Christmas Day is one of the most exciting times of the year for many, and especially for NBA fans. Some of the league’s best teams will face off in what should be five tightly-contested matchups from noon through midnight.
If you’re looking to bet on this year’s events, you’ve come to the right place. Below, you can check out the latest odds for each matchup, read up on what’s at stake, and see my Christmas best bets.
Christmas NBA Odds & Lines
Christmas NBA odds are courtesy of bet365 Sportsbook unless otherwise noted and are current as of Thursday, Dec. 22 at 1 p.m. ET. Be sure to keep tabs on all of our current NBA odds leading into NBA Christmas Day.
Christmas NBA Games
76ers @ Knicks Odds (Noon ET)
76ers -2 (-110) @ Knicks +2 (-110)
After defeating the Atlanta Hawks on Christmas Day 2021, the New York Knicks will host the Philadelphia 76ers in the first game of this year’s slate.
The Knicks won their lone matchup earlier this year, but will they be able to take a 2-0 lead in the season series? They have been trending in the right direction lately, after all.
However, the smart call is to back the 76ers against the spread. Philadelphia didn’t have Joel Embiid or James Harden available in the first game of the season series, and their presence should turn the tides decisively in the Sixers’ favor.
- See moneyline odds and more in our 76ers vs Knicks predictions.
Lakers @ Mavericks Odds (2:30 p.m. ET)
Lakers +7.5 (-110) @ Mavericks -7.5 (-110)
LeBron James has played on Christmas Day every year dating back to 2007. This will be his third such meeting with the Dallas Mavericks, and he’ll look to improve his record to 3-0 with a win.
Luka Dončić and the Mavs will do everything they can to keep the Los Angeles Lakers from taking this one, and before Anthony Davis‘ injury, sportsbooks believed they’d get the job done. Dallas was previously listed as a 4-point favorite over James’ side before moving to -7.5.
I’m also of the belief that the Mavericks will secure a victory here, but their 5-10-2 record against the spread at home this season is worth noting. Dallas generally wins on its home court, but opponents keep things close more often than not.
- Get the best odds and picks for this game by reading our Lakers vs Mavericks predictions.
Bucks @ Celtics Odds (5 p.m. ET)
Bucks +4 (-110) @ Celtics -4 (-110)
Perhaps the best game on the NBA Christmas Day slate is this one between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. As the teams with the two best records in the Eastern Conference — and two of the league’s best players in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum — this is as high-stakes as it gets.
This is also a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinal matchup, which the Celtics won in seven games. Milwaukee and Boston have not met since.
This will be a hard-fought contest, but I like the Celtics to pull away late en route to a win. Boston has the league’s best offense by a considerable margin, and the Bucks have proven to be the more inconsistent team this year.
- Find out how to bet on this showdown in our Bucks vs Celtics predictions.
Grizzlies @ Warriors Odds (8 p.m. ET)
Grizzlies -3.5 (-110) @ Warriors +3.5 (-110)
Another game, another playoff rematch. This time, the Memphis Grizzlies will travel to San Francisco for a meeting with the Golden State Warriors, who eliminated them in the second round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
However, this is hardly the same Golden State team that took out the Grizz. Stephen Curry will be sidelined with a shoulder injury, leaving the offense in the hands of Jordan Poole and Klay Thompson, among others.
Memphis features an exciting young duo of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., who are the driving forces behind this team’s offensive and defensive attacks, respectively. They’ll be out for revenge here, so I’ll be backing them to cover this 3.5-point spread.
- Catch up on this meeting with our full Grizzlies vs Warriors predictions.
Suns @ Nuggets Odds (10:30 p.m. ET)
Suns +2.5 (-110) @ Nuggets -2.5 (-110)
The final game of the five-game slate is between the Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets. Like the Grizz and Warriors, these are two Western Conference heavyweights with no love lost between them: The Suns eliminated the Nuggets in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
The stars of the show in this matchup are Nikola Jokić and Devin Booker, who each finished inside the top four of last year’s MVP race. If you’re looking to bet player props, these are the guys to wager on.
Nonetheless, I like Denver to prevail here in what should be the highest-scoring contest of the day. The Nuggets match up nicely with the Suns, and Denver is notorious for being a difficult place to play due to the elevation and home crowd.
- Don’t miss out on our Suns vs Nuggets predictions for more on this game.
