It’s Christmas Day and the NBA has stuffed the slate with five great games, including a couple of matchups with some serious prop-betting opportunities. In this post, we’ll be discussing just that with our best NBA PrizePicks, including an interesting Desmond Bane situation.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics will meet in a showdown between the class of the Eastern Conference, which will be followed by a solid matchup between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Golden State Warriors. Below, bettors can check out some of the best props and bets to make over on PrizePicks, along with some analysis for each pick. Nevertheless, onto the best NBA PrizePicks – Christmas Games Slate edition.
Best NBA PrizePicks Christmas Games
Brook Lopez over 11.5 points
In what should be a very competitive matchup between two of the leagues best teams, bettors should check out Brook Lopez’ points prop. The Bucks big man is averaging 14.8 points per game on the season, and he has been running hot over his last four games as he’s averaged 21.3 points per game. Over that span, Lopez is has attempted 13.8 field goal attempts per game, including 5 three-point attempts per game.
Khris Middleton is listed as doubtful for the game tonight which should do nothing but help Lopez’ scoring chances. In six games with Middleton this season, Lopez averaged just 8.7 points per game on 7.5 field goal attempts per game. In the 25 games he’s played without Middleton, the veteran center has recorded 16.3 points per game on nearly 12 field goal attempts per game.
He gets a +6.5% usage rate bump when Middleton is off of the floor as well. The Bucks are facing the Celtics tonight, who have been struggling a bit recently and are in the process of re-acclimating Robert Williams to the lineup. Using the OddsShopper tools, bettors will find that this play is listed at -127 on Unibet and PointsBet.
Desmond Bane over 6.5 Rebounds + Assists
Desmond Bane recently returned from injury, playing 24 minutes in a blowout win against the Suns in his first return to game action. He was on a minutes restriction and will likely be on one again during the Christmas games slate, but this over is very reachable even if he only plays around 25 minutes — and there’s a real chance he plays a bit more than that.
On the season, Bane is averaging 9.3 rebounds/assists per game on 33 minutes per game. If you exclude his return game last time out, he’s gone over this line in each of his 12 games this season. Even in limited minutes, Bane is a very high usage player and has a chance to be involved on every single play that he’s in for.
Tonight, Desmond Bane will face-off against the Warriors, who allow the 2nd-most assists and the 2nd-most rebounds to shooting guards this year. Using the OddsShopper tools, bettors will find that Bane’s rebound and assist lines sit at over/under 3.5 and 2.5 respectively, and the overs for both have odds of -150 or better on certain books.
