NBA Christmas Best Bets: Back Jamal Murray’s Scoring

The NBA has five games on Christmas, including another battle between LeBron James and Stephen Curry. Fans around the globe are likely hoping that this matchup comes close to the legendary Warriors vs. Cavaliers holiday duel in 2016. 

Keep reading for NBA Christmas best bets below, and bet with your favorite sportsbook apps. 

NBA Christmas Best Bets

Check out three bets below for the NBA games on Dec. 25.

Max Christie Over 6.5 Points (-111 FanDuel) & 10+ Points (+260 FanDuel)

The Lakers significantly increased Max Christie’s role recently because they badly needed a 3&D guard next to the stars. Christie has averaged 27 minutes over his past 12 games and is now firmly entrenched in the starting lineup. 

He’s stepping up to the challenge, too. During this 12-game stretch, the sharpshooter produced 9.4 points per game and shot 40% from 3-point range. 

Golden State’s defense deters rim attempts at a high level, but the trade-off is that it concedes the fifth-most catch-and-shoot jumpers per game. Christie should have plenty of opportunities to capitalize. 

Overall, he has scored seven-plus points in nine of 12 games since the promotion and 10+ points five times. 

I recommend playing his 10+ points line at half of a unit. 

Jamal Murray Over 20.5 Points (-108 FanDuel)

Jamal Murray is finally looking like his old self after a rough start to the season. Over his past four games, Murray has averaged 24.8 points and shot 39.3% on seven triples per game. 

He meets a Phoenix defense that noticeably lacks strong point-of-attack defenders or guards who extinguish dribble handoffs. The Suns are unsurprisingly allowing the fourth-most points per game to pick-and-roll ball handlers, as well as the most points per game to handoffs. Quality off-the-dribble scorers feast against Phoenix, too. 

Look for Murray to scorch the Suns’ guards and have a strong night, especially from deep. 

Jaden McDaniels First Timberwolves Basket (+400 FanDuel)

The 24-year-old is mostly known for his defense, but Jaden McDaniels has taken Minnesota’s first shot in 32.1% of his starts. That percentage leads the team. 

McDaniels also paces Minnesota in corner attempts per game, and Dallas’ defense surrenders the sixth-most of these shots per game across the NBA. 

Meanwhile, the Mavericks struggle to handle glass-crashers. He is a strong offensive rebounder for his position, so McDaniels can also score on put-backs here. 

It’s worth a quarter of a unit wager at this price to me.