There are few better days in the calendar for European NBA fans than Christmas Day. You can have a lovely lunch with family or friends, take a little nap and then settle in for an incredible slate of games, that come one after the other, and start at the wonderful time of 5pm (UK).
This year alone we’ve got more superstars than you could possibly want. The NBA did well with the scheduling, and let’s be honest, with the NFL encroaching into their territory they had to go big. Read on to see who Peter Sharland is tipping…
NBA tips
5:00pm – San Antonio Spurs @ New York Knicks
Victor Wembanyama 20+ points
7:30pm – Minnesota Timberwolves @ Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic to record a double double
1:00am (THU) LA Lakers @ Golden State Warriors
Anthony Davis 10+ rebounds
3:30am (THU) Denver Nuggets @ Phoenix Suns
Nikola Jokic to record a triple double
- A Multi-Match Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 6/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
Spurs @ Knicks – Wembanyama 20+ points
Wemby is heating up! The big man has had some big games in recent weeks and that’s good news for everyone in basketball. This sport is going to be so much better when Wembanyama is playing up to his potential. The Knicks have been solid recently and will undoubtedly offer a bigger test for Wemby and the Spurs, but we’re tipping the Frenchman to keep trending upwards.
Timberwolves @ Mavericks – Doncic to record a double double
The Mavericks continue to be a weird and frustrating team to watch, but it’s always better when you can watch Luka Doncic in full flow. Even for his part, Doncic has been inconsistent in recent games, going sub-25 in points or sub-5 in assists. One area this season where he has been consistent is rebounds. For that reason we’re playing it safe and going for him to get to a double double during this game against an equally difficult to predict Timberwolves unit.
Lakers @ Golden State – Davis 10+ rebounds
This game is an absolute nightmare to call. Both the Lakers and Warriors have been completely all over the place recently. There’s no consistency in any aspect for these two teams: wins/losses, points scored/allowed, which players do well, which struggle etc.
For that reason, we are going as safe as we possibly can, and picking Davis to get into double digits for rebounds. He’s currently averaging 11.8 per game, so should have no problem reaching this, and thereby avoid blowing the accumulator to pieces.
Nuggets @ Suns – Jokic to record a triple double
We’re doubling down here. We backed Nikola Jokic for a triple double on Sunday against the Pelicans, and he delivered, coming up big as the Nuggets avoided a shock. Admittedly the Suns are a much better team than New Orleans (they’ve won nearly 3x as many games) but they are not a great defensive unit.
That should open the door for Jokic to go big again. It’s worth reiterating just how determined he’s looked recently, literally dragging Denver into play-off contention to make sure they avoid the dreaded play-in. No-one has more than Joker’s 11 triple doubles this season and we’re backing him to get to 12.
Sunday’s NBA tips
5:00pm – San Antonio Spurs @ New York Knicks
Victor Wembanyama 20+ points
7:30pm – Minnesota Timberwolves @ Dallas Mavericks
Luka Doncic to record a double double
01:00am (THU) LA Lakers @ Golden State Warriors
Anthony Davis 10+ rebounds
03:30am (THU) Denver Nuggets @ Phoenix Suns
Nikola Jokic to record a triple double
- A Multi-Match Bet Builder with these bets pays at approximately 6/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
Read More
- Get the latest NBA Basketball odds on PaddyPower.com
- Basketball Betting Strategies: Three Tips for NBA Bettors
- How to bet on basketball: Your complete guide
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