The holiday season starts with the NFL taking center stage on Thanksgiving. New Year’s Day has always been a college football showcase with a few of the top bowl game matchups on the board. In between is Christmas Day and the NBA. This is a chance to showcase this big sports betting league with a handful of showdowns throughout the day.
As far as all the sports betting action on Christmas, most of the other major sports betting leagues clear the way. The extended bowl game schedule takes a break on Dec. 25, and there are no games scheduled in the NHL. This leaves the spotlight squarely focused on the NBA when it comes to cashing a few holiday winning tickets.
The NBA’s Christmas lineup has traditionally featured marquee teams such as the Boston at Toronto in the Eastern Conference and the Los Angeles Lakers out in the West. The matchups also feature the top teams in the standings that season. Since the schedule is set in advance, some of the showdowns live up to expectations while a few others would hardly be described as “must-see TV”.
Unless you plan to bet every game, the first betting strategy for these Christmas games is to determine which home teams have the best chance to win their game straight-up. Some teams play their best ball in front of the home town crowd. This trend will be intensified as a special Christmas Day showdown. The limelight is squarely on the home team if it comes in as the favorite. If for some reason, the home team is getting points, this can add some even more value to its Betting Odds
Along with focusing on the home team, current playing from is another key factor when it comes to handicapping the games. Sometimes you will have a team that is featured on Christmas but not living up to its lofty expectations. Matchups that looked good on paper before the new season got underway did not pan out 30 or so games into the 82-game slate.
Just because a team is playing on Christmas does not mean it will suddenly start playing well. This creates an excellent opportunity to bet against that team even if it is playing at home. Always stick with the hottest clubs on Christmas Day regardless of where the game is being played.
You also need to make sure you have access to an accurate injury report. You do not have to worry about a star player missing this game due to managed rest. Workload management is not going to be a factor on one of the NBA’s biggest days. However, a coach is not going to risk the health of an injured player just because the game is on Christmas. A good rule of thumb is their playing status in the previous few games. Unless they were injured in their last game before the holiday, it is reasonable to assume they will be playing on Dec. 25.
If you do plan to bet more than one game, look for possible parlay opportunities. A few online sportsbooks may even be offering parlay boosters for certain groupings. As long as betting those particular matchups makes sense to you, there could be an enhanced return on a two or three-team play.
Along with all the family fun and excitement on Christmas Day in general, this is a great time to place a few extra wagers on the NBA games. Since this is basically the only game in town that day, you can use all of your energy to breaking down the matchups in search of a few solid winners.
