Which NBA Teams and Totals do Sportsbooks Need on Christmas Day? (Early Slate)

Christmas Day is one of the busiest NBA betting days of the year with a five-game all-day slate on hand. With lines and totals moving throughout the day after opening late Thursday evening, which teams and over/unders are siding with and against the sportsbooks?

WynnBET Sportsbook just released their latest splits for the early slate of games today which include the following three matchups (all times ET):

• 12:00 pm: Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks
• 2:30 pm: Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks
• 5:00 pm: Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns

Let's go through each of the three games and see where the public and sharp bettors are going, as well as which team or total holds the highest liability for the sportsbook:

Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks

After opening as a 5-point favorite, the Knicks have moved to -7 this morning at WynnBET. Public bettors; likely surprised to see a team playing for a shot in the NBA Finals a season ago as such big underdogs, are on the Hawks' side, with 61.3% of the betting tickets on Atlanta. However, the sharps have jumped on the Knicks, as 72.5% of the betting handle is on New York.

Moneyline bets have been in favor of the Knicks throughout the last few days, with 84.5% of the money on New York at -270 odds (bet $270 to win $100). Atlanta on the moneyline today is currently listed at +220 (bet $100 to win $220).

As for the total, the Hawks could have as many as 12 players out today due to injuries and health and safety protocols from COVID-19. After opening at 213, which BetSided's Peter Dewey wrote to grab the under on, it has since moved down to 207; a six-point swing. 95% of the betting money is now on the UNDER.

Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks

The second game of the day has also seen substantial line movement towards the favorite. After opening at Bucks -3.5 at WynnBET, the oddsmakers have had to shift all the way up to -7 for today's matchup. Both the sharps and the public are siding with Milwaukee, with 53.5% of the bets on the Bucks, along with 71.2% of the money.

However, there are some sharps who believe Milwaukee could be ripe for an upset. Despite 71.1% of bets on the Bucks at -280 odds, 57.9% of the moneyline handle has gone to Boston (+225).

The total in this matchup has actually moved up from 219.5 to 221; often rare considering unders in the early slate hit at just under 75% since 2005. It's a near-even split on the betting tickets, with 50.5% going on the under, but 60.3% of the money is on the OVER 221 at WynnBET.

Find out why BetSided's Donnavan Smoot is leaning towards the underdog Celtics on the road in Milwaukee this afternoon.

Golden State Warriors vs. Phoenix Suns

The top two teams in the Western Conference meet up for the third time this year with the series tied at 1-game apiece. Both teams took care of business at home, with the Warriors winning 118-96 last time out at the Chase Center in San Francisco.

According to the latest WynnBET splits, the game opened with the Suns at -5, and has since moved even further for the favorite to -6.5. Just like in Celtics-Bucks, the public and sharps are both on the same side with Phoenix; getting 57% of the bets, but a whopping 85.7% of the money. This is likely due to the Warriors dealing with a handful of key players with injuries; including Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins.

If bettors want to take Golden State (+225) to upset Phoenix (-280), they'll also be in the minority of bettors. 64.8% of the tickets are on Phoenix, while 77% of the betting handle is backing the Suns to win straight up.

Lastly, the total has creeped down three points to 214.5 since opening at 217.5. The public likes the over at 67.6% of the tickets, but sharps are once again on an afternoon slate UNDER, with 60.9% of the handle.

BetSided's Donnavan Smoot also has a play on Game No. 3 of the day, looking towards yet another dog in Golden State to steal a victory from the Valley of the Sun.

For previews, picks, props and more for all the NBA Christmas Day games, check out BetSided's NBA hub here, and head over to WynnBET for all the latest odds and opportunities to bet!