The tradition of NBA play on Christmas Day continues this season with ten teams battling in five games that run from noon till late into the night! Play starts early in the Sunshine State and ends in the mountains.
Get your presents opened early, enjoy the morning, and then grab your favorite chair and get ready for a full day of NBA Hoops! Here are the games on the NBA Christmas Day schedule set to tip-off once Santa finishes his run and parks his sleigh!
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New Orleans Pelicans at Miami Heat – 12 p.m. ET
Golden State Warriors at Milwaukee Bucks – 2:30 p.m. ET
Brooklyn Nets at Boston Celtics – 5 p.m. ET
Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers – 8 p.m. ET
Los Angeles Clippers at Denver Nuggets – 10:30 p.m. ET
Xmas Day NBA Game Previews
Miami Heat vs. New Orleans Pelicans Picks
Christmas day play starts with the Heat taking on the Pelicans in Miami. The reason for tuning in is obvious – can the Pelicans repeat their pre-season thumping of the Heat? Also, Zion Williamson! The young Pelican player burst onto the scene last season with several amazing games. But, he also had several nagging injuries which were seemingly minor but forced some time on the bench. If Williamson plays on Christmas day he’ll face off against a good Miami Defense with Bam Adebayo which could set up the beginning of a classic-style rivalry. Williamson and teammate Brandon Ingram combined for 48 points with limited court time. That may not be enough to beat the Heat. I like the heat and taking the under.
New Orleans Pelicans +194 / +5.5 (-110)
Miami Heat -235 / -5.5 (-110)
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Milwaukee Bucks vs. Golden State Warriors Picks
This is going to be a good game if everyone is healthy! Hopefully, Steph Curry, James Wiseman, and Jrue Holiday all take the court but Klay Thompson will be out due to his Achilles injury. It would make for a good preview on how both teams work in their veteran players with rookies and younger talent during an early season match-up. But, with Thompson out the questions for the Warriors have mounted. Some were answered during the preseason as Golden State played some fast-paced offense. The problem for Curry and the Warriors on Christmas is that the Bucks are a strong team and the plan will be to double up on Steph and force the ball into other player’s hands. I like the Milwaukee Bucks to win big on Christmas day.
Golden State Warriors +245 / +7 (-110)
Milwaukee Bucks -300 / -7 (-110)
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Boston Celtics vs. Brooklyn Nets Picks
The Brooklyn Nets looked strong in their opener against the Golden State Warriors going 125 to 99. The win came from Kyrie Irving with 26 points and Kevin Durant with 22 and a lineup that hit the boards fast during the game. Durant looked solid as he continues his torn Achilles injury comeback which knocked him out of the season last year. He only has one full-speed regular-season game under his belt so far so it’s hard to get a full idea of his health. But, he looked great against the Warriors. That will probably be the same result when the Nets take on the Celtics. Boston will be leaning heavily on Jayson Tatum as he builds on a solid season last year. The problem for Boston is that Gordon Hayward has moved on and is with the Hornets and Kemba Walker is injured. I like the Nets for the win but covering may be tough if the Celtics bone-up on defense.
Brooklyn Nets -116 / -1 (-110)
Boston Celtics -102 / +1 (-110)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks Picks
This may be the game of the day if both teams play up to potential as there is some carry-over back story from last season. The Lakers won three of the four games these teams played against each other and that includes the one where the reds blew a huge illegal screen call which set up a tying shot. Nothing beats a game when there is an underlying grudge. The Lakers have LeBron James and Anthony Davis locked in for a few seasons and the team has added Dennis Schroder, Marc Gasol, Wesley Matthews, and Montrezl Harrell which will be hard to beat on Christmas and probably for much of the season. The Mavericks can keep things interesting but the Lakers should put this one in the W column with ease.
Dallas Mavericks +245 / +7 (-110)
Los Angeles Lakers -300 / -7 (-110)
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Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers Picks
The reason this is the premier game, according to NBA scheduling, is the fact that the Clippers will be looking for some revenge. They blew a 3-1 game lead last season against the Nuggets. Denver came back to win the series with three straight wins. That still has to burn a bit. To add a bit more salt to the wound, JaMychal Green left LA and defected to the Nuggets. That being said, Denver lost players such as Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee to the Pistons. This will possibly be the tightest game of the day with the Nuggets edging out the Clippers. That’s if Jamal Murray continues his bubble numbers which averaged 26.5 points and 6.6 assists per game.
Los Angeles Clippers -116 / -1 (-110)
Denver Nuggets -102 / +1 (-110)
Bet on the NBA’s Xmas Day slate at BetOnline Sportsbook.