2025 NBA 3-Point Contest Predictions: Best Bets & Expert Picks for All-Star Saturday
Milwaukee Bucks guard and Bay Area native Damian Lillard looks to become only the third player ever to three-peat in the NBA 3-Point Contest on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET (TNT) from Chase Center in San Francisco.
Can the likes of Darius Garland, Tyler Herro, and Buddy Hield ruin what's easily the most interesting storyline of the weekend?
Our 2025 NBA 3-Point Contest predictions and odds look at whether there's a dark horse in the mix, or if Lillard will take home the title once again.
How does the 2025 NBA 3-Point Contest work?
Essentially, this is all about finding the most prolific spot-up 3-point shooter in the NBA. The format is simple, and it's remained relatively untouched since being introduced in 1986. At this point, it's arguably more popular than the dunk contest.
📜 NBA 3-Point Contest format & rules
Here's a look at the format and rules for how the NBA 3-Point contest works:
First round
- All eight players will shoot for the allotted 70 seconds, during which they will have 27 potential opportunities to score
- There are five shooting locations with five balls each, with four racks containing one "money ball" - worth two points - at the end of the rack and one rack featuring all five money balls; the shooter decides the spot of the money rack
- There are also two deeper locations with one ball each, known as the "Starry Range," and they are worth three points each
- The maximum score a player can achieve is 40 (16 1-pointers, nine 2-pointers, and two 3-pointers)
- The three players with the highest score move on to the final round
Final round
- The rules and format remain the same, as the final three players battle it out one more time
- The order of the shooters is determined based on the score from the first round; the player with the lowest of the three will shoot first while the highest will shoot last
- Whoever finishes with the highest score is crowned the champion
Tiebreakers
- To advance to final: If players are tied for third at the end of the first round, there will be a 30-second tiebreaker using the same format as the traditional rounds
- To determine the champion: If there is a tie for first in the final, the tiebreaker round will be the full 70 seconds, and they'll repeat this process until the tie is broken
📊 NBA 3-Point Contest trends & all-time records
Of course, the biggest talking point when it comes to records is that Lillard is going for the three-peat, a feat achieved before by only Larry Bird and Craig Hodges.
- Lillard won in walk-off fashion last year, beating Trae Young on his final shot to finish with 26 points
- Steph Curry and Tyrese Haliburton co-own the record for the most points at 31, but that was out of a possible 40
- Devin Booker scored 28 from a possible 34 in 2018, and two players (Hodges and Jason Kapono) have scored 25 out of 30
- The most points in a final round surprisingly come from Karl-Anthony Towns, who managed 29 in 2022
2025 NBA 3-Point Contest odds & favorites
Here are the latest NBA 3-Point Contest odds and betting favorites across our best NBA betting sites for Saturday's event, which will start sometime after 8 p.m. ET.
Don't miss the rest of our NBA picks heading into All-Star Weekend, including my NBA Slam Dunk Contest predictions.
🔢 Live odds to win the 3-Point Contest
You can also check out our NBA player prop odds tool for the latest NBA odds at the best legal sportsbooks in your region.
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2025 NBA 3-Point Contest predictions, expert picks & long shot
So, do we go with Lillard - the favorite - to three-peat, or is there a better bet among this bunch of sharpshooters?
🏆 Pick to win the 3-Point Contest: Darius Garland (+600 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐
The Cleveland Cavaliers are in the midst of a magical campaign, as they enter the All-Star break with the best record in the East. Of course, a big reason for that is Garland, who's shooting a career-best 43.1% from three this season.
It doesn't feel good to fade Lillard in his quest for the three-peat in his homecoming, but this is about making the best bet, not the one that would be the nicest to watch.
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🥈 Best bet to advance to final round: Buddy Hield (+110 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐
I nearly picked Hield to win the entire event, but I think the moment could be too big for him in the final as the lone representative of the Golden State Warriors. However, I do think he'll make it through the opening round.
I really like the price we're getting at Caesars, too, as FanDuel and bet365 have Hield at -120 to advance to the final, so a winning $10 wager on these +110 odds will earn us an additional $2.67 of profit.
🎯 Best long shot to win 3-Point Contest: Jalen Brunson (+850 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
If any of these guys know pressure, it's the one who plays at Madison Square Garden for half of his games each season.
Jalen Brunson is widely trading as the second-biggest underdog at our best sports betting sites, likely because he doesn't attempt as many threes per game as the rest of the competitors.
However, Brunson has drained better than 40% of his triple in two straight years, and he's right there again at 39.7% entering the break.
2025 NBA 3-Point Contest props & best bets for All-Star Saturday
The NBA 3-point contest odds aren't limited to just picking the winner, though, as there are a number of interesting props available.
💰 Best prop bet for Round 1: Jalen Brunson to score 25-plus (+115 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐
If we're backing Brunson as a long shot to make the final, he needs to have a solid first round.
It's nice that we're getting plus-money odds on him to do so, as DraftKings has five of the eight competitors trading at minus money to score 25-plus. Only Brunson, Cam Johnson, and Cade Cunningham are being offered at plus money.
If you want to gamble that Brunson scores one additional point, FanDuel offers him to get 26-plus in the first round at a very tantalizing +200.
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🔥 Player with highest Round 1 score: Darius Garland (+650 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
I'm doubling down on Garland by also backing him to finish with the best score in Round 1.
The main reason for this is there's a big discrepancy between our two best sports betting apps offering this market, as DraftKings has Garland at +450. That makes him the second-biggest favorite, just a hair behind Lillard.
Meanwhile, FanDuel has Garland as the fifth-biggest favorite to lead the first-round scoring. It's possible that's actually the correct spot for him, but I tend to side with DraftKings' pricing on this market.
📺 How to watch the 2025 NBA 3-Point Contest
- Date: Saturday, Feb. 15
- Start time: 8 p.m. ET
- TV: TNT
- Stream: Sling, Fubo
- Location: Chase Center (San Francisco)
❓ NBA 3-Point Contest FAQs
Who is favored to win the 3-Point Contest?
Damian Lillard is the favorite to win the 3-point contest.
What time is the 3-Point Contest?
The 3-point contest will start sometime after 8 p.m. ET.
What channel is the 3-Point Contest on?
The 3-point contest will be aired on TNT.
Who won the 3-Point Contest last year?
Damian Lillard has won the last two 3-point contests.
What is the highest score ever in the 3-Point Contest?
The highest score was achieved by Steph Curry and Tyrese Haliburton (31).
Who is in the 3-Point Contest?
The eight players involved are: Damian Lillard, Buddy Hield, Darius Garland, Norman Powell, Cam Johnson, Tyler Herro, Jalen Brunson, and Cade Cunningham.
Will Stephen Curry be in the 3-Point Contest?
No, Stephen Curry is not in the 3-point contest. He was believed to have a rematch with WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu in a 3-point showdown from last year, but the NBA scrapped it.
How can I bet on the NBA 3-Point Contest?
You can place a bet on the NBA 3-Point Contest with our best NBA betting sites to win the contest or finish with a certain score, as we broke down in our best bets above.
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