Merry Christmas! NFL & NBA Best Bets

The NFL doesn't have the same Christmas Day tradition as the NBA, but football is slowly but surely becoming an annual spectacle on Santa's big day.

There has been at least one NFL game on Christmas since 2020, and we've got two more fascinating matchups this year, even with the holiday falling on a Wednesday.

Let's get ready for these festive fixtures by looking at the 2024 NFL Christmas odds and schedule.

Kansas City Chiefs @ Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m. ET, Netflix)

Chiefs -2.5 (-110) @ Steelers +2.5 (-110)

Baltimore Ravens @ Houston Texans (4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix)

Ravens -5 (-110) @ Texans +5 (-110)

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• Chiefs vs Steelers

• Ravens vs Texans

• Spurs vs Knicks

• Timberwolves vs Mavericks

• 76ers vs Celtics

• Lakers vs Warriors

• Nuggets vs Suns

• Best Christmas Promos

🏈 Chiefs vs Steelers

Chiefs vs Steelers Christmas Best Bets

Chiefs -2.5 (-110)

I love getting below the key number of three with Chiefs -2.5 in this spot. That means that all we need to hit this wager is for Kansas City to win by a field goal.

Even though the Steelers are getting players back from injury, the loss of Joey Porter Jr. might be too much to overcome in pass defense.

We also should note that if we look at Pittsburgh's strength of schedule, we see that they've definitely benefitted from softer competition, with wins over Raiders, Jets, Giants, and Browns boosting their record.

In other words, I don't think they're as good as their 10-5 record shows.

Back the Chiefs -2.5 as one of your best NFL bets today.

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🏈 Ravens vs Texans

Ravens vs Texans Christmas Prediction

Ravens 27, Texans 17

Much has changed since Baltimore ended Houston’s 2023-24 campaign with a 34-10 home victory last January, and much has stayed the same.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, who accounted for 252 total yards and four touchdowns in that postseason meeting, continues to play at an MVP level. The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player has 37 touchdown passes and just four interceptions this season, helping the offense rank first league-wide in yards (423.7) and third in points (30.1) per game.

While Baltimore’s offense continues to put up gaudy numbers, its defense has dropped off significantly since last season. That unit’s regression isn’t surprising since DC Mike Macdonald and a few key players left during the offseason. However, the defense has picked up its play in recent weeks — Baltimore has held opposing offenses to 24 or fewer points in five straight games — and ranks first against the run, allowing 3.6 yards per carry.

That strength will be key in this matchup, as Houston has relied heavily on offseason acquisition Joe Mixon (967 rushing yards, 11 rushing TDs). Stroud (19 passing TDs, 11 INTs) has endured a sophomore slump and is now down two of his top three wide receivers after Tank Dell suffered a dislocated kneecap on Saturday.

Much like the postseason matchup, the Ravens will be able to cue in on Nico Collins and slow down the Texans’ rushing attack en route to a relatively comfortable win.

🏀 Spurs vs Knicks

Spurs vs Knicks Christmas Game Best Bets

Knicks -9 (-115)

San Antonio enters this game with a 2-5 ATS record as a road underdog. Factor in the travel and the Christmas “hangover” for the early start, and I like the always raucous MSG Christmas Day crowd to rattle this young Spurs team early.

Towns has put himself firmly in the early MVP conversation, so you can expect him to battle with Wembanyama all day. To me, that matchup favors KAT’s combination of size and speed.

The Knicks could look to push the ball and take Wembanyama out of his half-court comfortability as much as possible. The tight-knit Knicks crew flourishes in that setting, especially with the three Villanova guys sharing the court with KAT as a trailer.

Back the hosts to win and cover this spread as one of your best NBA bets today. 

🏀 Timberwolves vs Mavericks

Timberwolves vs Mavericks Christmas Game Best Bets

Mavericks -3.5 (-112)

We're getting a reasonable number where all we need is the Mavericks to win by four or more. Dallas has beaten Minnesota by at least four points in three of their last four matchups.

We've seen the T-Wolves struggle a bit this season, coming in at 21st in offensive rating, according to NBA.com. It's clear that it's taking time for the team to adjust to life without Karl-Anthony Towns.

Considering these two factors, take the Mavericks to win and cover as your NBA Christmas pick.

🏀 76ers vs Celtics

76ers vs Celtics Christmas Game Prediction

Celtics 117, 76ers 103

When the 2024 NBA Christmas schedule was released, this matchup between the defending champion Celtics and the new-look 76ers would have been the headliner. However, these teams have endured drastically different starts to the season, which has lessened the intrigue slightly.

Boston sits atop the Atlantic Division and has undeniably been one of the three best teams in the NBA this season. Jayson Tatum (28.8 points per game) and Jaylen Brown (23.4) continue to carry the scoring load, but this team is defined by its depth, especially with center Kristaps Porzingis now healthy again.

Health has held Philadelphia back this season, as the newly minted Big Three of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George have only started a handful of games together. It looks like all three should feature on Wednesday, but it’s hard to guarantee anything with this group, even with the game just days away.

Since we haven’t seen the Sixers near full strength often, it’s hard to predict what kind of effort we will see, but the safe bet is a comfortable Celtics victory.

🏀 Lakers vs Warriors

Lakers vs Warriors Christmas Game Prediction

Warriors 118, Lakers 112

There are a couple of factors as to why I see the Warriors pulling off the victory against the Lakers.

First, they are one of the best teams at limiting points in the paint, which could make life difficult for Anthony Davis. This also makes things a little tougher on LeBron James, especially since his three-ball is at 35% on the season, including some additional struggles in the past two games.

On the whole, the Lakers are a below-average three-point team, so if they can't beat the Warriors' interior defense, they could be looking at an uphill battle all game long.

The Warriors will want to push the pace and get up a lot of threes, two things they are rather good at.

And though LeBron James is still playing at a high level, he isn't the same player as he nears his 40th birthday.

🏀 Nuggets vs Suns

Nuggets vs Suns Christmas Game Prediction

Nuggets 122, Suns 116

It's hard not to side with the Nuggets here. Despite enduring something of a slump over the last month, this team's offensive firepower is virtually unmatched around the league, and the bulk of that comes down to the otherworldly production of MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokić.

The 29-year-old is reaching new heights in 2024-25, averaging career-highs in points (30.9), steals (1.7), and three-point percentage (50.5%) across 37.5 minutes per game. He's logged 11 triple-doubles through his first 23 appearances, and earlier this month, he popped for a career-high 56 points against the Wizards.

Despite getting strong production from Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, Phoenix's offense has often not done enough to overcome its lowly defense, which ranks 26th league-wide. The Suns have also been particularly bad against opposing bigs, allowing 25.2 points per game to centers — the second-most in the NBA, per FantasyPros.

Phoenix may have a more varied arsenal of scoring options, but Jokić is far and away the best player in this matchup, and the Suns don't have an answer for him. I expect Jokić to put some of his usual magic on display and help the Nuggets pick up a key victory on Christmas Day.

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