The San Antonio Spurs (15-14) and New York Knicks (19-10) face off in the NBA on Christmas Day. Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The game will broadcast live on ABC.
The Knicks are 8.5-point favorites over the Spurs on the spread, with the over/under set at 222.5 total points. New York is a -345 favorite to win outright, while San Antonio is +275 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Spurs vs. Knicks predictions and NBA picks for Christmas Day.
Spurs vs. Knicks Prediction, Picks
Spread
My Knicks vs. Spurs best bet is on New York to cover the spread, with the best line available at DraftKings. But as always, make sure to shop for the best line using our live NBA odds page.
Moneyline
I'm not interested in the Knicks moneyline as an outright. However, I will be taking some exposure on the ML as a part of my same game parlay.
Over/Under
I'm staying away from the total in Wednesday's matinee.
My Pick: Knicks -8.5 (-110)
Spurs vs. Knicks Odds, Spread, Over/Under
| Spurs Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+8.5 -110 | 222.5 -110 / -110 | +275 |
| Knicks Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-8.5 -110 | 222.5 -110 / -110 | -345 |
- Spurs vs. Knicks spread: Knicks -8.5
- Spurs vs. Knicks over/under: 222.5 total points
- Spurs vs. Knicks moneyline: Spurs +275, Knicks -345
- Spurs vs. Knicks best bet: Knicks -8.5 (-110)
San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks Preview
The NBA Christmas slate kicks off at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks host Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. The Knicks are heavy favorites in this one, laying 9 points at home. Let's dive into this Christmas Matinee.
The Knicks offense has been incredible this season. They rank first in the league with the fifth-best Point Differential (+0.2). On the other hand, the Spurs are 18th (-1.7) and are just 15-14 on the season.
This year's talk has been about how strong Victor Wembanyama's defense is, as he is the favorite to win the Defensive Player of the Year. He is in the 98th percentile for Defensive EPM, per Dunks and Threes. He is averaging 1.1 steals and 4.0 blocks while being truly incredible as an individual defender.
However, this has not translated into successful team defense. Over the last month, the Spurs have the 22nd-ranked defense and are allowing 115.9 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. They can't stop anyone.
The Knicks destroy bad defenses. When they play teams with bottom-10 defenses this season, they are 11-3 with a +12.7 point differential.
Even though New York allows too many points (112.0 Defensive Rating), they score 124.6 points per 100 possessions, per Cleaning the Glass. The Knicks' multifaceted attack will be tough for the Spurs to handle.
Despite his excellence, I think this is a difficult matchup for Karl-Anthony Towns because of the presence of Wembanyama. However, I do like the spot for Jalen Brunson. The star guard is averaging 24.6 points per game this season and is the leader of this Knicks offense.
In his last games against the Spurs, he absolutely smashed even with Wembanyama on the floor — he scored 25 points in November 2023 and an incredible 61 in March this year. His line is 23.5, a number he's hit in about half of the games this season, but coming off a poor scoring game against Toronto, I expect him to perform in the Garden.
Spurs vs. Knicks Predictions, Best Bets
The Knicks are 6-3-1 ATS over their last 10 games, while the Spurs are just 4-6. I expect the Knicks to take care of business in this spot on Christmas Day. They are the better team, and with their ability to flat-out score against poor defensive teams, they will be able to generate enough offense to cover the spread.
Although these early games have often gone under the game total, the trend has not been as strong over the past few seasons — these are two over teams this season, and much of that has to do with the Spurs' overrated defense and the Knicks rounding into form over the last month.
For my same game parlay, I'll take the Knicks moneyline, Brunson to score 20+ points, Wemby 3+ three-pointers — the Knicks surrender those looks at a high frequency, and Wemby has been launching from beyond the arc — and KAT 4+ assists, a number he's hit in 7 of 10 games — and if it's tougher for him to score himself, he certainly can dish as a facilitator.
Best Bet: Knicks -8.5
Knicks vs. Spurs Parlay Picks
- Knicks Moneyline (-345)
- Jalen Brunson 20+ Points (-310)
- Victor Wembanyama 3+ Three-Pointers Made (-165)
- Karl-Anthony Towns 4+ Assists (-115)
Parlay Payout: +335
Spurs vs. Knicks Betting Trends
