NBA Betting News and Notes For Monday, December 25, 2017

Christmas Betting Notes
December 22, 2017
By BetOnline.ag

The Oversized Stocking Stuffer Preview for NBA Christmas Day

As they do every year, the NBA has wrapped five beautiful presents under the tree for us on Christmas Day, so we’re taking a deep dive on every single matchup to get you ready for what’s going to be an awesome day on the hardwood. The lines are obviously subject to change so check back to BetOnline.ag’s NBA sportsbook on Christmas Eve to lock in your bets.

Enjoy the Christmas weekend and the holidays, folks!

Odds per BetOnline.ag
(Subject to Change)

ALWAYS TRUST THE PROCESS
(Philadelphia 76ers +1 over New York Knicks)

The Knicks have been betting darlings recently with an awesome 4-1 SU and ATS stretch that’s thankfully included Kristaps avoiding injury. The battle between him and Embiid will be one to watch, but the overall matchup between the teams is offset by how good Simmons is compared to the rest of the Knicks. New York is tougher and more physical than everyone expected, and Philadelphia has serious problems on defence, but The Process is about to be put on his biggest stage and he will absolutely steal the spotlight.

THE DURANT-LEBRON MATCHUP WE’VE BEEN WAITING FOR
Cleveland Cavaliers +6.5 over Golden State Warriors

As you no doubt know already, the Warriors will be without Stephen Curry for the time being and that may detract from the championship rematch we’ve all been waiting to see since the season start, but it also offers us a chance to measure the two best players in the world against each other for once. That’s a pretty special Christmas present to NBA fans if you ask me.

LeBron James has to put the memory of having Durant ice the 2017 NBA Finals in his face to bed, and can do that in this game to a major extent. An incredible stat line of 28.4 / 9.2 / 8.2 on the season is what we’ve grown accustomed to with The King, but lost in that is the fact that him and Kevin Love lead all non-centers with 22 and 20 double-doubles all season. And the Cavs don’t even have Isaiah Thomas yet.

Durant has had a much quieter season this year statistically but is still a major force on the top offensive team in the entire NBA. Between the two teams, Curry has always been the x-factor that completely tilts the rivalry in favor of the Warriors and now that he’s sidelined we’ll get to see a matchup between Durant and LeBron on the level we haven’t seen in a long, long time.

This might be the best game to not bet on simply so you can enjoy it unscathed and unbiased, but if you’re going to leverage on this one then I’m encouraging a play on the Cavaliers. They’re running with the team that they’re familiar with, and Golden State has had some layup games since Curry’s injury.

I am too excited for this one and every part of your Christmas Day should be cleared to watch this game.

A BLEEDING BENCH IS KILLING THE BOSTON CELTICS
(Washington Wizards +5 over Boston Celtics)

The Wizards have far and away been one of the most disappointing bets of the NBA season, and they simply don’t match up that well against the hard charging Celtics. Washington is a surprisingly average team offensively, ranking just 14th overall. But they’re catching Boston at a good time. Jaylen Brown isn’t able to anchor the bench unit for Boston with a strained Achiles tendon, and that has literally been a major weakness for Brad Stevens.

Opponents are catching Boston off their mark when they rest their starters, and there’s just not enough firepower overall for the Celtics to be worthy of your trust. If you’re going to take the Wizards at any time, it’s on the road where they’re 10-6 ATS. And I love the matchup of Wall-Irving on Christmas Day. This will be a fun game that Washington just won’t want to give up too easily, and the Celtics are essentially treading water until a couple players return from injury.

HOLY CRAP WERE THE ROCKETS LUCKY TO GET ERIC GORDON
(Houston Rockets -4.5 over Oklahoma City Thunder)

When the Rockets traded for Eric Gordon, they got the insurance policy that they needed. This offence is fully capable of running through James Harden, which slips Gordon in to the two-guard spot. In a recent loss to the Lakers, Gordon stepped up in to Paul’s spot on the starting rotation and dropped 21 points. People have long forgotten how good Gordon is and he’s in an absolutely perfect offence to shine his skill set. Houston is a pristine 9-4 ATS when travelling, and there’s absolutely no way I can stomach the Oklahoma City Thunder as a bet.

Russell Westbrook is one of my favorite players to watch, but this offence is undeniably one of the least enjoyable to observe. There has to be a major paradigm shift for the OK3 to get rolling and it probably has to start with all three learning how to use each other a bit better. It’s a work in progress that I haven’t abandoned completely, but all logic dictates that Harden will savor an opportunity to remind his former team of what they passed up on by trading him so many seasons ago.

Besides, are you going to bet against the one guy who has a Santa Claus beard on Christmas Day?

CAN WE TRUST WIGGINS?
Minnesota Timberwolves -3.5 over Los Angeles Lakers
By far the most difficult game to get a read on is the Lakers-Timberwolves, which ends the fun slate that we have on Christmas Day. Los Angeles has gone on a terrific, albeit strange, run as of late with a record of 3-3 SU and 5-1 ATS. A 38-point game by rookie Kyle Kuzma has cemented this starting lineup as an incredibly intriguing one, even if Lonzo tends to have more bad nights than good ones.

Despite leading the division in the Northwest and boasting so many interesting talents, the Timberwolves have sort of been an afterthought. Their awful 13-17-2 ATS record has disinterested the betting community to a large extent. At the core of their issues is the fact that Andrew Wiggins hasn’t taken a leap at all. The Canadian superstar is averaging just 17.6 points per game so far.

The Lakers aren’t as far behind as everyone assumed they would be, but theyr’e still a young team with a great coaching staff that will take time to find some consistency. Living up to expectations in big, nationally televised games is not a moment I feel that they’re ready for. The Timberwolves are by no stretch a serious contender yet, but they’re by and large a much more balanced team that can frustrate the run-and-gun that the Lakers try to employ. Karl-Anthony Towns has no equal in this game and will play like it to end your Christmas Day NBA betting on a high note.

Inside the Paint - Christmas
December 24, 2017
By Chris David
VegasInsider.com

The NBA holiday schedule tips off early and ends late with five games slated for your betting needs.

Let’s break down the first three contests and hope you and yours have a Merry Christmas!

(Straight Up and Against the Spread)

Philadelphia (14-18 SU, 16-16 ATS) at New York (17-15 SU, 19-13 ATS) - ESPN, 12:00 p.m.

-- BookMaker.eu sent out the Knicks as 1 ½-point favorites on Sunday afternoon and the line was pushed up quickly to 2 ½. The total opened 212 and moved to 211.

-- After starting the season 13-9 and showing a lot of promise, the 76ers have been a complete mess and I hope head coach Brett Brown doesn’t become the fall guy. He’s faced a lot worse adversity since he started coaching the team in 2013 but the squad has dropped five straight games and nine of their last 10 entering Monday’s game.

-- Saturday’s 102-86 loss at Toronto was the worst setback during their current losing streak. Center Joel Embiid returned to the lineup but he only played 23 minutes and finished with 14 points and eight boards.

-- After this game at Madison Square Garden, the 76ers head to the West Coast for a quick three-game road trip.

-- New York has won five of its last seven but is coming off a 104-101 loss to Detroit on Friday as a 6 ½-point road underdog. The road loss to the Pistons shouldn’t come as a surprise knowing the team has struggled all season as visitors (2-10 SU, 4-8 ATS).

-- Fortunately for the Knicks, they haven’t dropped back-to-back games since early December and they’ve been lights out at home (15-5 SU, 15-5 ATS). The 76ers have gone 7-9 SU and 8-8 ATS as visitors.

-- New York has stood tall against its rivals, going 4-2 both SU and ATS in divisional games. Meanwhile, Philadelphia remains winless (0-5) against Atlantic foes albeit the five setbacks came against the Raptors (0-3) and Celtics (0-2).

-- The 76ers haven't played on Christmas since 2001 when they dropped an 88-82 decision at the Los Angeles Lakers. Philadelphia owns an all-time record of 16-13 on the holiday.

-- New York has played on Christmas more than any other team in the NBA, owning a 22-29 record. The Knicks came up short to the Celtics 119-114 in a shootout last season from Madison Square Garden.

-- Monday’s matchup will be the first meeting between the pair this season after they played to four tight encounters in the 2016-17 campaign. They split the series 2-2 and the home team came out on top in each contest but the four games were decided by a combined six points. The 76ers covered all four games and the ‘under’ went 3-1.

Cleveland (24-9 SU, 11-21-1 ATS) at Golden State (26-7 SU, 15-18 ATS) - ABC, 3:00 p.m.

-- Golden State was sent out as a five-point home favorite over Cleveland with a total of 221. The line has held steady while the total has dipped to 219 ½ at BookMaker.eu.

-- This will be the third straight season that the pair will be meeting on Christmas. Cleveland nipped earned a 109-108 last season on the holiday and in the 2015-16 season, Golden State (-6 ½) hung on for an 89-83 win from the Bay Area.

-- Since these teams began their rivalry in 2016 NBA Finals, Golden State has gone 14-8 SU and 12-9-1 ATS against Cleveland which includes an 11-7 record in the postseason. The point-spread has only mattered twice during this span, which occurred when the Cavaliers earned a late push in Game 7 of the Finals last summer and the aforementioned holiday battle two years ago.

-- The Cavaliers are 3-10 SU and 4-8-1 ATS in their last 13 games played at Oracle Arena.

-- Cleveland has been listed as underdog five times this season and it’s been a great investment for bettors, going 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS.

-- Also, the Cavaliers have been a more sound investment on the road (10-5 SU, 9-6 ATS) but it does enter this game on a 1-5 ATS run over their last six games.

-- Golden State had its 11-game winning streak snapped on Saturday as it was embarrassed 96-81 to the Nuggets as an eight-point home favorite. The Warriors couldn’t buy a shot from the outside, going 3-of-27 (11%) from 3-point land and finishing the game at 38.6 percent from the field.

-- The Warriors haven't dropped back-to-back games this season, the only club to do so. After a loss this season, Golden State has gone 6-0 SU and 3-3 ATS. Offensively, the Warriors have averaged an incredible 132.6 PPG in those games and not surprisingly the 'over' has cashed in all six wins.

-- Stephen Curry (ankle) has missed the last seven games for Golden State and is expected to be reevaluated in another week. The club is 8-2 this season without him in the lineup.

-- The loss to Denver was just the fourth this season (12-4 SU, 7-9 ATS) at home for the Warriors.

-- Not surprisingly, Cleveland (6-2) and Golden State (12-2) both own solid non-conference records. The Cavs have won six straight against the West but five of those wins came at home.

-- VI handicapper Marc Lawrence offered up these angles to watch for the holiday that focus on both the side and total for this particular matchup.

-- Defending NBA Champions have gone 7-9 SU and 5-10-1 ATS since 1999.

-- Of the 24 non-conference clashes played on Dec. 25 since 1991 involving Eastern and Western Conference foes, these matchups have watched the 'under' go 18-5-1 which includes a 1-1 mark last season.

Washington (18-15 SU, 16-17 ATS) at Boston (27-9 SU, 22-12-2 ATS) - ABC, 5:30 p.m.

-- These teams met in the second round of the playoffs last season and Boston captured the series in seven games. The home team won all of the games and six of the seven were decided by double digits as the host averaged 117 PPG, which helped produce a 5-2 ‘over’ record.

-- BookMaker.eu opened Boston as a 4 ½-point home favorite with a total of 204 ½ but that number was pushed up quickly to 206.

-- Washington is coming off its best offensive performance of the season on Saturday as it posted a 130-103 victory over Orland as a 12-point home favorite.

-- Make a note that the Wizards are just 2-7 in their last nine games following a win.

-- Scott Brooks and his troops haven’t been terrible on the road (8-9 SU, 10-7 ATS) this season but they enter this game with a 0-3 mark in their last three away and the setbacks came to the Nets twice and Clippers.

-- Playing up and down to their opponent has been a common theme this season for Washington, who is 9-6 against winning clubs but 9-9 versus teams at .500 or below.

-- Boston is a winning club but its hit a reality check recently. The Celtics started the season 22-4 but are just 5-5 over their last 10 games.

-- They even dropped back-to-back games this past week, which was the first time this season since they began 0-2. Fortunately for the C’s, they avoided the three-game slide with an impressive 117-92 win on Saturday against a surging Chicago club.

-- Including that result, Boston has gone 14-4 SU and 10-6-2 ATS at TD Garden this season. Just before beating the Bulls, they dropped home games to the Jazz (107-95) and Heat (90-89).

-- Even though these teams played to a bunch ‘over’ tickets in the playoffs last season, both squads are much better defensively this season. Boston (98.2 PPG) is ranked second in scoring defense and Washington is sitting in 12th (103.6 PPG), which is an improvement from 21st last season (107.5 PPG).

-- The Wizards have watched the ‘under’ go 22-11 (67%) this season and that includes a 13-4 mark in games played outside of D.C.

-- Boston has gone 13-17 all-time on Christmas but this game at TD Garden will be the first home game played on the holiday for the Celtics. The Wizards haven’t played on the holiday since 2014 and they own a 15-7 mark in franchise history.