NBA DFS Cheat Sheet: Picks for NBA Christmas Games Today
One of the most anticipated NBA slates of the calendar is here with the NBA Christmas Games. We will have five games all on ESPN and ABC, starting with the New York Knicks hosting the San Antonio Spurs at 12 p.m. ET.
The five-game slate closes out with Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets playing against the Phoenix Suns. Below, we’ll get into the top NBA DFS picks for all of the NBA Christmas games for PrizePicks, with action all day long.
There is a Nikola Jokic Free Pick on PrizePicks in that final game for Picksmas, so don’t forget to lock it in; if Jokic scores one point, he cashes his points projection on PrizePicks.
With five games on the cards and the biggest superstars in the league playing on Christmas, there will be plenty of players to pick from on the PrizePicks NBA board.
PrizePicks is the easiest way to get paid for your NBA takes. Just pick more or less on player stat projections, lock in your Lineup, and win up to 1000x your money on 6-Pick Lineups if your picks are correct.
NBA Christmas Games Picks, Predictions for PrizePicks
Find game previews, NBA DFS projections, and PrizePicks NBA picks below for NBA Christmas Games. You can find all of today’s NBA DFS Projections on the PrizePicks app.
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Spurs vs. Knicks: Christmas Game Preview
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ABC/ESPN/ESPN+
Christmas hoops officially begins in New York with the Knicks taking on the Spurs. Two of the league’s best big men take center stage at The Garden with Victor Wembanyama taking on Karl-Anthony Towns.
Towns has had a standout season so far in New York, soaring to a career-high in rebounds so far this season. Wembanyama will get his first taste of Christmas basketball this year and has been menacing from downtown lately, averaging over 5 3-pointers per game over the last week.
While neither team boasts a high pace, the Knicks are one of the most potent offenses in the league. New York is tied for second in offensive rating and is seventh in points per game. The Knicks are shooting ridiculously well from the field, nearly 50 percent from the field and nearly 40 percent from three. Those two metrics are considered elite for one player — a whole team is outright ridiculous.
The Spurs are just about league average in every defensive metric but do have the kind of personnel to potentially trouble the Knicks’ potent offense.
PrizePicks NBA Pick: Spurs F Harrison Barnes 10.5 Pts+Rebs — More
Nuggets vs. Suns: Christmas Game Preview
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET
How to Watch: ABC/ESPN/ESPN+
Two of the league’s premier players faceoff in Nikola Jokic and Kevin Durant. This matchup will feature two teams in the bottom-10 of points allowed. The Nuggets currently allow the fifth-most points, and the Suns allow the tenth-most. We also get two top-12 offenses in this matchup with the Nuggets boasting a top-3 offense in the league.
This game is a rematch of their showdown on Monday night when the Nuggets blew out the Suns by 27 in Denver. Both Jokic and Durant were efficient from the field. However, Denver's supporting cast was much more helpful in achieving that victory.
Nuggets PG Jamal Murray did not play but should be available for the Christmas game.
There will be contrasting styles in this matchup with the Nuggets who like to run — fifth in pace — up against the Suns who prefer to set up in half-court sets, at 24th in pace. None of their three meetings last season had fully healthy starting lineups, and that will once again be the case here with Suns SG Devin Booker missing due to groin soreness.
PrizePicks NBA Pick: Suns C Jusuf Nurkic 9 Rebounds — More
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NBA Christmas Games: NBA DFS Picks for PrizePicks
Below, you’ll find the top NBA DFS picks today on PrizePicks for the NBA Christmas Games.
Knicks G-F Josh Hart vs. Spurs: 7.5 Rebounds — More
While his rebound numbers are down throughout this month, Josh Hart has one of the best matchups possible to bring those numbers back up. The Spurs allow the third-most rebounds to opposing small forwards so far this season.
This month, Towns has dominated the glass averaging 16.2 rebounds in December games while Hart is right at 7. Over a smaller sample size, Hart’s average goes down to 6 a game, despite a similar number of potential rebound opportunities.
This season has seen a plethora of players outside the center position attack the glass against the Spurs. The likes of Tyrese Maxey and Ayo Dosunmu hit double-digit boards against San Antonio. Then you have Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Jalen Johnson, Lu Dort, and Zach LaVine who grabbed nine boards as well.
With San Antonio sitting in the bottom half of the league in field goal percentage and just outside the top-10 in rebounds allowed as a whole, Hart has all the right matchups to hit this projection.
Mavericks G-F Luka Doncic vs. Timberwolves: 8 Rebounds — More
The Mavericks and the Timberwolves are one of the only Christmas matchups that have also already taken place this year. These two faced off early in the season, with Dallas holding off a 37-point performance from Anthony Edwards to get the victory.
In that game, Doncic tied this projection with eight rebounds, but was second on the team with 13 potential rebounds just behind both centers Daniel Gafford and Derrick Lively. Minnesota is one of the best teams on the glass against opposing centers thanks to center Rudy Gobert, so expect less rebounds from the Dallas centers.
Minnesota on the other hand has struggled against rebounding guards, and Doncic fits that mold. They are allowing the most rebounds to shooting guards and are middle of the pack in that stat against point guards.
Lakers F-C Anthony Davis vs. Warriors: 15.5 Rebs+Asts — More
Bigs have feasted against the Warriors all year, and the same should be expected in this Christmas showdown with Anthony Davis. The Warriors have started various players at the center position this year, such as Kevon Looney, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Draymond Green, but none have been able to stop the onslaught they are facing due to a size mismatch.
The Warriors currently allow the fifth-most rebounds and second-most assists to opposing centers. Outside the center spot as a whole, Golden State struggles on the glass as a whole. They are allowing the 11th most offensive rebounds and are fourth in defensive and total rebounds allowed.
Notable centers who have cleared this projection against the Warriors this year include Nikola Jokic, Alperen Sengun, Ivica Zubac, and Isaiah Hartenstein. A few select centers from the stars of the league to role players. Davis should be able to join that company in quite a favorable matchup.
Suns F Kevin Durant vs. Nuggets: 42.5 Pts+Reb+Asts — More
Kevin Durant will enjoy this matchup, and he’ll get a boost in usage with SG Devin Booker out. The Nuggets allow the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing power forwards. They also are in the top-10 in most rebounds and assists allowed to opposing power forwards.
Despite not getting close to this projection on Monday night, the team was blown out so he did not see any minutes in the fourth quarter, but still finished with 23 points.
In his time in Phoenix, Durant has played the Nuggets three times with and without Booker. With Booker playing, he has hit this projection just once, but has hit it twice without him playing.
A game without Booker means Durant will take plenty of shots and get even more opportunity for PRA due to more usage.
Denver C Nikola Jokic Free Pick: 0.5 Points — More
PrizePicks is offering a Nikola Jokic free pick for the Christmas NBA Games to wrap up the Picksmas promotion. If Jokic scores one point, he will cash his points projection. That means you just need to get one more pick right to get paid — but the more players you pick, the more you could win.
PrizePicks is also giving away $1 million to the Lineup that cashes with the highest multiplier, and the last day to enter the contest is on Christmas. So build your Lineups with Demons, use 5-Picks and 6-Picks, and try your shot at the $1 million cash prize.
Lock In Your Christmas NBA Games Lineups on PrizePicks
One of the best NBA slates on the cards is here on Christmas, and PrizePicks is the easiest way to play NBA DFS.
On PrizePicks, you can make real money with your NBA takes. Just choose more or less on at least two player projections like the ones above and build your squad for the Christmas day games.
Be sure to try out different combinations of Demons on 6-Pick Power lineups — payouts on all demons can be up to 1000x. Don’t forget to lock in your Nikola Jokic Free Pick. All Jokic has to do is score one point, and he greens out!
Use PrizePicks to build a Lineup of your NBA picks and check out the Playbook daily for more NBA picks for PrizePicks all season long.
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