play0:45Wemby believes he’s the best player in the NBAVictor Wembanyama says Nikola Jokic is the best offensive player in the NBA, but Wemby believes he’s the best overall player in the league.
play1:32Why Foxworth isn’t ready to close the window on the LionsDomonique Foxworth and Dan Orlovsky break down what the Lions’ disappointing season means for their Super Bowl chances moving forward.
play0:55John Elway impressed by Bo Nix’s maturity levelJohn Elway joins Rich Eisen and breaks down how Broncos quarterback Bo Nix’s maturity has been impressive.
NBA stars excited to play on Christmas (0:42)Darius Garland, Jalen Williams and Klay Thompson reveal their excitement for playing on Christmas. (0:42)
Wemby believes he’s the best player in the NBAVictor Wembanyama says Nikola Jokic is the best offensive player in the NBA, but Wemby believes he’s the best overall player in the league.
Victor Wembanyama says Nikola Jokic is the best offensive player in the NBA, but Wemby believes he’s the best overall player in the league.
Why Foxworth isn’t ready to close the window on the LionsDomonique Foxworth and Dan Orlovsky break down what the Lions’ disappointing season means for their Super Bowl chances moving forward.
Domonique Foxworth and Dan Orlovsky break down what the Lions’ disappointing season means for their Super Bowl chances moving forward.
John Elway impressed by Bo Nix’s maturity levelJohn Elway joins Rich Eisen and breaks down how Broncos quarterback Bo Nix’s maturity has been impressive.
John Elway joins Rich Eisen and breaks down how Broncos quarterback Bo Nix’s maturity has been impressive.
Christmas Day is usually a time for family and basketball, but the NFL is presenting a new challenge for the NBA this holiday season.
After a doubleheader of NFL games on Christmas last year, the league added one more matchup at night to kick off Week 17. All three NFL matchups are between divisional opponents. Meanwhile, the NBA is set to feature its regular slate of five games (all on ABC/ESPN) for the 18th straight year.
This eight-game Christmas spread can be a lot to take in, so we put together an all-encompassing guide for Thursday. Our reporters and analysts from both sports broke down every matchup, including the biggest storylines, key stats, bold predictions, fantasy X factors and betting nuggets. Plus, we used ESPN’s Football and Basketball Power Index to go inside the numbers with game projections. For the NFL games, we also included ramifications for the playoffs, which begin in just two weeks.
Let’s get to all eight contests, starting and ending on the hardwood. (Games are listed in chronological order by start time.)
Biggest storylines to watch: The league probably thought this would be a preview of the Eastern Conference finals when the schedule came out, but the Cavaliers have sputtered and are now without Evan Mobley due to a calf strain. The Knicks — especially since coach Mike Brown has gone back to last season’s starting five — represent everything the Cavs want to be: tough.
And the Knicks are more than finding their stride on offense, being second in efficiency. Reigning Player of the Week Jalen Brunson has been on a tear, averaging 32.3 points and 6.8 assists in his past eight games entering Tuesday night on 51/41/83 splits — a sharp contrast to the season Darius Garland is having, dealing with turf toe that was supposed to be surgically repaired during the offseason.
The Cavaliers can’t get off the mat until Garland finds himself; otherwise, it’ll be Donovan Mitchell standing alone against the Knicks. — Vincent Goodwill
Stat to know: A month ago, the Cavaliers and Knicks were next to each other in the standings, with 11-6 and 9-6 records, respectively. But Cleveland has lost as many games since Nov. 24 (eight) as New York has all season, as the NBA Cup champions are 12-3 during the Cavaliers’ recent extended swoon. — Zach Kram
Bold prediction: Mitchell, playing on Christmas Day for the first time since 2021, will activate the same mode that averages 29.6 PPG in each of the past two postseasons and will top 35 points for the ninth time this season. — Kevin Pelton
Fantasy nugget: The Cavaliers look dramatically different this season. After ranking in the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating a year ago, they are 10th offensively and 16th defensively. They are also shooting just 34.6% from 3, down from 38.3%. Garland’s shooting struggles and Mobley’s injury absence have only added to the decline. Mitchell has been the exception — he is averaging career highs in points per game (30.7), 3-pointers made (4.1) and usage rate (32.3). — Eric Moody
Kram’s pick: Knicks 123, Cavaliers 111 Pelton’s pick: Knicks 118, Cavaliers 116 BPI prediction: NYK, 61.1%
Matchup must-reads: Five wild-card players who could impact the wide-open East race … Knicks coach Mike Brown counts Bernie Bickerstaff as his biggest mentor
Stat to know: The Commanders have allowed an average of 33.6 points per game in 14 matchups against Prescott as the starting QB. That’s the most points allowed by any team versus another with an active quarterback. — ESPN Research
Bold prediction: Cowboys tight end Jake Ferguson will record at least seven receptions for the first time since Oct. 19, the last time these two teams played. Other than that specific bit of history, this is mostly a gut feeling. Ferguson was such a huge part of the offense early in the season but has been quieter since. — Seth Walder
What’s at stake: The Cowboys were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 16 after the Eagles defeated the Commanders. Washington was already eliminated from the postseason race and is projected to have the No. 7 draft pick per FPI. See Playoff Machine. — ESPN Research
Fantasy nugget: Prescott, running back Javonte Williams and wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens all belong in lineups against a Commanders defense that has been eviscerated all season. Washington has allowed the fourth-most fantasy points to quarterbacks, the sixth most to running backs and the ninth most to wide receivers. See Week 17 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Commanders are 5-10 ATS, tied for the worst record in the NFL. They are 3-9 ATS as underdogs. Read more. — ESPN Research
Pamela Maldonado’s pick: Cowboys 44, Commanders 24 Moody’s pick: Cowboys 27, Commanders 20 Walder’s pick: Cowboys 30, Commanders 13 FPI prediction: DAL, 56.1% (by an average of 2.7 points)
Biggest storylines to watch: After the Spurs snapped the Thunder’s 16-game winning streak in the NBA Cup semifinals, one thing is clear: We’re at the beginning of what should be a heated rivalry for years to come between these teams.
Victor Wembanyama has come off the bench in five consecutive games since his return from a 12-game absence due to a left calf strain. There’s a good chance the trend continues considering he hasn’t played more than 22 minutes in the four games he has been back.
Stat to know: As noted, when Wembanyama came off the bench to key the Spurs’ upset win in the NBA Cup, it was just his fifth career matchup against Holmgren and the first since October 2024. Wembanyama has averaged 24.4 PPG, 12.3 RPG and 3.3 BPG to Holmgren’s 18.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 1.5 BPG, per Stathead.com. — Pelton
Bold prediction: Wembanyama will score 40 points. No opposing player has reached 40-plus points in a game against the Thunder yet this season — the most in regulation is just 32 — but Wembanyama loves a big stage. He had 42 points and 18 rebounds in his Christmas debut last season against the Knicks. — Kram
Fantasy nugget: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has carried fantasy teams all season. He is averaging 53.1 fantasy points per game, trailing Wembanyama, Luka Doncic and Nikola Jokic. He already has 23 games with 30-plus points this season, a pace matched only by Michael Jordan (1986-87) since the merger. — Moody
Kram’s pick: Thunder 110, Spurs 104 Pelton’s pick: Thunder 120, Spurs 108 BPI prediction: OKC, 74.1%
Matchup must-reads: The budding Spurs-Thunder rivalry that could shape the West … A five-step guide on how to beat the Thunder
Stat to know: Minnesota receivers dropped three passes in the first half of last week’s win over the Giants, which was their most in a first half since Week 14 of 2017. The Vikings are tied with the Chiefs and Broncos for the second-most drops (26). — ESPN Research
Bold prediction: Lions cornerback D.J. Reed will allow a touchdown to Jefferson. Since Reed returned from his hamstring injury in Week 12, he has allowed a very rough 1.9 yards per coverage snap, per NFL Next Gen Stats. — Walder
What’s at stake: The Vikings have already been eliminated from playoff contention, and the Lions could join them with a loss Thursday or a Packers win Saturday. Detroit has a 7% chance to make the playoffs, per FPI. See Playoff Machine. — ESPN Research
Why Foxworth isn’t ready to close the window on the Lions
Fantasy nugget: Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs has been held to just 40 total rushing yards over the past two games, but he has still produced as a receiver with 14 catches, 86 receiving yards and a touchdown over that span. Gibbs struggled against Minnesota in Week 9, finishing with just 5.8 fantasy points. See Week 17 rankings. — Moody
Betting nugget: The Vikings are 3-0 ATS in their past three games. The Lions are 1-5 ATS in their past six games. Read more. — ESPN Research
Maldonado’s pick: Lions 29, Vikings 18 Moody’s pick: Lions 27, Vikings 20 Walder’s pick: Lions 31, Vikings 24 FPI prediction: DET, 68.4% (by an average of 7.3 points)
Matchup must-reads: Vikings’ McCarthy out with hairline fracture in hand … NFL Week 16: What went wrong for Lions, Bucs, Ravens, Colts?
Biggest storylines to watch: The Klay Thompson reunion will get plenty of attention. After 13 years and nine Christmas games with the Warriors, he is making his third return trip to San Francisco to face his former team. Thompson has been a contributor to a recent Mavericks surge, averaging 11.8 points in 21 minutes off the bench this month.