I’ve got three prop bets from the NBA’s five-game Christmas Day slate.
The pregame narrative: Joel Embiid is finally (seemingly) healthy and I expect him to fill the basket against the Boston Celtics. Elsewhere, back Victor Wembanyama and Austin Reaves
Check out the best NBA prop bets for Dec. 25.
NBA prop bets
Go to full NBA betting markets
Best bet: Embiid over 25.5 points (-130)
Embiid’s season has been a sideshow between the missed games and off-court comments but remember, this is one of the best scorers on the planet.
The Philadelphia 76er averaged north of 30 points the last three seasons and is coming off a career-best 34.7 PPG — nearly 10 points higher than this total.
He’s only putting up 20.6 this season but we’re talking about an eight-game sample size.
Embiid has scored 30-plus points three times in the last five games. Let’s take a look at the outliers:
- 9 points vs. Spurs: Ejected in the second quarter
- 12 points vs. Pacers: Left in the second quarter with a sinus fracture
If he can finish Wednesday’s game against the Boston Celtics — which clearly isn’t a guarantee these days — I love Embiid’s chances of having a vintage performance.
Key stat: Embiid is 5-1 against this line in his last six regular-season games against Boston, averaging 32.3 PPG.
Quick picks
Wembanyama over 9.5 rebounds (-112): Wembanyama is averaging 9.9 rebounds per game, a number which would certainly be higher if he wasn’t blocking shots at an absurd rate.
He has 29 blocks in his last four outings — that’s not a typo — and averages 4.0 a night on the season.
The New York Knicks get blocked at the 11th-lowest rate and should be looking to create offence away from the 7-foot-4 phenom.
Wembaynama is going up against Karl-Anthony Towns, who is averaging a league-best 13.9 rebounds per game.
But the Frenchman is matchup-proof on the glass.
And while it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison, Wemby cleared this line in his last three straight games against KAT while he was on the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Reaves over 20.5 points and rebounds(-125): Reaves has been balling out since his return from injury on Dec. 13:
- 18.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG
- 20+ points and rebounds in 4/5 games
The Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard is having his best scoring month of the season despite shooting a middling 44.1% from the floor and 34.3% from deep.
His volume is up, though, and that is the biggest boon toward posting large PRA totals.
The Golden State Warriors allow the 11th-most points and 12th-most rebounds per game to SGs, according to Fantasy Pros.
Reaves had 22 points and seven rebounds the last time he played them.
Picks made at 9:18 a.m. ET on 12/24/2024.
Avery joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2022 before stepping into a full-time role soon after. He loves betting on and analyzing golf — mainly because it’s easier than actually playing — but is a fan of all sports, from the NFL to the UFC.