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NBA Player Props & Best Bets Today: Schedule, Picks for Christmas Day

Morgan Xaviero

Updated as of December 25, 2023 at 5:17 PM EST. Read time: 4 minutes and 20 seconds. For more information, visit our Twitter and Google News links.

LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on as we make our predictios for how James will score his 40,000th career point in the NBA.
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Chicago Bulls during the first half at the United Center on December 20, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images via AFP.

As there are five NBA games set for Christmas Day, we are examining the top NBA player props and bets for Monday using the most favorable NBA odds.

Christmas Day in the 2023-24 NBA regular season is here, with five games showcasing 10 top championship contenders for what promises to be an exciting day of basketball.

The event kicked off at Noon ET and will conclude at 10:30 p.m. ET with a final game between the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns. Sandwiched in between are three matchups featuring top teams in the NBA Finals odds, all vying for a significant victory on Christmas Day.

Here are our NBA player props and best bets for Monday’s Christmas Day games, part of our NBA predictions and best bets. Odds are provided by our top NBA betting sites, with pick confidence rated on a 1-to-5-star scale.

Christmas Day NBA schedule and odds

(Odds via DraftKings)

Christmas Day NBA best bets

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Christmas Day NBA player props

Jalen Brunson Over 26.5 points vs. Bucks (-115 via BetMGM) ⭐⭐⭐

As Brunson continues to shine on the court with an impressive stretch of games, his name has sparked a heated discussion on social media regarding the importance of small guards on championship teams. This is the perfect opportunity for Brunson to prove his critics wrong and solidify his place in the conversation.

The All-Star guard has been scoring an average of 30.6 points in his last five games. It all began with a 50-point game against the Suns on December 15th and ended with a 36-point performance last Saturday against the Bucks. It’s worth noting that this Bucks defense previously allowed Brunson to score 45 points in their game back in November.

This bet has a short line of -140 at DraftKings and a high total of 27.5 at bet365, giving us the best price on a prop total that Brunson has exceeded in three of his last five games. I anticipate he will deliver another strong performance on Monday’s national broadcast.

Check out our Green Finnian’s Bucks vs. Knicks NBA player props for further details on the game.

Stephen Curry Under 27.5 points vs. Nuggets (-105 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

Our NBA betting specialist, Green Finnian, pointed out this bet in his analysis of the Warriors vs. Nuggets NBA player props, and we agree with his assessment of fading the Warriors star on a stage where he has had difficulties.

Curry’s Christmas Day performances have been lackluster, with an average of only 15.3 points in nine games. His shooting percentages on this holiday are notably low, with a field goal percentage of 31.5% and a three-point percentage of 23.1%. He has only scored 20 points or more in a single Christmas Day game, which was in 2021 against the Suns.

He will be going up against a Nuggets defense that held him to just 23 points in their previous matchup earlier this season on November 8th. They have also kept him below 28 points in four out of their last seven meetings. With teammate Klay Thompson averaging 25.7 points per game in his last six games, it seems unlikely that Curry will have a scoring outburst in this particular game.

LeBron James Over 8.5 assists vs. Celtics (+100 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐

Wouldn’t this betting menu be missing something without the NBA’s all-time leading scorer on Christmas Day?

After showcasing his scoring ability in previous holiday games, James has shifted to being the main playmaker for the Lakers since their successful run in the NBA In-Season Tournament. The former assists leader has been averaging 9.5 assists in December and has achieved nine or more assists in four of his last five games.

Despite the fact that this prop is being offered at -110 or less at four out of our top five sports betting sites, we can get favorable plus-money odds at FanDuel. This makes it even more enticing to bet on James, especially on a day when he typically performs well.

Tyrese Maxey Over 37.5 points + assists vs. Heat (-115 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This game was supposed to highlight Joel Embiid, the current frontrunner for NBA MVP, but the reigning award winner injured his ankle on Friday and will not be playing on Christmas Day.

This gives Tyrese Maxey the opportunity to shine in his first Christmas Day game. The fourth-year guard is having a breakout season, with career highs in points (26.4) and assists (6.8) while playing alongside Embiid.

This is the best bet among the five Christmas Day props, with a total slightly lower than the consensus 38.5 at our top sportsbooks. Maxey has successfully reached this total in his last two games, even with Embiid playing alongside him.

Luka Doncic to record a triple-double vs. Suns (+165 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐

Due to the uncertainty surrounding the players participating in the Dec. 25 nightcap, the prop market for this game is limited. Despite this, we’re betting on Doncic to have a standout performance and fill up the stat sheet in the final game of Christmas Day.

The Mavericks’ top performer, a four-time All-Star, is leading the team in points (32.9), assists (9.1), and rebounds (8.6) per game. In December, he is averaging an incredible 36 points, 11.3 assists, and 9.5 rebounds with four triple-doubles in 10 games.

A significant portion of their success has been achieved without the contributions of Kyrie Irving (5.2 APG) and Dereck Lively (7.7 RPG), both of whom are uncertain for Monday’s game. Additionally, the Suns’ top rebounder, Jusuf Nurkic (10.3 RPG), has been confirmed to be out. As a result, it is understandable why prop totals for Doncic’s rebounds and assists are reaching double digits at top sportsbooks.

I prefer to bet on Doncic achieving his second consecutive triple-double and third in five games, rather than playing directly. This bet is available at a market-best price of +165 at FanDuel.

The top NBA bets were placed on Sunday at 6:15 p.m. ET.

Editor’s note: Prepare for the debut of Vermont sports betting with our top Vermont sportsbook promotions, and don’t forget to download the top Vermont sports betting apps! Must be 21 or older and located in Vermont. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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Written By:
Morgan Xaviero
Morgan Xaviero is a publishing editor and lead writer for Underscoreg Review. An award-winning writer, reporter, and editor with a decade of sports media experience, “C-Jax” has worked with ESPN, Forbes, theScore, and various daily newspapers before joining the Underscoreg Review team. He’s a proud graduate of the University of North Carolina, where he served as a beat writer for the Tar Heels’ championship run through the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in 2017. Jackson has spent the last five years covering sports betting as a predictive analyst, features writer, and industry reporter. Since joining the team in 2023, he’s played a key role in Underscoreg Review’s coverage of the Super Bowl, March Madness, and NBA playoffs while serving as the lead writer for the growing WNBA and NASCAR betting scenes. Though he’s cashed some big bets over the years — including Lamar Jackson to win MVP (twice) — he’s still haunted by enough second-place bet slips to wallpaper his home office. While Jackson is a committed “process over results” bettor with a keen eye for advanced stats and subtle bias in futures markets, he also embraces sports betting as a vehicle for entertainment and personal investment. He’s written about everything from hot dogs to groundhogs and still hasn’t forgiven his “inside source” for a sabotaged bet on the Gatorade color in Super Bowl LV.