This article is part of our FanDuel NBA series.
The NFL has started to get in on the Christmas Day sports fun, but the NBA is still front and center. We have our usual five-game holiday slate on tap, and the combination of plenty of star-studded rosters with a very modest injury report should make it a very fun day for sweating some of the many big-money DFS tournaments offered by FanDuel.
Slate Overview
For the latest spreads and over/unders, visit RotoWire's NBA Odds page. There, you can also find player props, futures, picks articles and sportsbook bonus codes.
Listed spreads/totals are from FanDuel Sportsbook and current as of Thursday, Dec. 25 @ 12:00 a.m EST:
Cleveland Cavaliers at New York Knicks (-5.5) (O/U: 239.5)
San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder (-9.5) (O/U: 233.5)
Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors (-7.5) (O/U: 227.5)
Houston Rockets (-2.5) at Los Angeles Lakers (O/U: 230.5)
Minnesota Timberwolves at Denver Nuggets (-2.5) (O/U: 239.5)
The betting metrics paint a solid outlook for Thursday, as we're devoid of double-digit favorites altogether and four projected totals north of 230 points. Even the biggest favorite of the day, the Thunder, could be in for more of a competitive game than anticipated, considering San Antonio's 20-point win over the defending champs on Tuesday night.
Injury Situations to Monitor
For all the latest updates, visit RotoWire's NBA Injury News page and our comprehensive NBA Injury Report.
Luka Doncic, LAL (leg): QUESTIONABLE
If Doncic can't suit up, either Nick Smith or Marcus Smart could draw a start at point guard, while Austin Reaves will be due for a big boost in usage if he's promoted to the first unit.
Alperen Sengun, HOU (calf): QUESTIONABLE
If Sengun is sidelined, Steven Adams and Clint Capela will likely handle the majority of center minutes, while additional usage will be available for Jabari Smith and Kevin Durant, among others.
Other notable injuries:
Aaron Gordon, DEN (hamstring): OUT
Ajay Mitchell, OKC (concussion): OUT
Cameron Johnson, DEN (knee): OUT
P.J. Washington, DAL (foot): QUESTIONABLE
Jaden McDaniels, MIN (oblique): QUESTIONABLE
Elite Players
We have six players with five-figure salaries on Thursday's slate: Nikola Jokic ($12,600), Luka Donic ($12,300), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($11,400), Victor Wembanyama ($11,200), Anthony Davis ($10,300) and Alperen Sengun ($10,200).
Jokic has eclipsed 62 FD points in two straight games and has been over 52 in all but one game in December. He also posted 63.9 FD points against the T-Wolves in his last meeting with them Nov. 15.
If Doncic is cleared to play, he'll have the unenviable task of trying to follow up his elite 93.2 FD-point showing against the Jazz in his last full game on Dec. 18.
Gilgeous-Alexander saw a streak of three straight games over 60 FD points snapped Tuesday against the Spurs, but he remains an elite option any time he's on the slate.
Wembanyama has come off the bench in his first five games back from a calf strain, and he's scored at least 35.4 FD points in all but one of those contests.
Davis has scored 60.4 and 55.8 FD points in his last two games while eclipsing 30 actual points in each, and he therefore carries very impressive ceiling for his salary.
Sengun's condition will bear monitoring due to his questionable tag, but if he's cleared to go, he'll look to clear 47 FD points for the fifth time in six games since returning from a two-game absence due to an illness.
Expected Chalk
Other likely chalk plays include:
Anthony Edwards, MIN ($9,800)
Edwards has eclipsed 56 FD points in two of his first three games back from injury, and he posted 56.6 FD points against the Nuggets on Nov. 15.
Jalen Brunson, NYK ($9,400)
Brunson is off the injury report after a one-game absence due to an ankle issue, and the fact he's scored over 49 FD points in three of the last four games should lock in his popularity.
Stephen Curry, GSW ($9,200)
Curry has scored 41.6 to 63.6 FD points in four of the last five games and should be highly rostered given the ceiling he offers relative to salary.
LeBron James, LAL ($9,000)
LeBron has eclipsed 50 FD points in four of the last six contests and will be even more popular if Luka Doncic is ruled out.
Kevin Durant, HOU ($8,800)
Durant saw a streak of 45 FD+ point tallies stopped at four games his last time out, but the combination of his upside and salary should ensure he's on plenty of rosters.
Key Values
Naji Marshall, DAL at GSW ($5,700)
Marshall has been outstanding during his current 11-game starting tenure, averaging 28.8 FD points per contest on the strength of 16.2 points (on 64.3 percent shooting), 4.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals across 32.5 minutes per game. The veteran is shooting a career-best 54.5 percent overall, and he's exceeded 25 FD points in 16 of 31 games overall. The Warriors are also a good target positionally, considering Golden State is surrendering the third-most FD points per game to shooting guards over the last 15 contests (46.5).
Brandin Podziemski, GSW vs. DAL ($5,300)
Podziemski is a viable option on the other side of the Mavericks-Warriors clash, as he's been a steady contributor as both a spot starter and high-volume second-unit option. The veteran wing is averaging 25.8 FD points on 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.1 steals per contest over his last 14 games, a sample where he's also shooting 41.4 percent from behind the arc. Podziemski has also put up double-digit shot attempts on eight occasions in the sample, and the Mavs check in surrendering 51.4 FD points per game to point guards in the last 15 contests.
Bruce Brown, DEN vs. MIN ($4,600)
Much like Podziemski, Brown has been playing a key second-unit role, and he comes in averaging 22.9 FD points over his last 11 games with the help of 56.9 percent shooting. The veteran is doing a nice job supplementing his fantasy production with defensive stats, averaging 1.3 steals per contest and recording multiple swipes in four of his last five games. Brown is averaging a robust 26.6 minutes per contest in that previously mentioned 11-game sample as well, and he's eclipsed 26 FD points on six occasions within it. His highly modest salary stands out all the more in that context, making him a very appealing value option.
ALSO CONSIDER: Jake LaRavia, LAL vs. HOU ($4,600)
