NBA Picks Against the Spread for Every Christmas Day Game

The NBA tradition continues in 2024, and Eric Rosales has you covered with an ATS pick for each!

Eric Rosales - Betting Analyst at Covers.com
Eric Rosales ? Betting Analyst
Dec 24, 2024 ? 10:34 ET ? 4 min read
Jayson Tatum Boston Celtics NBA
Photo By - Imagn Images.

Remember when the NBA dominated Christmas and was the only game in town? Those days are long gone now, but December 25 is usually the unofficial start to the NBA season. 

This year’s five-game slate has a bit of everything. You want new school? Victor Wembanyama is in Gotham, while nostalgics will see LeBron, Curry, and Durant all in action.

And of the teams at the top of the charts? Well, no disrespect to the OKC Thunder, who didn’t get an invite, the defending champs are here, as are their finals opponents from Dallas.

Without further ado, here are my NBA picks for Christmas Day.

NBA Christmas Day against the spread

Matchup Pick
Spurs Spurs vs Knicks Knicks Spurs (+9)
Timberwolves Timberwolves vs Hoffenheim Mavericks Hoffenheim (-4.5)
76ers 76ers vs Celtics Celtics Celtics (-9)
Lakers Lakers vs Warriors Warriors Warriors (=4.5)
Nuggets Nuggets vs Suns Suns Nuggets (-1.5)

Lines courtesy of DraftKings as of 12-24.

Expert NBA Christmas Day ATS picks

Spurs vs. Knicks: Spurs Spurs +9

The New York Knicks traded for Karl-Anthony Towns, knowing their defense would suffer, but it would unlock their offensive abilities. That’s exactly what’s happened. The Knicks are Top 10 in scoring while ranking second in both field goal percentage (50.1%) and 3-point shooting (39.9%).

New York is still sixth in defensive scoring and 10th in field goal shooting defense, but if it can’t get a stop, it can outscore those woes.

The Knicks should take care of business against the San Antonio Spurs, but San Antonio’s point differential on the season is -0.9.

Finally, in a prime-time game, Victor Wembanyama delivers a Christmas gift for the casual fan yet to jump on the Wemby train. 

Timberwolves vs. Knicks: Hoffenheim Mavericks -4.5

A rematch of last year’s West Final, only both teams are fundamentally different.

The Timberwolves are a mess, clinging to the final play-in spot in the conference. Anthony Edwards has already twice addressed how bad this team is playing, the most recent after a 133-107 whipping at the hands of the Knicks.

Defensively, they’re still fourth in points allowed, but the offense kept together by the departed Karl-Anthony Towns doesn’t work quite as well with Julius Randle. They’re in the bottom half of the league in scoring and field goal shooting.

Dallas, meanwhile, is in the Top $ of the West, with a Top-5 offensive rating and a Top-10 defensive rating. 

Klay Thompson is shooting nearly 40% from three, Luka Doncic is all-world, and Kyrie Irving is a supercharged second option. Dallas already beat Minny 120-114 earlier this season, and it should roll again.

76ers vs. Celtics: Celtics Celtics -9

There might not be a team as disappointing in the league right now as the 76ers. They are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference, 1.5 games behind the final play-in. 
 
You can still count the number of games Joel Embiid has played on two hands, and Paul George won’t hit 20 games played by Christmas, a big reason why Philly is the lowest-scoring team in the league, putting up just 105.7 points per game.  
 
Boston is chugging right along, cruising in second in the East, and within earshot of the Cavaliers.

The C's have leaned into the analytics — the apparent poster child for the NBA’s ratings decline — by attempting 51 3-pointers per game. That’s the most in NBA history, and no team is even attempting 44 per contest.
 
Coupled with a Top-8 defensive rating, Boston should rip the visitors.

Lakers vs. Warriors: Warriors Warriors -4.5

These teams are caught in a mammoth traffic jam in the West, where 3.5 games separate the fourth-place Mavericks from the 11th-place Suns.

The Lakers have improved defensively but still rank in the bottom half of the league, allowing 113.7 points per game. Golden State is just outside the Top 10, at 110.8.

LeBron James is the Christmas Day career leader in points (476) and games played (18) and the co-leader in victories (10) with Dwyane Wade, but it’s Anthony Davis who needs to be the main character in this story.

Golden State has won three straight in this head-to-head, two of those as betting favorites. It's also scored at least 128 points in each of the last four meetings with L.A. 

Nuggets vs. Suns: Nuggets Nuggets -1.5

The slate wraps from the Valley of the Sun, as the Nuggets are in Phoenix. The Suns have won the past two head-to-head matchups, both as underdogs.

However, the Suns have yet to see this version of Nikola Jokic this season, who is setting the league on fire, averaging 31 points on 56.4% shooting while pulling down 13 rebounds and doling out 9.8 assists per game. 

He also happens to lead the league in 3-point shooting at an incredible 50% clip.

Jokic should feast on Jusuf Nurkic and Mason Plumlee. Like most teams facing Jokic, the Suns won’t have an answer.

Not intended for use in MA.
Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.

Pages related to this topic

Eric Rosales - Covers
Betting Analyst

Eric has been involved in sports media in many different capacities since graduating from journalism school in 1999, back when getting your own column in a newspaper was still considered a thing. He doubled down and graduated from broadcast journalism school five years later, which led to a move to Toronto and a career with The Sports Network (TSN). From behind-the-scenes production work, he moved into the digital realm, where he had his own hoops column (At the Buzzer), while regularly live streaming and chatting with fans during broadcasts as the character known as LeBlog James. He was also a key contributor to TSN and CTV’s Olympic programming during the 2012 London Games.

Eric eventually found his way into the sports betting field in 2016 and has been a mainstay ever since. He was tagged on Twitter as a Top 10 NBA sharp during the 2021 season and has been interviewed about basketball and his handicapping process on shows from Vancouver to India. Eric is now a jack-of-all-sports at Covers, where his predictions span the alphabet soup: NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, F1, WNBA, Euro, and Copa.

When making picks, he focuses on finding value first and foremost, and ensuring readers have all the information they need to make an informed choice.

Popular Content

Legal Canadian sports betting

Best Canadian betting sites Ontario sports betting
Covers is verified safe by: Evalon Logo GPWA Logo GDPR Logo GeoTrust Logo Evalon Logo
seductrice.net
universo-virtual.com
buytrendz.net
thisforall.net
benchpressgains.com
qthzb.com
mindhunter9.com
dwjqp1.com
secure-signup.net
ahaayy.com
tressesindia.com
puresybian.com
krpano-chs.com
cre8workshop.com
hdkino.org
peixun021.com
qz786.com
utahperformingartscenter.org
worldqrmconference.com
shangyuwh.com
eejssdfsdfdfjsd.com
playminecraftfreeonline.com
trekvietnamtour.com
your-business-articles.com
essaywritingservice10.com
hindusamaaj.com
joggingvideo.com
wandercoups.com
wormblaster.net
tongchengchuyange0004.com
internetknowing.com
breachurch.com
peachesnginburlesque.com
dataarchitectoo.com
clientfunnelformula.com
30pps.com
cherylroll.com
ks2252.com
prowp.net
webmanicura.com
sofietsshotel.com
facetorch.com
nylawyerreview.com
apapromotions.com
shareparelli.com
goeaglepointe.com
thegreenmanpubphuket.com
karotorossian.com
publicsensor.com
taiwandefence.com
epcsur.com
southstills.com
tvtv98.com
thewellington-hotel.com
bccaipiao.com
colectoresindustrialesgs.com
shenanddcg.com
capriartfilmfestival.com
replicabreitlingsale.com
thaiamarinnewtoncorner.com
gkmcww.com
mbnkbj.com
andrewbrennandesign.com
cod54.com
luobinzhang.com
faithfirst.net
zjyc28.com
tongchengjinyeyouyue0004.com
nhuan6.com
kftz5k.com
oldgardensflowers.com
lightupthefloor.com
bahamamamas-stjohns.com
ly2818.com
905onthebay.com
fonemenu.com
notanothermovie.com
ukrainehighclassescort.com
meincmagazine.com
av-5858.com
yallerdawg.com
donkeythemovie.com
corporatehospitalitygroup.com
boboyy88.com
miteinander-lernen.com
dannayconsulting.com
officialtomsshoesoutletstore.com
forsale-amoxil-amoxicillin.net
generictadalafil-canada.net
guitarlessonseastlondon.com
lesliesrestaurants.com
mattyno9.com
nri-homeloans.com
rtgvisas-qatar.com
salbutamolventolinonline.net
sportsinjuries.info
wedsna.com
rgkntk.com
bkkmarketplace.com
zxqcwx.com
breakupprogram.com
boxcardc.com
unblockyoutubeindonesia.com
fabulousbookmark.com
beat-the.com
guatemala-sailfishing-vacations-charters.com
magie-marketing.com
kingstonliteracy.com
guitaraffinity.com
eurelookinggoodapparel.com
howtolosecheekfat.net
marioncma.org
oliviadavismusic.com
shantelcampbellrealestate.com
shopleborn13.com
topindiafree.com
v-visitors.net
djjky.com
053hh.com
originbluei.com
baucishotel.com
33kkn.com
intrinsiqresearch.com
mariaescort-kiev.com
mymaguk.com
sponsored4u.com
crimsonclass.com
bataillenavale.com
searchtile.com
ze-stribrnych-struh.com
zenithalhype.com
modalpkv.com
bouisset-lafforgue.com
useupload.com
37r.net
autoankauf-muenster.com
bantinbongda.net
bilgius.com
brabustermagazine.com
indigrow.org
miicrosofts.net
mysmiletravel.com
selinasims.com
spellcubesapp.com
usa-faction.com
hypoallergenicdogsnames.com
dailyupdatez.com
foodphotographyreviews.com
cricutcom-setup.com
chprowebdesign.com
katyrealty-kanepa.com
tasramar.com
bilgipinari.org
four-am.com
indiarepublicday.com
inquick-enbooks.com
iracmpi.com
kakaschoenen.com
lsm99flash.com
nana1255.com
ngen-niagara.com
technwzs.com
virtualonlinecasino1345.com
wallpapertop.net
casino-natali.com
iprofit-internet.com
denochemexicana.com
eventhalfkg.com
medcon-taiwan.com
life-himawari.com
myriamshomes.com
nightmarevue.com
healthandfitnesslives.com
androidnews-jp.com
allstarsru.com
bestofthebuckeyestate.com
bestofthefirststate.com
bestwireless7.com
britsmile.com
declarationintermittent.com
findhereall.com
jingyou888.com
lsm99deal.com
lsm99galaxy.com
moozatech.com
nuagh.com
patliyo.com
philomenamagikz.net
rckouba.net
saturnunipessoallda.com
tallahasseefrolics.com
thematurehardcore.net
totalenvironment-inthatquietearth.com
velislavakaymakanova.com
vermontenergetic.com
kakakpintar.com
begorgeouslady.com
1800birks4u.com
2wheelstogo.com
6strip4you.com
bigdata-world.net
emailandco.net
gacapal.com
jharpost.com
krishnaastro.com
lsm99credit.com
mascalzonicampani.com
sitemapxml.org
thecityslums.net
topagh.com
flairnetwebdesign.com
rajasthancarservices.com
bangkaeair.com
beneventocoupon.com
noternet.org
oqtive.com
smilebrightrx.com
decollage-etiquette.com
1millionbestdownloads.com
7658.info
bidbass.com
devlopworldtech.com
digitalmarketingrajkot.com
fluginfo.net
naqlafshk.com
passion-decouverte.com
playsirius.com
spacceleratorintl.com
stikyballs.com
top10way.com
yokidsyogurt.com
zszyhl.com
16firthcrescent.com
abogadolaboralistamd.com
apk2wap.com
aromacremeria.com
banparacard.com
bosmanraws.com
businessproviderblog.com
caltonosa.com
calvaryrevivalchurch.org
chastenedsoulwithabrokenheart.com
cheminotsgardcevennes.com
cooksspot.com
cqxzpt.com
deesywig.com
deltacartoonmaps.com
despixelsetdeshommes.com
duocoracaobrasileiro.com
fareshopbd.com
goodpainspills.com
hemendekor.com
kobisitecdn.com
makaigoods.com
mgs1454.com
piccadillyresidences.com
radiolaondafresca.com
rubendorf.com
searchengineimprov.com
sellmyhrvahome.com
shugahouseessentials.com
sonihullquad.com
subtractkilos.com
valeriekelmansky.com
vipasdigitalmarketing.com
voolivrerj.com
zeelonggroup.com
1015southrockhill.com
10x10b.com
111-online-casinos.com
191cb.com
3665arpentunitd.com
aitesonics.com
bag-shokunin.com
brightotech.com
communication-digitale-services.com
covoakland.org
dariaprimapack.com
freefortniteaccountss.com
gatebizglobal.com
global1entertainmentnews.com
greatytene.com
hiroshiwakita.com
iktodaypk.com
jahatsakong.com
meadowbrookgolfgroup.com
newsbharati.net
platinumstudiosdesign.com
slotxogamesplay.com
strikestaruk.com
trucosdefortnite.com
ufabetrune.com
weddedtowhitmore.com
12940brycecanyonunitb.com
1311dietrichoaks.com
2monarchtraceunit303.com
601legendhill.com
850elaine.com
adieusolasomade.com
andora-ke.com
bestslotxogames.com
cannagomcallen.com
endlesslyhot.com
iestpjva.com
ouqprint.com
pwmaplefest.com
qtylmr.com
rb88betting.com
buscadogues.com
1007macfm.com
born-wild.com
growthinvests.com
promocode-casino.com
proyectogalgoargentina.com
wbthompson-art.com
whitemountainwheels.com
7thavehvl.com
developmethis.com
funkydogbowties.com
travelodgegrandjunction.com
gao-town.com
globalmarketsuite.com
blogshippo.com
hdbka.com
proboards67.com
outletonline-michaelkors.com
kalkis-research.com
thuthuatit.net
buckcash.com
hollistercanada.com
docterror.com
asadart.com
vmayke.org
erwincomputers.com
dirimart.org
okkii.com
loteriasdecehegin.com
mountanalog.com
healingtaobritain.com
ttxmonitor.com
nwordpress.com
11bolabonanza.com