NBA Christmas Day | Today’s Best Player Props in the Association
Written by: Varun Sharma
Last Update: Thu Dec 25, 2025, 10:25 am ET
Read Time: 13 minutes
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We've got a jam packed schedule for Christmas Day and I can't wait to get into it. We've got five games on the docket in the NBA and every single matchup looks like fun.
If you're looking for some NFL action on Christmas Day, click here for our best bets on the gridiron.
For additional information on picks, props, money lines and more on today's slate, take a look at our NBA Picks Page or our NBA Odds Page, here.
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Cleveland Cavaliers @ New York Knicks
Home Alone: Lost in New York
We kick off Christmas Day at Madison Square Garden. The New York Knicks host the Cleveland Cavaliers and what better way to start off your Christmas morning. Both teams look to get big names back to full health with some big names back in the lineup.
Jalen Brunson will be back for the Knicks after a day to rest and it looks like the Cavaliers might get Evan Mobley back after a 12-day hiatus. Mobley missed time with a strained calf but with this game falling on Christmas Day, you've gotta think he makes the extra push to get out there.
The Cavs haven't been as dominant this year and some of it's due to injuries but a lot of it's due to the regression of this defense. Cleveland ranks 20th in points allowed this year, 16th in opponent field goal percentage and 24th in opponent free throw rate. The defense has been significantly worse with Mobley on the sidelines. The team's giving up 124.4 points per game without Mobley but just 115.8 per game with him on the floor.
On the other side we've got the New York Knicks. The Knicks rank 2nd in the Eastern Conference, 2nd in offensive rating, 5th in points per game but bottom five in pace. New York's defense has had some issues this year. The unit ranks 7th in points allowed, 7th in opponent field goal percentage and the slow pace of play does a lot to limit their opponent's possessions.
This matchup represents two of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference and with so much ball to be played, it could easily be the same this year. Look for both teams to come out with that same type of intensity here on Christmas Day.
Varun's Best Bet: Dean Wade o1.5 3s (+150)
Let's start it off with something a little weird. The Knicks rank 26th in 3s allowed this year, 26th in 3s allowed to forwards and 19th in opponent 3-point percentage. The other thing that stands out to me is how bad this Knicks perimeter defense has been on their own home floor.
The Knicks rank 29th in 3s allowed at home (15.3), 27th in opponent 3-point percentage at home (38.0%) and it feels like opponents just love playing at Madison Square. Wade's coming off a game in which he went 3/8 against a Pelicans' team that struggles along the perimeter in the exact same way.
Wade's a career 42.4% 3-point shooter and he's shooting 43.2% on the road this year. The odds indicate to me that Mobley will play tomorrow and Wade's volume might be affected a ton. That being said, Wade's matchup is fantastic; regardless of Mobley's status. The volume might take a dip but with how the Knicks have played this year, it's hard for me to imagine we don't see Head Coach Kenny Atkinson try to press that advantage.
Danny's Best Bet: Jarrett Allen u8.5 Rebounds (+106)
The Cavaliers' big man draws a difficult matchup on Christmas, as Cleveland heads to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks.
New York has been strong on the glass all season, ranking fourth in rebounding percentage at 52.1%. Meanwhile, Jarrett Allen is averaging just 7.5 rebounds per game this season and managed only four boards in the first meeting between these teams. While that contest came on opening night, the Knicks have consistently shown they can control the glass, and I expect that trend to continue here.
Allen is just not logging enough minutes to comfortably clear this number in a tough matchup; 8.5 rebounds feels just a bit too high.
San Antonio Spurs @ Oklahoma City Thunder
The Canadian vs. The Frenchman
The Spurs/Thunder rivalry is beginning to look like one of the funnest of the year and I just can't get enough of it. The Thunder have lost four games all year and two of them have now come against the San Antonio Spurs. Victor Wembanyama has yet to play a full compliment of minutes against the Thunder but it hasn't stopped this Spurs team from securing wins.
San Antonio's defense is what's been winning games this year and it's why they've managed 22 wins in their first 29 games. The Spurs are allowing 113.6 points per game this year but that number drops to 110.1 with Webanyama in the lineup and just 107.8 points per game in Wemby's last five starts.
Opposite of Webanyama on Christmas Day will be the league's reigning MVP and final's MVP; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander has his team out to a historic start and that's right after coming off the franchise's first championship in NBA history.
Varun's Best Bet: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander o31.5 Points (-108)
Let's get a little chalky on Christmas. Shai's been unstoppable this year, averaging 32.5 points per game and shooting 56.4% from the field. He's not taking a ton of 3s this year but he is shooting 43.5% on the one's he does. It looks like the Canadian could be out for blood on Christmas Day.
Danny's Best Bet: OKC 1st Half -4.5 (-122)
Of the four losses the defending champions have suffered this season, half have come at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
On Tuesday night, San Antonio defended its home court and handled the Oklahoma City Thunder, 130–110. Their other win came back on December 13 in the NBA Cup Semifinals, where the Spurs narrowly escaped with a 111–109 victory.
Oddsmakers are expecting a response from OKC in this rematch, listing the Thunder as 9-point home favorites. While I do expect Oklahoma City to bounce back and win the game, that full-game spread feels a bit too rich.
Instead, I'm targeting the first half. This season, the Thunder own a first-half winning margin of +9.2 points, and that number jumps to +12.9 when playing at home.
Interestingly enough, San Antonio ranks just behind them at +5.3 in first-half margin, but that figure dips to +4.4 on the road.
When you combine those numbers along with the added motivation for Oklahoma City to come out sharp after back-to-back losses to the same opponent, it creates a potential solid edge backing the home favorite through the first two quarters.
Dallas Mavericks vs. Golden State Warriors
It's a Cooper Christmas
Cooper Flagg was on a different planet two nights ago. Against the Denver Nuggets Flagg finished with 33 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. In a game with Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Anthony Davis; Flagg was top dog. He lead the game in scoring, tied for the game lead in rebounds and finished with the most assists of any Maverick.
In his first 19 games of the year, Flagg averaged 15.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He shot 45.1% from the field, 26.4% from beyond the arc, and just never looked comfortable. In his next 11 games, Flagg's upped his scoring to 25.1 points per game to go along with 6.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.
For the Warriors it was the opposite. The team started hot but have since done an incredible job of just fizzling out and losing their momentum. Injuries have caused issues in Golden State but that's to be expected when you've got the third oldest roster in the NBA.
Stephen Curry's doing as much as he can but the Warriors have been a tough watch this year. Today they host the Mavericks as Dallas comes off a huge win over the Nuggets and look to build off that same momentum.
Danny's Best Bet: Steph Curry Under 4.5 3-Pointers (-120)
Another star-studded matchup takes place in La La Land, where the Lakers host the Houston Rockets. As entertaining as this game may be, my attention is on an under involving one of the league's premier players. I'm backing Luka Doncic to stay below 16.5 rebounds plus assists.
On the season, Doncic is averaging 8.8 assists and 8.6 rebounds. In December, his rebounding numbers have remained steady, while his assists have dipped to 7.7 per game. Even with those averages sitting right around this number, it's hard to project him clearing it against one of the NBA's top teams.
Houston leads the NBA in rebound percentage at 55.3% and allows just 24.5 assists per game, the third-fewest in the league.
Doncic is likely to look for his own shot early, which naturally caps his assist opportunities, and the Rockets' defense is built to crowd ball-handlers and control the glass. All signs point toward a difficult, frustrating matchup that should keep him below this number.
Houston Rockets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Snow Angles in LaLa Land
The Rockets head to Hollywood to take on Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Christmas Day. These two teams don't like each other, these two teams both sit in the top six of the Western Conference and both teams are looking to take the head off their opponent.
Houston's won 17 of their first 27 games and the team's offense in crunch time does look like it needs a bit work. Kevin Durant's been a great addition for Houston, averaging 25.2 points per game and shooting 50.9% from the field.
Alperen Sengun's breakout year is finally here and I couldn't be happier. Sengun's avergaing 23.0 points, 9.3 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game. The offense is still missing Fred Vanvleet but with Sengun/KD leading the charge, I like their chances against the Lakers and in the southwest division.
On the flip side it's a collapsing Lakers' team looking to avoid their third straight loss and fifth loss this month. Los Angeles has been without Luka Dončić over the last few games but all signs are pointing to his return and I think it's something books have over reacted to.
Varun's Best Bet: Houston Rockets ML (-120)
The Houston Rockets come into this one fresh of back to back losses in Sacremento and Los Angeles. Tonight the team's once again in Los Angeles, this time at the Staples Center (Crypto). The Rockets have been great but haven't been able to close games. We see their constant struggles to score late in games and even finish games at the free throw line.
After back to back losses, Head Coach Ime Udoka's going to have this Rockets team ready to spoil some Laker Christmases this year.
Danny's Best Bet: Luka Dončić u16.5 Rebounds + Assists (-110)
Another star-studded matchup takes place in La La Land, where the Lakers host the Houston Rockets. As entertaining as this game may be, my attention is on an under involving one of the league's premier players. I'm backing Luka Doncic to stay below 16.5 rebounds plus assists.
On the season, Doncic is averaging 8.8 assists and 8.6 rebounds. In December, his rebounding numbers have remained steady, while his assists have dipped to 7.7 per game. Even with those averages sitting right around this number, it's hard to project him clearing it against one of the NBA's top teams.
Houston leads the NBA in rebound percentage at 55.3% and allows just 24.5 assists per game, the third-fewest in the league.
Doncic is likely to look for his own shot early, which naturally caps his assist opportunities, and the Rockets' defense is built to crowd ball-handlers and control the glass. All signs point toward a difficult, frustrating matchup that should keep him below this number.
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Denver Nuggets
Christmas Dinner in Denver
Last game on the slate but it's a good one. We've got the Minnesota Timberwolves heading to Denver to take on Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. The Nuggets have lost two of their last three games, with all three being against worse opponents.
The Nuggets rank 1st in effective field goal percentage, 1st in points, 1st in 3-point percentage and play at a top five pace this year. They've been able to score points and do it in bunches. On the other side we've got a Timberwolves team that relies heavily on Anthony Edwards.
Antman's averaging 28.7 points per game this year, shooting 49.0% from the field and 40.4% from beyond the arc. He leads the Timberwolves in usage, scoring and is the sole reason Minnesota's won 20 of their first 30 games. .
Varun's Best Bet: Anthony Edward o3.5 3s (+110)
Edwards' has cleared this line in three of his last five games against the Nuggets and averages 11.4 3-point attempts per game. This game falls on Christmas Day and because of that I'm looking at Antman to make a splash.
Danny's Best Bet: Minnesota Timberwolves +4 (-112)
Despite missing one of their top contributors in Aaron Gordon, the Denver Nuggets have still managed to win nine of their past 14 games. However, it's likely Gordon remains sidelined for Denver's Christmas Day matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Nuggets have also been without Christian Braun since early November, and it doesn't appear he'll be back in time for Thursday's contest either.
Even if both players were available, I'd still have interest in grabbing the points with the road underdog. Without them, catching +4 becomes even more appealing.
Minnesota comes in playing its best basketball of the season, riding a three-game winning streak and carrying that momentum into Mile High. There's also plenty of familiarity between these two teams from recent postseason battles, and I expect a playoff-like intensity in this spot.
From a matchup perspective, the Timberwolves enter ranking top-10 in offensive points per 100 possessions and effective field goal percentage. Denver, meanwhile, sits 19th and 17th in those same categories. While the Nuggets still boast an elite offense overall, Minnesota is well-equipped to counter it, ranking top-five defensively.
Considering the underlying metrics, Denver's injury situation, and the likely playoff-style approach to this game, catching four points with Anthony Edwards and company feels like too many points to pass up.
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