NBA Betting Online: The BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge has become almost as popular as the All-Star Game itself.
For the second consecutive year, the league's annual showcase of premier young talent will pit 10 first- and second-year NBA players from the United States against 10 first- and second-year NBA players from around the world. You can get a sneak peak into the future of the Association.
Other than the game being extremely exciting, you can bet on it! BookMaker will post a spread and total for the contest as early as Thursday.
Rosters for this year’s BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches and had to include four guards, four frontcourt players and two players at any position. Rosters also required a minimum of three first-year players and three second-year players.
Minnesota Timberwolves' Andrew Wiggins, last season's NBA Rookie of the Year, and teammate Karl-Anthony Towns, who has won two straight NBA Western Conference Rookie of the Month awards, highlight the list of players.
New York's Kristaps Porzingis, who earned two NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month awards in a row, joins Wiggins on the World Team. Minnesota's Zach LaVine, the dunk champion at NBA All-Star 2015, will play alongside Towns on the U.S. Team, giving the Timberwolves three players in the game, all 20 years old.
Below are the rosters for each team.
U.S. TEAM
Jordan Clarkson (Los Angeles Lakers)
Rodney Hood (Utah Jazz)
Zach LaVine (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Nerlens Noel (Philadelphia 76ers)
Jahlil Okafor (Philadelphia 76ers)
Jabari Parker (Milwaukee Bucks)
Elfrid Payton (Orlando Magic)
D'Angelo Russell (Los Angeles Lakers)
Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics)
Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves)
WORLD TEAM
Bojan Bogdanovic (Brooklyn Nets)
Clint Capela (Houston Rockets)
Mario Hezonja (Orlando Magic)
Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
*Trey Lyles (Utah Jazz)
Emmanuel Mudiay (Denver Nuggets)
Raul Neto (Utah Jazz)
Kristaps Porzingis (New York Knicks)
Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks)
Andrew Wiggins (Minnesota Timberwolves)
* replaces Nikola Mirotic (injured)
The World Team is anchored by Wiggins, who ranks 15th in the NBA in scoring, and Porzingis, who is third among rookies in scoring and first in blocked shots. In last year's BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge, Wiggins scored 22 points and earned MVP honors in the World Team's 121-112 victory over the U.S. Team.
Wiggins is one of two Toronto-born players on this year's World Team roster, along with Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks.
Towns, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, is one of three NBA players averaging at least 16.0 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. Towns and LaVine are joined on the U.S. Team by the Philadelphia 76ers' Jahlil Okafor, who leads all rookies in scoring, and Sixers teammate Nerlens Noel, the only NBA player averaging at least 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals.
All-Star games routinely feature creativity and movement on the offensive end and matador-style defense on the other end. This would seemingly favor the international players. However the U.S. Team has plenty of athletic players who can get up and down the court and fill up the basket.
The U.S. Team has a huge advantage in the paint with Towns, Okafor, Noel and Parker, and should look for matchup advantages down low. Russell and LaVine will work the point, feeding the big fellas.
The World Team has last year’s Rookie of the Year and Rising Stars game MVP in Wiggins, who’s playing in his hometown. That should be a motivating factor for the young man who is developing into one of the top talents in the game.
Other than the spread and total, futures betting is available for the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge with the MVP award.
BookMaker will offer a multitude of odds and prop bets for the 2016 NBA All-Star Weekend in Toronto. You can bet on the All-Star Game, the Skills Challenge, the Slam Dunk Contest and the 3-point competition. The NBA lines for the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge on TNT Friday will first be released by BookMaker sportsbook.
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone with BookMaker’s new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here and start wagering today! The BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge will go down Friday, February 12, 2016, at 9 p.m. ET at Air Canada Centre. The contest will be broadcast nationally on TNT.
