Christmas is this Sunday, and with it comes many opportunities to lay some action on professional sports. After a morning full of joyful giving, why not spend the rest of the day earning back some of that lost revenue?
With any luck, the games will be on television in your home, so pretend like you are playing with your new tablet or smartphone and place a bet on the NFL or NBA odds that are being offered for each contest.
Here is a preview of December 25th games that 18+ gamblers can wager on.
Christmas Day NFL Betting
The first NFL game of the day starts at 1:00 PM on FOX and features an oddball AFC vs. NFC pairing of the Green Bay Packers and Miami Dolphins.
Green Bay Packers vs. Miami Dolphins
- Spread: GB +3.5, MIA -3.5
- Moneyline: GB +170, MIA -200
- Over/Under: 49.5
Thankfully, the league chose a warm-weather destination for the Christmas Day game, as the temperature at kickoff in Miami is expected to be around 60 degrees.
The Dolphins are on a three-game slide, but they’ve been against quality opponents (Buffalo, Chargers, 49ers). The Packers have won their last two against the Bears and Rams and must beat the Dolphins in order to keep their chances of a winning record alive.
Miami is favored by -3.5 at home on Sunday, but this game could easily go either way.
The Christmas Day NFL festivities wrap up with a prime-time game beginning at 8:20 PM featuring Tom Brady trying to lock up another playoff berth and one last Super Bowl run before he hangs up the cleats for the last time.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Arizona Cardinals
- Spread: TB -7.5, ARI +7.5
- Moneyline: TB -400, ARI +300
- Over/Under: 40.5
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still lead the NFC South, but they continue to lose and allow the rest of the division to remain alive in the hunt for the NFL Playoffs.
The Cardinals are prepping for next season already and have nothing to lose when they suit up on December 25th. However, with Kyler Murray and Colt McCoy out of the lineup, Arizona will have to rely on the services of third-string QB Trace McSorley vs. the Bucs.
Christmas Day NBA Betting
The National Basketball Association has once again put together a full day’s worth of games for Christmas Day, beginning at Noon, with the final contest tipping off at 10:30 EST.
Below we have posted the lines for betting on the NBA on December 25th, but we expect more robust odds soon, including moneylines for each team.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks
- Spread: 76ers -1.5, NY +1.5
- Over/Under: 218.5
- Noon (ABC/ESPN)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks
- Spread: LA +8, Dallas -8
- Over/Under: 226
- 2:30 PM (ABC/ESPN)
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics
- Spread: Bucks +4, Celtics -4
- Over/Under: 224
- 5:00 PM (ABC/ESPN)
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors
- Spread: not posted yet
- Over/Under: not posted yet
- 8:00 PM (ABC/ESPN)
Phoenix Suns vs. Denver Nuggets
- Spread: Suns +2, Denver -2
- Over/Under: 231.5
- 10:30 PM (ABC/ESPN)
Every now and then, there is College Football betting on Christmas, but unfortunately, there are no bowl games scheduled for the 25th this year.
Still, it’s hard to complain about the NBA and NFL Christmas Day schedule for 2022, but if you want your wagers to be joyful and triumphant, get them in early!
Christmas Day Betting Odds: Bovada, MyBookie, BetOnline
Source: ESPN