Christmas Day has long been a signature day for NBA games, and the 2022-23 season marks the 75th anniversary of this tradition. This year, there will be five Christmas Day matchups. In the past, some historic feats have taken place on the holiday; in 1961, Wilt Chamberlain posted 59 points and 36 rebounds. Twenty-three years later, Bernard King set a then-record with 60 points. In 2004, Kobe Bryant had a rematch with Shaquille O’Neal, and Bryant’s Lakers prevailed in overtime, as he led the way with 42 points. Let’s take a look at the top two NBA betting picks from this year’s Christmas matchups.
NBA News: Top Bets for December 25
→ L.A. Lakers (+7.5) at Dallas Mavericks (O/U 225.5) (2:30 pm ET, ABC)
Two struggling teams take the floor in Dallas when the Lakers come to town. The Lakers had a brief surge two weeks ago but have dropped two in a row and six of their last ten to sit at 13-18, 13th in the West. Dallas made it all the way to the Western Conference Finals last season, but the departure of Jalen Brunson to New York has left Luka Doncic as the only offensive creator, as Spencer Dinwiddie has failed to take up the slack. The team added Kemba Walker to add some offense, and Christian Wood has emerged as a possible inside creator for the team, but the consistency is still a problem. Doncic averages 32 points, 9 assists and 8 boards per game, as he is near the top when it comes to MVP conversations. The Mavericks need more out of Tim Hardaway Jr and Dwight Powell, as both received max extensions, but Hardaway’s shooting remains streaky at best, and Powell’s interior defense is nonexistent.
The Lakers are missing Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook, so while LeBron James is putting up 27 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists per game, at the age of 38, he is not getting much help from the rest of the roster. The Lakers lost their last two games on the road, falling to Phoenix and Sacramento by a combined 42 points. They do face the Charlotte Hornets at home on Friday before heading east to take on the Mavericks. Given Dallas’ struggles to find consistency on offense and their porous defense, this spread seems pretty large to me. Lakers to cover.
→ Milwaukee Bucks (+4.5) at Boston Celtics (O/U 224.5) (5:00 pm ET, ABC)
When these teams met in the Eastern Conference semifinals last year, Milwaukee pushed Boston to seven games even though Khris Middleton missed the entire series for the Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo put up huge numbers in Middleton’s absence (33.9 points, 14.7 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and a block and a steal per game). Middleton remains questionable for Sunday, but once again we have two teams that are near the top of the East standings and could meet deep in the playoffs once again.
Boston brings a 22-10 record into the game, but the team has dropped five of their last six. They dropped games in Golden State and L.A. to the Clippers before ending their West Coast road trip with a win over the Lakers. They came home to find the misery extending, dropping two to Orlando and then losing to Indiana. Even though those three losses came by a combined 16 points, the failure to finish is something that could haunt Boston in the postseason. Seeing the Bucks should galvanize Boston, so the effort level should be higher. Boston to win and cover.
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