2025 NBA All-Star Weekend expert picks: Trae Young is value play for MVP, Dunk Contest royalty prevails

All-Star Weekend is tricky for betting

The 2023 All-Star Game featured captains drafting teams. The 2024 event moved back to East vs. West. Now, in 2025, we're playing a four-team tournament. What that says about All-Star Weekend's broader, existential issues is a matter of debate. What it says about betting All-Star Weekend is to be very, very careful. These events keep changing because they're not working. Betting on All-Star Weekend, to some extent, means betting on players who may or may not take the proceedings seriously.

I can't tell you who's going to try to win on Sunday. I can't tell you how invested the Friday or Saturday participants are. But I can help guide you strategically through the minefield that is the All-Star Weekend betting market. While I will offer picks below for all of the major events, what is more important is the thought processes I'll guide you through below. There's no reliable way to pick winners on All-Star Weekend, but you can almost always at least find the right value.