In case you hadn’t heard, the NBA is officially back, and just in time for the annual Christmas Day spectacular no less. This year’s Christmas slate includes a primetime showdown between the Dallas Mavericks and the defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers. With the football season nearing its conclusion, many will turn their attention to NBA DFS, beginning with the star-studded Christmas Day games.
If you are planning to get in on some Christmas Day NBA DFS action, Monkey Knife Fight is THE PLACE to play. MKF brings the worlds of NBA DFS and NBA prop betting together for what is truly a one-of-a-kind experience. Read on for an overview of the platform and some of my favorite Monkey Knife Fight NBA DFS plays for the Mavericks vs Lakers game on Christmas night.
Monkey Knife Fight NBA DFS Overview and Promotion
Monkey Knife Fight is a DFS site, yet very different from sites like DraftKings or FanDuel. Instead, the contests feature props to play, with varying multipliers for each contest. Unlike the aforementioned sites, you are only competing with yourself when making picks on MKF, and you do not need to worry about annoying salary caps. The platform is easy to use and fun for all, regardless of prior DFS and/or prop betting experience.
What’s more, there has bever been a better time to sign up for a Monkey Knife Fight account. To celebrate the holiday season, new MKF users will receive a first deposit match up to $50, plus a FREE $5 to play with. In addition, those who play through their deposit bonus will be eligible to win a gift card. Refer to the image below for all the details!
Best Mavericks vs Lakers Monkey Knife Fight Props
Of course, signing up to play NBA DFS on Monkey Knife Fight is just the first part. If you’re going to take advantage of your bonus money and earn a shot at a gift card, you’ve got to play some contests too! To help get you started, here is how I am playing three different MKF contests for Friday’s Mavericks vs Lakers game.
Mavericks vs Lakers “Rapidfire” Contest for 3x Buy-In
Luka Doncic is easily the most reliable offensive threat on this Dallas Mavericks team. While he is laying 6.5 points to Anthony Davis in this NBA DFS contest, I believe the preseason MVP betting favorite will show out in this Christmas Day showcase. Given that the Lakers can get scoring from plenty of other players in addition to Davis, I like Doncic to finish with a solid lead in points.
LeBron James may be considered the Lakers starting point guard, but newcomer Dennis Schroder logged 28 minutes in L.A.’s season opener, dishing out 8 assists in the process. Schroder has averaged at least 4.0 assists in all but his rookie NBA season. Add in the fact that James is dealing with an ankle injury and I think Schroder can stay within 5.5 assists of The King.
Mavericks vs Lakers “More or Less Contest” for 5x Buy-In
We deviate from the stars of the game in this second Monkey Knife Fight NBA DFS contest for the Mavs vs Lakers game. Tim Hardaway Jr. has been the definition of a streaky scorer throughout his career. If the three-pointers are falling, Hardaway is capable of putting up 20-25 in a game. I’m leaning toward a rougher shooting day for the 28-year old on Christmas due to a combination of both the Lakers’ strong defensive play and potential early-season rust.
Similar to the Rapidfire NBA DFS contest above, I will again look to back Schroder in the assists category here. There are far more reliable scorers to set up on the Lakers than there were on the Oklahoma City Thunder, Schroder’s team last season.
Finally, 6.5 rebounds for reigning Sixth Man of the Year Montrezl Harrell are well within reach. Harrell averaged 7.1 boards per game as a Clipper last season and pulled down 10 in his first game since jumping to the other locker room at Staples Center.
Mavericks vs Lakers “3-Point Shootout” Contest for 1.8x Buy-In
Did I mention there are literally a ton of ways to win playing NBA DFS on Monkey Knife Fight? If you aren’t feeling a more traditional type of contest, how about trying your hand at the 3-Point Shootout? While the play I included above is for 1.8x my buy-in, MKF allows YOU, the user, to choose your goal and your potential payout in this contest.
As far as my player selections, LeBron James has continued to make the 3-point shot a bigger part of his game as he gets older. James attempted eight treys in the Lakers’ season-opener, making three of them. Similar production in this Christmas Day showdown along with a couple makes from Dallas sharp-shooters Tim Hardaway Jr. (3-8 on 3’s in the Mavs’ season opener) and Dorian Finney-Smith (1-6) should easily eclipse the 8.5 necessary to win.
Luka Doncic could be another strong option for this NBA DFS contest. It’s unlikely that he shoots 0-6 from deep as he did in Dallas’ season-opener. If a higher goal and larger payout are what you seek, Doncic could be a strong upside play.
