The Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks get the afternoon slot on Christmas Day.
The pregame narrative: Anthony Edwards is having a down month but I expect him to deliver over the holidays. I’m also backing Klay Thompson to stay hot from behind the 3-point line.
Check out my Timberwolves vs. Mavericks prop picks for Dec. 25.
Timberwolves vs. Mavericks prop picks
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Best Bet: Thompson over 2.5 threes (-118)
It looks like Thompson may be shaping back into form as one of the NBA’s elite sharpshooters.
He’s shooting 39.1% from behind the arc this season. To be more specific, he makes 3.1 threes per game on 7.7 attempts.
And he’s heating up. His three-point percentage has risen to 41.7% over the last 15 games.
The volume has been solid for Klay lately which makes me extra bullish on this prop. He’s attempted at least eight threes in six of the past seven games.
Key stat: Thompson is 5-2 against this line over that span.
Quick pick
Edwards over 24.5 points (-129): Ant started the season on a tear and was looking primed to take his spot as one of the league’s elite scorers.
Even though fans know Edwards has the skill, the results in December haven’t been pretty.
- Stats before Dec. 1: 27.7 points per game, 45.3% from the field, 42.8% from 3-point range.
- Since Dec. 1: 20.2 points per game, 42.2 % from the field, 37.5% from 3-point range.
The biggest issue is that his volume is down. He was taking 21.2 shots per game before the start of this month and his shot attempts have plummeted to an average of 17.9 in the nine games since.
It was clear the Timberwolves needed production from elsewhere but Ant plays better the more he’s involved.
Edwards should be front and centre in this game as I can picture the all-star wanting to will his team on a national broadcast. Plus, it’s a matchup he’s been productive in.
In his first game against the Mavericks this season, Edwards had 37 points on 12-of-20 shooting. He’s scored 30-plus in three of his last four games against Dallas.
Picks made at 12:40 p.m. ET 12/24/2024.
Spencer is a true sports junkie. A graduate of the Sports Journalism program at Centennial College, he first joined NorthStar Gaming as an intern in 2023. He is now a contributing writer. He loves finding the edge to bet on in all sports but has a deep passion for the NBA and UFC. Previous stops include Sportsnet.