Pinnacle   +120   BET365    +120  Sportsinteraction   +120 888port   +120

Posted at 9:00 AM ET. Odds are subject to change

LOS ANGELES LAKERS +120 ML over Houston

Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA

8:10 PM ET. This is a textbook example of how market movement, not matchup evolution, creates betting opportunities. For a long stretch, the Lakers were spotting the points in this market, even while Houston was riding early-season momentum while the Lakers struggled out of the gate. It was only a matter of time before the Lakers were no longer the favorite though they were installed as it initially.

But now the landscape has changed. Both teams have come full circle and the Rockets are the favorite. But the Rockets are no longer the sole surprise package and the Lakers are no longer stumbling out of the gate. Both are playing quality basketball, firmly in the playoff picture, and capable of beating strong opponents on any given night. In other words, this is a coin-flip.

This matchup doesn’t require a schematic deep dive. Both teams can score efficiently. Both teams are comfortable playing physical basketball. Both sides feature some of the most decorated and experienced names in the history of the sport. Cough – KD and LeBron. Both understand how to manage pace, pressure, and late-game moments. There is no clear tactical edge that separates one team decisively. But Houston interest has pushed the Rockets across the fence into being the favorite, and in doing so, it’s created value with the Lake Show.

That’s why this becomes a pricing exercise rather than a basketball debate. This game can realistically go either way. In those scenarios, the correct decision is always to take the plus price — especially when that plus price belongs to the team that was originally favored. That’s how we are attacking this. Lakers outright.

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For straight bets, if the team you back to win goes 5 runs ahead at any stage during the game, BET365 will pay out your bet in full regardless of whether the opposition comes back to win the game.

For parlays and Same Game Parlays, if a team you have backed goes 5 runs ahead, this selection will be marked as won within My Bets, with the remaining selections left to run.

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Pinnacle    +160   BET365   +160  Sportsinteraction  +160 888port  +160

Posted at 9:00 AM ET. Odds are subject to change

Cleveland +160 ML over NEW YORK

Madison Square Garden – New York, NY

12:10 PM ET. There are few stronger pricing forces in the NBA betting market than the New York Knicks playing at Madison Square Garden on Christmas Day. History, spectacle, television exposure, and public enthusiasm all collide into one thing: inflated numbers. That’s exactly what we’re seeing here.

The Knicks deserve their flowers. This version of New York looks different — more focused, more cohesive, and more ambitious than any recent iteration. Add in an NBA Cup title and legitimate Eastern Conference aspirations, and you have a team the market is eager to reward. But eagerness is rarely cheap. When the Knicks take the Christmas Day stage, bettors aren’t just backing basketball — they’re buying into tradition and momentum.

That’s where Cleveland comes in. The Cavaliers overall have been an unreliable ATS team this season, and that unreliability has crushed their betting reputation. If ATS record equaled straight-up wins, Cleveland would be viewed as one of the league’s worst teams. But basketball value doesn’t live in perception — it lives in pricing. But we must also add that the Cavs don’t curry the favor that the Knicks do here either.

But the line tells a story. Not long ago, Cleveland was catching far fewer points. Since then, the spread has moved steadily toward New York without a corresponding shift in fundamental matchup dynamics. The move is narrative-driven: Christmas in New York, a surging Knicks squad, national spotlight, and public confidence.

Strip all of that away, this is a roster with playoff experience and offensive acumen that can give any team headaches. If the Knicks didn’t have the holiday aura, the Garden mystique, and the NBA Cup credential hanging over this matchup, Cleveland might be favored — or at worst, a near pick’em. This play isn’t strictly about fading New York. It’s about finding value hidden in the numbers. The Cavaliers are not only competitive — they are mispriced. Cleveland has the tools, composure, and opportunity to play spoiler. Sometimes the sharpest move on Christmas is betting the Grinch.

Take advantage of BET365's early MLB payout offer! 

For straight bets, if the team you back to win goes 5 runs ahead at any stage during the game, BET365 will pay out your bet in full regardless of whether the opposition comes back to win the game.

For parlays and Same Game Parlays, if a team you have backed goes 5 runs ahead, this selection will be marked as won within My Bets, with the remaining selections left to run.

Here is a wager we were paid out early on that would eventually lose. 

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