NBA Christmas Day Preview
by Joseph King | by Joseph King
Schedule and betting odds
A full day of NBA action is on the docket with some of the league's biggest stars all taking to the court. Below you'll see the matchups, start times as well as the current betting odds. Can't catch the games on TV? Head over to SportyTrader's NBA Livescore page to stay up to date with the action!
| Game | Start time | Betting odds |
|---|---|---|
| Knicks vs Bucks | 12:30 PM EST / 5:30 PM GMT | Knicks +3.5 / Bucks 1.67 / 228.5 total |
| Nuggets vs Warriors | 2:30 PM EST / 7:30 PM GMT | Denver -5.5 / Denver 1.45 / 230.5 total |
| Lakers vs Celtics | 5:00 PM EST / 10:00 PM GMT | Lakers +2 / Celtics 1.77 / 236.5 total |
| Heat vs 76ers | 8:00 PM EST / 1:00 AM GMT (Dec 26) | Heat -1 / Heat 1.83 / 218.5 total |
| Suns vs Mavs | 10:30 PM EST / 3:30 AM GMT (Dec 26) | Suns -4.5 / Suns 1.53 / 226.5 total |
Odds found on bet365
Keep on top of the latest odds by checking out our NBA betting odds page.
Knicks vs Bucks: East showdown at the Mecca
The Knicks and the Bucks meet at Madison Square Garden for the second time in the last two days when they kick off the 2023 Christmas Day showcase. Milwaukee will look to keep their winning streak intact but will face a stern challenge in the Knicks playing on their home court. The Bucks are just a half game behind the Celtics for the top spot in the East thanks to their six-game winning run. However, they've faced the easiest schedule so far (ranked 30th in strength of schedule) with 18 of their 28 games coming at home. On the road, Milwaukee is just 5-5 while the Knicks have a strong 7-3 record at the Garden. Will Giannis and Damian Lillard shine or will Jalen Brunson lead the Knicks to an upset victory?
Nuggets vs Warriors: Clash of the last two NBA champions
The defending champions take on the 2021/22 title winners in the Mile High City for the second game on the slate. It's been another drama-filled season for the Warriors and we're only a third of the way through the campaign. At 14-14 and 11th-place in the standings, it certainly hasn't been the start that Warriors fans will have been expecting. However, the indefinite suspension of Draymond Green has seemingly invigorated the team as the Dubs enter this game riding a four-game winning streak. As for the Nuggets, they continue to chug along and put wins on the board. Denver is third in the West at 20-10 and 2.5 games behind leaders Minnesota. Jokic is having another ridiculous year and is currently the second-favorite for the MVP award. A big performance from the Serbian maestro here could provide a strong statement to MVP voters.
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Lakers vs Celtics: Storied franchises face off in La La Land
The third game of the Christmas Day card sees the LA Lakers hosting the Boston Celtics. A total of 34 championships are at play (17 apiece) when these two heavyweights step in the ring in what represents the biggest rivalry in the sport. The Celtics are the best team in the NBA with a 21-6 record and a league-best +9.8 adjusted net rating (+1.2 higher than second-place Philly), making them the oddsmakers' consensus favorite to win the championship this year. The 2019/20 champion Lakers come into this one as home underdogs. LeBron James is making his 18th Christmas Day appearance where he has posted a 10-7 record and a 27.1 points, 7.0 assists and 7.6 rebounds per game stat line. Can LeBron and company figure a way past this stacked Celtics team?
Heat vs 76ers: Unstoppable Embiid
A rematch of the 2022 Eastern Conference semi-finals sees the Miami Heat hosting the Philadelphia 76ers in South Beach for the penultimate game on the schedule. All eyes will be on reigning and current MVP front-runner Joel Embiid after his string of otherworldly performances. Embiid is averaging 40.2 points per game over his last nine appearances with his 76ers winning eight of their last 10 overall. This streak has lifted the 29-year-old's seasonal average to an incredible 35.0 points per game, the highest in the league and 2.3 higher than second-place Luka Doncic. The Sixers are 20-8 on the season, putting them third in the East and just a game and a half behind the Celtics. Miami is somewhat quietly having a strong season so far as they sit sixth in the standings with a 17-12 record. Jimmy Butler and the Heat have gotten the better of the Sixers over the years and come into this matchup as slight favorites.
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Suns vs Mavericks: Bad blood could boil over
The final game of the NBA's 2023 Christmas Day schedule sees the Phoenix Suns hosting the Dallas Mavericks. Plenty of starpower will be on display despite the fact that we won't get to see the Phoenix "big three" due to Beal's injury. Luka Doncic, Kevin Durant and Devin Booker all taking to the court means we should see an exciting shootout in the desert. There is no love lost between these two teams after their contentious West semi-finals matchup in the 2022 Playoffs. Plenty of memes were born from that series in which Luka and the Mavs completely obliterated the Suns in game seven to complete a 3-2 comeback. Dallas has dipped to seventh in the standings with a 16-12 record while Phoenix has never really gotten going as their 14-14 record places them 10th.
Odds to win the NBA Championship
A quick refresher on where things stand regarding the current oddsmakers' favorites to lift the Larry O'Brien trophy. Looking for betting tips from NBA experts? Head over to SportyTrader's NBA betting tips page to see the latest analysis, completely free!
- Boston Celtics - 4.50
- Denver Nuggets - 5.00
- Milwaukee Bucks - 5.00
- Phoenix Suns - 9.00
- Philadelphia 76ers - 13.00
- Los Angeles Clippers - 15.00
- Los Angeles Lakers - 17.00
- Minnesota Timberwolves - 26.00
- Dallas Mavericks - 26.00
- Golden State Warriors - 26.00
- Miami Heat - 41.00
Odds found on bet365
