Brooklyn Nets @ Boston Celtics
December 25th, 7:30pm, TD Garden
The Celtics have been to the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the past four seasons, but it’s the Nets that look like the team to beat in the East with superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving returning from long-term injuries. The fact that Durant is coming back from an Achilles tear may worry some, but he’s taken enough time off to this point where it’s fair to be confident that he will return to his previous form.
He hasn’t been playing with any limitations in the preseason, putting up 20.0 points and 4.5 rebounds on 50 percent shooting from the field while playing about 25 minutes in two preseason games. The C’s are a solid defensive team, but barring a complete shutdown of the Durantula by Boston, it’s hard to imagine them keeping up with the Nets on the offensive end. Because it’s so early in the season, 22Bet is offering huge value on an alternative 2.5-point spread for the Nets at +104 odds so tasty you just have to try them.
Pick: Brooklyn Nets Alt Point Spread (-2.5) (+104, 22Bet)
Dallas Mavericks @ Los Angeles Lakers
December 25th, 8:00pm, Staples Center
The betting favorites to win this year’s NBA championship, the Lakers, will take on the betting favorite to win this year’s MVP award, Luka Doncic, in the second market of our parlay. The odds aren’t nearly as attractive as the ones we got for Brooklyn, but that can be expected when betting on the defending champs. These two teams haven’t played in nearly a year, but for what it’s worth, the Lakers won three of their four matchups last season, with their Ws coming by an average of 12.0 points.
Dallas will be a solid, mid-playoff table team this season, no doubt about it, but they just don’t have any elite defenders to slow L.A.’s big guns. Kristaps Porzingis likely won’t play, which will hurt the Mavs on the offensive end, but even if he was playing, he’d be out of his depth attempting to defend big, physical forwards like Anthony Davis and Montrezl Harrell. L.A.’s frontcourt will dominate on both ends of the floor and the Lakers will cruise to a win, the 10th time in 15 games that a LeBron James-led team will emerge victorious on Christmas Day.
Pick: Los Angeles Lakers Point Spread (-7) (-120, 22Bet)
Los Angeles Clippers @ Denver Nuggets
December 25th, 10:30pm, Pepsi Center
If anyone with the Clippers says they didn’t have this game circled the day the schedule came out, they’re lying to you or they just don’t care. After running up a 3-1 lead on the Nuggets in last year’s Western Conference Semifinal, the Clippers lost to Denver in seven games in what has gone down as one of the most shocking playoff collapses in NBA history. There’s no doubt that this team will be seeking retribution for the embarrassment Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and company put them through last season.
The addition of Serge Ibaka was a masterstroke, and they will surely have a reinvigorated Paul George out there after the much-maligned superstar signed a max contract recently. While we like the Clippers to win this game, those pesky Nuggets always find a way to hang around against good teams, so the safest bet to ensure this pick doesn’t ruin our parlay is to simply take the Clips straight up at slightly lower odds.
Pick: Los Angeles Clippers Moneyline (-130, 22Bet)
It’s the first week of what could be the most unique NBA season in the history of the league, not to mention the dozens of players who swapped threads during the offseason, which have combined to make wagering tough. However, we believe the markets we’ve pinpointed are the ones you can trust despite all of the uncertainties in the league right now. A triumphant showing from the Durantula at the TD Garden, and victories from both L.A. teams on Christmas Day will have us laughing to the bank. Godspeed and good luck. Let’s get this bread.
