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Betting On NBA Christmas Games

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  • Bet On NBA Games From Noon To Midnight
  • Find The Best Online Sportsbooks Offering NBA Xmas Odds
  • NBA Christmas Bets Are Accepted In All 50 US States

The NBA regular season always begins around the holidays, so ‘tis the season for betting on Christmas games as there are several featured throughout the afternoon of December 25th each year. The TV schedule on Christmas Day dominates the airwaves and offers up juicy matchups that inspire attractive NBA betting odds.

If you want to earn a little extra spending cash for the holidays, then continue on to learn more about legal options for betting on the basketball games on Christmas Day, what teams will be playing, and a few tips to give readers an edge on how to slam dunk the odds.

Table Of Contents

    The Best Online NBA Sportsbooks

     Site NameCurrent BonusAgeU.S.Visit Site
    Top Rated #1 IconBovada Sportsbook50% Max $1,00018+USA Players Legally AcceptedVisit Site Review
    2BetUS125% Max $3,12518+USA Players Legally AcceptedVisit Site Review
    3Betonline Sportsbook50% Max $25018+USA Players Legally AcceptedVisit Site Review
    4Bookmaker Sportsbook25% Max $50018+USA Players Legally AcceptedVisit Site Review
    5sports betting logo50% Max $50018+USA Players Legally AcceptedVisit Site Review
    6MyBookie Sportsbook50% Max $1,00021+USA Players Legally AcceptedVisit Site Review
    7xbet logo50% Max $50021+USA Players Legally AcceptedVisit Site Review

    Is Betting On NBA Christmas Day Games Legal?

    Yes. bettors in the United States have two options for placing a wager on Christmas Day games, domestic and international.

    1. Domestic – Many US States allow domestic sportsbooks to exist inside of their borders. If you are in or near one of those states, visit one of their venues and bet on the Christmas basketball games offered.
    2. International – Because there are no federal gambling laws that prevent overseas sportsbooks from accepting bets from patrons inside the United States over the Internet, no laws are being broken when stateside gamblers wager on basketball on Christmas Day using one of the sportsbooks recommended in the table below.

    For information on US gambling regulations, please visit the Laws section of our website linked off the top menu.

    2024 NBA Christmas Schedule

    • San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks - Noon on ESPN
    • Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks - 2:30 PM on ABC
    • Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics - 5 PM on ABC
    • Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors - 8 PM on ABC
    • Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns - 10:30 PM on ESPN

    Examples Of Christmas Day NBA Odds

    Now that the schedule for the 2024 season has been released, oddsmakers have created odds for the NBA's Christmas Day games. Below, we have posted the latest betting lines for 2024 from the top legal NBA betting sites.

    NBA Christmas Games History

    Because there is such an exclusive viewing audience on Christmas Day, the league puts its best foot forward, often delivering compelling matchups between top teams and fierce rivals.

    Several big games on Christmas Day in the early 1980s propelled the tradition to prominence, and major professional basketball matchups have become a routine feature of Xmas afternoons each year, including rematches from the prior year’s NBA Playoffs.    

    Previous Christmas basketball highlights include:

    • 1990s: Every Christmas except for one showcased a matchup of the New York Knicks vs. the Chicago Bulls featuring the legendary Michael Jordan.
    • 2004: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat - The first matchup of Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal following Shaq’s departure from the Los Angeles Lakers.
    • 2009: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Cleveland Cavaliers – LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant.
    • 2010: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Miami Heat – Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James on his new team after taking his talents to Miami.
    • The home team wins at a rate of nearly two-to-one, something to keep in mind when placing a bet on Christmas.

    NBA Betting Apps For Christmas Day

    Mobile NBA bettingIf you’re traveling and can’t get to your personal computer or laptop to bet on Christmas basketball odds, playoffs, and playoff picture odds, don’t sweat it. The mobile betting apps from our top sports betting sites have got you covered from preseason to legal NBA Draft odds from just about anywhere in the USA with an Internet connection.

    You don’t have to download anything, either. Just click on one of the links in the table above using an up-to-date mobile browser, and your mobile smartphone or tablet (iPad, iPhone, Android) will be placing bets on games in seconds and can also access the full sportsbook site as well as their robust selection of casino games.

    Best NBA Christmas Day Bets

    There is no shortage of options offered at top-rated offshore sportsbooks when it comes to professional basketball odds, but the betting trends tend to revolve around the point spread, the money line, and the over/under. Each of these bet types, including the ever-popular basketball prop bets, are described below.

    • Point Spread – The amount of points a team is predicted to win or lose by. Teams must cover in order for bets on them to win, meaning they must win by more, or lose by less, than the point spread has predicted.
    • Money Line – These three-digit odds are placed next to each team to indicate their chances of winning and how much can be won on those odds versus how much the bettor risks. Moneyline bets allow for simple wagers to be made on which team will win and nothing else.
    • Over/Under – This is the total amount of points that oddsmakers believe both teams will combine to score. Bettors must select whether they want to bet that the total will be over or under the line.
    • Prop Bets – Proposition bets can cover any aspect of a Christmas Day TV broadcast, from how many points a player will score, to if the singer will mess up the National Anthem.

    Live Betting On Christmas Day NBA Games

    The international betting sites that we list on this page allow for live, in-game bets to be made on Christmas basketball games as well as the playoffs and NBA Finals. Odds update continuously throughout the contest allowing for bets to be made on the team that is in the lead after each quarter, money line odds on winning teams, and over/unders.

    Don’t worry if you’ve missed the beginning of the game, opening up gifts and playing with them. Our top sportsbook sites are always taking bets on the Christmas Day games with the live pro basketball betting odds that they offer.

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