2023 Jordan Rising Stars predictions, odds, time: NBA All-Star Weekend picks, bets by proven expert

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Fans in Salt Lake City will have their first chance to see some familiar faces when the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars Challenge kicks off NBA All-Star Weekend on Friday. Rookie center Walker Kessler of the hometown Jazz will be taking the court for the team of NBA rookies and sophomores being coached by Deron Williams, who spent the first five-plus seasons of his playing career with Utah. Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah also will be guiding squads while current Jazz assistant coach Jason Terry leads a club made up strictly of players from the NBA G League.

The Jordan Rising Stars at Vivint Arena is set to begin at 9 p.m. ET. Team Pau is the betting favorite at +160 (risk $100 to win $160) in the latest 2023 Jordan Rising Stars odds. Team Deron is +200, Team Joakim is +225 and Team Jason is listed at +500. Before making any 2023 Jordan Rising Stars picks, be sure to check out the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend predictions from SportsLine expert Mike Barner.

A respected NBA Fantasy expert, both season-long and daily, Barner's work has appeared in Sports Illustrated and on Yahoo, RotoWire and KFFL. He's also been featured on ESPN Radio. Barner digs deep into the data, examining team trends and projecting game outcomes.

Barner's expertise has been on full display over a wide sample. Over the past three seasons at SportsLine, he has crushed sportsbooks with a 425-343-12 record, returning $4,416 to $100 bettors on against-the-spread picks. He also has an incredible feel for NBA All-Star Weekend. In 2022, Barner nailed his over/under pick on the All-Star Game and in 2021 he called the winner of the Slam Dunk contest. Anyone who followed his picks saw some huge returns.

Now, he has analyzed the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars lineups from all angles and just locked in his coveted pick and predictions. He is only sharing his NBA picks and analysis at SportsLine.

2023 Jordan Rising Stars format

For the second straight year, a mini-tournament involving four teams will take place. Three games will be played to a Final Target Score, meaning the contests will end on a made basket or free throw rather than time expiring. The two semifinal games will have a Final Target Score of 40, while the first team to reach 25 points in the final will be crowned champion. See which team to back at SportsLine.

Top 2023 Jordan Rising Stars predictions

Team Jason is a huge underdog in the mini-tournament, but familiarity among some of its players could be an advantage. Four members of the NBA G League Ignite are on the roster, including two of their top three scorers. Guard Scoot Henderson, who is projected to be one of the top picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, is second on the club with an average of 17.7 points, while fellow 19-year-old Leonard Miller is scoring 15.6 per contest.

Terry's squad also has three players who have already seen NBA action in their professional careers. Forward Kenneth Lofton Jr., who is averaging 20.4 points and 10.2 rebounds for the G League's Memphis Hustle, appeared in eight games with the Grizzlies while guard Scotty Pippen Jr. (24.3 points, 6.9 assists with South Bay Lakers) played in six contests with the Los Angeles Lakers. Guard Mac McClung of the Delaware Blue Coats, who has scored 19.1 points and made 50% of his 3-pointers, played two NBA games last season. He also recently signed a two-way contract with the 76ers and will be competing in the AT&T Slam Dunk event on Saturday. See more predictions at SportsLine.

How to make 2023 Jordan Rising Stars picks

Barner has identified a critical X-factor that makes one team a must-back on Friday. He says the squad "has all the pieces to emerge as the winner," putting it in position to return huge value. You can only see which team you should back in the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars at SportsLine.

Who wins the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars? And what critical X-factor makes one team a must-back? Visit SportsLine right now to see which team you should be backing on Friday, all from the SportsLine expert who has returned over $4,400 over the past three NBA seasons, and find out.