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2026 NBA Slam Dunk contest picks, odds, field: NBA predictions from elite expert

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The annual exhibition of high-flyers will be on display at the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk contest on Saturday night. The four-man field features two rookies in Jase Richardson and Carter Bryant, as well as two vets in Jaxson Hayes and Keshad Johnson. Mac McClung, who has won each of the last three competitions, won’t be going for an unprecedented fourth victory at the Slam Dunk Contest 2026. Each player will have two dunks in the first round, with those with the highest average score advancing to the finals, which will also consist of two dunks.

The Intuit Dome in Los Angeles will host the NBA Slam Dunk contest, the third event of NBA All-Star Saturday Night, which begins at 5 p.m. ET. The latest 2026 NBA Slam Dunk contest odds via FanDuel Sportsbook have Bryant as the +180 favorite, followed by Hayes at +250. Johnson comes in at +320, while Richardson — son of two-time slam dunk champion Jason Richardson — is the biggest longshot at +350. Hayes is looking to become the first 7-footer to win the dunk contest. Before making any 2026 Slam Dunk Contest picks or predictions, you need to see the best bets from SportsLine’s NBA expert Larry Hartstein.

New users can target the DraftKings promo code, which offers $300 in bonus bets if your first $5+ bet wins:

Hartstein is SportsLine’s senior analyst and a founding member of the Early Edge podcast. He’s excelled in multiple sports, and enters the All-Star break having nailed eight of his past 13 NBA prop picks. Anyone following at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.

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Now, Hartstein has analyzed the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk contest from all angles and is delivering his picks for SportsLine. You can head to SportsLine now to see Hartstein’s NBA Slam Dunk Contest best bets.

Top 2026 NBA Slam Dunk contest picks, predictions

One shocker: Hartstein is fading Bryant, despite being the +180 favorite. The Spurs rookie clearly has lots of promise as an overall player, as just three days before the dunk contest, San Antonio cut former top-10 pick Jeremy Sochan to get Bryant on the court more. But with Bryant’s youthful exuberance also comes a bit of risk, as he’s gone on record in saying one of his planned dunks will “test my limits,” which sounds like a great idea on paper. However, adding complexity to a dunk raises the probability of then missing that dunk, which would hurt his score from the judges.

Missed dunks have been an issue for the rookie in games, as he’s only connected on nine dunks across 14 dunk attempts (64.3%). Granted those came against defenses, but for comparison, those five missed dunks are more than Johnson and Richardson combined this season, while Hayes has connected on 90.4% of his dunks. 

Additionally, nearly all of Bryant’s dunks have come in garbage time, so the unknown of how he’ll perform when the spotlight is on him is yet another reason to fade the favorite. You can see who to back here.

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How to make NBA Slam Dunk contest 2026 picks

Hartstein’s Slam Dunk contest winner is a longshot he says “explodes to the rim.” You can find out who it is, and see the rest of Hartstein’s NBA Slam Dunk contest best bets at SportsLine.

So who wins the 2026 NBA Slam Dunk contest? Visit SportsLine now to see Hartstein’s picks for the Slam Dunk Contest 2026, all from the NBA expert who is on an 8-5 roll on NBA prop picks, and find out.

NBA 2026 Slam Dunk contest odds, field

See picks at SportsLine.

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(FanDuel odds)
Carter Bryant +180
Jaxson Hayes +250
Keshad Johnson +320
Jase Richardson +350

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Rennes stun Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain to end winless run

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Rennes returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion on Friday, claiming a 3-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain and handing Lens the chance to reclaim top spot.

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Breezy Johnson reveals Mikaela Shiffrin’s ‘jealous’ reaction to Taylor Swift’s comment on her engagement video

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Breezy Johnson recently shared Mikaela Shiffrin’s amusing reaction to the American pop star Taylor Swift celebrating her engagement. Along with a gold medal, Johnson took home a precious ring as her longtime boyfriend, Connor Watkins, proposed to her near the finish line after she completed her super-G run.

The American skier’s boyfriend popped the question after Johnson’s quest for a super-G title ended with a crash. As she reached the finish line, Watkins was waiting with a ring in his pocket. Reciting lyrics from the Taylor Swift song “Alchemy,” Watkins pulled out the ring with a blue gem at the center of a white sapphire set.

He also gave her a piece of wood which had the lyrics “Honestly, who are we to fight the alchemy?” from “Alchemy” carved on it. The iconic proposal did not go unnoticed by Taylor Swift, who congratulated the couple on the Instagram post by referencing another lyric from the song:

“Where’s the trophy? He just comes running over to me’ CONGRATULATIONS!!!”

Swift’s reaction was noticed by Shiffrin, who was present on the site when the heartwarming moment unfolded. After the American singer’s comment, Shiffrin expressed her jealousy towards Johnson, who opened up about her teammates’ feelings, saying:

“I just lost it. I did not expect the way that it grew legs and ran, and then she commented, and I was like, ‘Oh my God’ and then Mikaela was there, and like I could tell she was like, ‘I’ve never been so jealous of Breezy in my life.’”

Breezy Johnson won a gold medal in the downhill event at the 2026 Winter Games.

When will Mikaela Shiffrin compete next at the 2026 Winter Olympics?

  Mikaela Shiffrin during the Women's Team Combined at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. (Images via Getty Images)  Mikaela Shiffrin during the Women's Team Combined at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. (Images via Getty Images)
Mikaela Shiffrin during the Women’s Team Combined at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Images via Getty Images)

Mikaela Shiffrin competed at the Winter Olympics in the team combined event and slalom. However, she fell short of registering a win after finishing in fourth and 15th in combined and slalom, respectively.

She still has the opportunity to medal in Italy, and end her no medal draught from the 2022 Beijing Games. Shiffrin will next compete in the slalom. The women’s slalom schedule at the 2026 Winter Olympics is given below:

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  • Feb. 15: Women’s giant slalom run 1 | 4 a.m. ET
  • Feb. 15: Women’s giant slalom run 2 | 7:30 a.m. ET
  • Feb. 18: Women’s slalom run 1 | 4 a.m. ET
  • Feb. 18: Women’s slalom run 2 | 7:30 a.m. ET