: USA Stars and USA Stripes. The third team is the "World," though it does feature American-born players like Karl-Anthony Towns and Norman Powell, who've represented the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, respectively, in the past.

We're picking our choice for the tournament's outright winner and the All-Star Game MVP, as well as one Over/Under pick and one ATS pick from the initial three contests. The action begins at 5 p.m. ET with USA Stars vs. World and two games will follow to determine the final matchup. For a complete look at this weekend's scheduled festivities, check out our NBA All-Star Weekend betting guide.

🏀 NBA All-Star Game predictions: Feb. 15

See all of our experts' NBA picks based on the latest NBA odds.

💰 Best NBA All-Star Game prediction: USA Stars to win outright (+200 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Check out all of our NBA analysis and expert predictions this season.

Here's the thing: all these teams are stacked. It's literally the All-Star game. So I'm looking at which team is going to bring that little bit of added intensity, and for me, the USA Stars are the answer.

They're younger than the USA Stripes and hungrier than the World. You think Nikola Jokic cares at all about this game? Absolutely not. USA Stars are full of young, talented shooters who want to win this thing.

To be honest, I think my three favorite bets to win All-Star Game MVP also come from this team. I know Victor Wembanyama is the heavy favorite, and Jaylen Brown is interesting as the second-biggest favorite, but I'm fully expecting this group to put on a show. That's exactly why I'm rolling with Tyrese Maxey to win All-Star Game MVP after his rookie teammate, VJ Edgecombe won MVP of the Rising Stars Game.

🔥 More NBA All-Star Game predictions

Tyrese Maxey to win NBA All-Star Game MVP (+1200) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's going to be a weekend dominated by 76ers players, as Maxey will follow in his teammate's footsteps and be crowned the MVP of Sunday's festivities.

Maxey enters the weekend sitting sixth in the NBA with a career-high 28.9 points per game, and he went for 30-plus in his last two before the break. It was a tough week for the 76ers, who got blown out by the Trail Blazers and Knicks, so it's only fitting that two of their stars take home some hardware as a bit of redemption.

USA Stars +2.5 vs. USA Stripes (-110) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is my best bet for Sunday's action, as I can't see the old, tired, USA Stripes hanging with the Stars. You think LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kawhi Leonard are going to risk their health for this. The latter doesn't even do so for the games that matter!

Jaylen Brown, Jalen Brunson, and Donovan Mitchell will keep this close, but I think the USA Stars cover and are actually a very good bet to win this one outright. FanDuel has them priced at +112 on the moneyline.

USA Stars vs. World Over 80.5 (-112) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Both of these teams are way too talented for this game to have the lowest total of the three. You've already seen the USA Stars roster, and on the other side will be Jokic, Wemby, Luka Doncic, Jamal Murray, Pascal Siakam, Alperen Sengun, Deni Avdija, and the aforementioned Towns and Powell.

It's going to be scoring galore in the tournament opener, which I expect to be run back in the finals.

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