It’s the most wonderful time of the year. NBA on Christmas Day is back for a doozy of a five-game slate on ESPN.
In the first game of the day, Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will travel to Madison Square Garden to face the New York Knicks. A Western Conference Finals rematch between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks will follow that game.
The defending champion Boston Celtics will host the Philadelphia 76ers in the third game of the slate. After that, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will travel to face Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors.
The night’s final game could be the best, with the Phoenix Suns welcoming the Denver Nuggets to town.
To set the stage for this five-game slate, here’s a breakdown of the latest odds for the Christmas Day games via the BetMGM online sportsbook — all stats and betting lines as of Sunday, Dec. 22.
Spurs vs. Knicks
- Point spread: Knicks -9.5
- Total: 226.5
- Tipoff: Noon ET
Wembanyama will make his Christmas Day debut, though this will likely be the first of many appearances as the future face of the league. He comes into the matchup with plenty of momentum after scoring 42 points against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday.
As the favorite for Defensive Player of the Year, Wembanyama will be tested by a Knicks team that ranks second in offensive rating. While the under has been a profitable bet on Christmas Day in the past, New York and San Antonio both have a 53.6% clip to the over this year.
Timberwolves vs. Mavericks
- Point spread: Mavericks -4.5
- Total: 227
- Tipoff: 2:30 p.m. ET
Anthony Edwards gets his first appearance on Christmas Day, looking to avenge last year’s loss to the Mavs in the WCF.
Both teams have started to look more like themselves of late after a slower start to the regular season. The Mavericks are fourth in the West and 8-2 over their last 10, while the Timberwolves have had the best defensive rating this month during a 5-3 stretch.
Last year on Christmas Day, Dallas guard Luka Dončić dropped 50 points and 15 assists.
76ers vs. Celtics
- Point spread: Celtics -9.5
- Total: 222.5
- Tipoff: 5 p.m. ET
The Celtics are nearly double-digit favorites against the 76ers. The defending champions are second in the East, while Philadelphia is outside the play-in tournament during the early part of the season.
Boston is 17-20 in franchise history on Christmas Day, but has recorded back-to-back wins over the Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks. Philadelphia is 19-15 on this holiday after last year’s loss to the Miami Heat.
Lakers vs. Warriors
- Point spread: Warriors -4.5
- Total: 230.5
- Tipoff: 8 p.m. ET
The Lakers and Warriors have become staples on Christmas Day, but this will be their first meeting since Los Angeles’ 127-101 win in 2018. The Lakers have lost three in a row on this holiday, posting a 2-4 clip since James joined the team.
Golden State lost to Denver on Dec. 25 last year, dropping to 15-18 in these games. The Warriors are 10-5 at home on Christmas Day, which suggests why they might be 4.5-point favorites in this matchup.
Nuggets vs. Suns
- Point spread: Nuggets -1.5
- Total: 233.5
- Tipoff: 10:30 p.m. ET
Denver is playing on Christmas Day for the third year in a row and the 10th time in franchise history. The Nuggets are 3-6 on this holiday following consecutive wins over the Warriors and Suns.
Phoenix is a slight underdog to end a three-game skid on Christmas Day. The team has lost seven of its previous eight holiday contests. This game has the shortest spread on the slate, suggesting it could be the most competitive contest.
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