NBA Picks & Expert Basketball Predictions

Sure, let's project the 7-foot-4 unicorn to not achieve at least four blocks after he's swatted away 18 in total over his last two games alone and 29 in his last four appearances. Usually it would be wise to ride the hot hand and attempt to cash in on a player's output, but oddsmakers at FanDuel Sportsbook have an UNDER on Wembanyama's 3.5 blocks prop at -102, and that's at least justifiable. 

The four teams Wembanyama just played rank in the bottom seven across the Association in blocks allowed to opposing centers, with those numbers no doubt hindered even more so by the reigning Rookie of the Year sending their shots flying in convincing fashion. Prior to this absurd defensive productivity, Wembanyama hadn't achieved four or more rejections in a game in 10-straight outings. 

The 20-year-old Frenchman blocked just two shots total in two meetings with the Knicks last season, and New York currently ranks 11th overall in opponent's blocks at 4.4. Even finishing with three blocks would be a solid day at the office, yet Wembanyama has set the bar so incredibly high for himself that it's simply not sustainable. 

For more on this player prop and others, be sure to check out Odds Shark's expert picks by clicking here.

Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will start this loaded Christmas slate early, looking to make a statement against the Knicks. Wembanyama’s defensive presence is the perfect counter to the potent Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns pick-and-roll offense. At the same time, Chris Paul will help the Spurs maintain strong offensive sets against a Knicks defense that has shown vulnerabilities this season.

The Spurs will need Victor Wembanyama to be a defensive anchor in this game against a potent offensive attack led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. His shot-blocking is generationally elite, as he’s capable of blocking shots from all over the floor with the mobility to cover ground with ease.

It's like seeing a ghost of Christmas past for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who likely still have nightmares over the Western Conference finals when Luka Doncic lit them up to the tune of 32.4 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 8.2 assists across the five-game series win for the Dallas Mavericks.

In the case of his combination points and assists prop being set at 37.5 for Wednesday's tilt, Doncic exceeded that number in every single one of those games, although he failed to do so earlier this season on Oct. 29 when he finished with 24 points and eight assists (32 total, UNDER) in 40 minutes of action.

Nonetheless, Christmas seems to bring the best out of Doncic, who last year became just the fourth player in history to score 50 or more points on the holiday with a 50-point, 15-assist effort against the Phoenix Suns. Minnesota is limping into this game in the midst of a three-game losing skid SU, as well, so while anticipating another 50-point outburst may be asking too much, Doncic should at least be in store for another sensational box score at the expense of the Timberwolves.

For more on this player prop and others, be sure to check out Odds Shark's expert picks by clicking here.

As of late, the Mavericks have owned this matchup against the Timberwolves, winning six of their last eight games against them. Minnesota’s defense has remained stout this season, but its offensive inconsistency has been apparent without Karl Anthony-Towns. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving should lead the Mavs to another win over the Wolves on Christmas.

In this Christmas Day special, Luka Doncic will look to put on a show against a defense he torched in the playoffs last season. In five games in the Western Conference Finals, Doncic averaged 32.4 points per game and cleared this line in four of five contests.

Philadelphia is 3-2 SU this season when all three of Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Tyrese Maxey are available, but the team has dropped three-straight games to Boston dating back to last season, two of which were by double digits. It also had a four-game winning streak both SU and ATS away from the Wells Fargo Center broken on Dec. 21 against the league-best Cleveland Cavaliers, and none of the previous wins came against teams with winning records.

Boston at least looks vulnerable with a 3-3 record SU over its last six outings, and while the 76ers have a rough record ATS at 10-17, the Larry O'Brien winners are only marginally better at 11-18. The 10-point spread is large enough for the visitors to cover, although having Tatum back and being in their backyard should propel the Celtics to their latest win.

For more on this matchup, be sure to check out Odds Shark's expert picks by clicking here.

The UNDER has reached in four of Boston's last six games at home, and both teams rank outside of the top 10 in the Association in offense per 100 possessions over the last five games. 

An UNDER has also been notched in four of the last six games between the two sides, as well. 

For more on this matchup, be sure to check out Odds Shark's expert picks by clicking here.

Tatum has reached an OVER on this combination prop in three-straight games, four of his last five, and six of his last eight. It holds greater value as opposed to betting on him grabbing double-digit rebounds again at just -132, so pairing two statistics together for greater profit is the direction here.

Philadelphia also allows opposing power forwards to grab the sixth-most rebounds overall, and Tatum has finished with fewer than 10 just once this month and that was back on Dec. 1. 

For more on this matchup, be sure to check out Odds Shark's expert picks by clicking here.

The Warriors have won the last three meetings with Los Angeles, all of which came last season with two coming by at least 14 points. These are different times, though, and the Lakers may be a touch more desperate to achieve victory than the opposition currently. The visitors have also covered in three of their last four games away from Crypto.com Arena, and those three covers came by shorter spreads than the one Los Angeles is facing on Wednesday.

The moneyline being at plus money for the Lakers is also enough to help project an upset here. It was back in 2019 when the road team last prevailed more times than the home side on Christmas, so Los Angeles will need to buck the trend here.

For more on this matchup, be sure to check out Odds Shark's expert picks by clicking here.

Three of the four games between the Lakers and Warriors reached an OVER last season, but Los Angeles has hit an UNDER in three consecutive road games, and both teams currently rank in the bottom-third of the league in offense per 100 possessions over their last six games, respectively.

For more on this matchup, be sure to check out Odds Shark's expert picks by clicking here.

Competing against the Warriors has historically brought the best out of LeBron James, which rang especially true in 2023-24 when he averaged a ridiculous triple-double of 36.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 10.6 assists across three meetings.

We're working for a big payoff here by anticipating an actual triple-double for the 39-year-old forward, who just recorded one on Monday in a loss to the Detroit Pistons with a line of 28-11-11. Who knows how many more Christmas games we're getting out of the four-time league Most Valuable Player, so James may look to maximize his production here with another memorable holiday showcase and his ninth triple-double of the season.

For more on this matchup, be sure to check out Odds Shark's expert picks by clicking here.

The Phoenix Suns are simply ill-equipped to force any pressure on someone with the size and skillset of Nikola Jokic, although the same can be said for all other 28 teams. 

We just witnessed Jokic dominate Phoenix at Ball Arena on Monday night with 32 points on 12-of-17 shooting, and he needed just 30 minutes of playing time to make it happen in what ended up being a 27-point victory for the Denver Nuggets. Jamal Murray may miss the festivities with an injured calf, and even if he's active, that shouldn't cut into Jokic's offensive activity.

The three-time Most Valuable Player is averaging 33.3 points on the road this season, which currently leads all players, and he's toppled 30.5 points in two of his last three games, as well.

For more on this player prop and others, be sure to check out Odds Shark's expert picks by clicking here.

It's difficult to get a precise grip over a spread bet a day ahead of time with the status of both Devin Booker and Jamal Murray having yet to be determined, yet the Denver Nuggets' 27-point win earlier in the week instilled enough confidence to move forward regardless.

The Nuggets are winners of two in a row SU and five of their last six, while the Phoenix Suns have dropped three in a row SU and six of their last eight. It's a two-game window, but Phoenix is winless this season when Booker is unavailable, and head coach Mike Budenholzer sounds unsure if he'll suit up on Wednesday.