Best and Worst US Sports Teams on Christmas (NBA and NFL)

Holiday Cheer: The Best Christmas Day Records of U.S. Sports Teams

Playing on Christmas can be a tricky task for many athletes, but what US teams have the best and worst records on Christmas?

On a day historically reserved for the NBA — and now the NFL, too — some teams rise to the occasion. In contrast, others have come up well short on December 25.

In this special holiday article, I explore the latest data and disclose the sports teams with the best NBA and NFL records on Christmas Day. If you ready to the end, you will also find some tips on how to use that data for your Christmas bets!

Best and Worst US Sports Teams on Christmas

Before analyzing the NBA and NFL separately, let’s review the worst records on Christmas between both sports. The last NHL game on Christmas was in 1971, so it is not included in our analysis.

We are ranking teams based on their winning percentage on Christmas Day. With that in mind, we are not including teams who have played fewer than three games on our list.

Best Sports Teams Record on Christmas Day

The Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) are the only team to play at least three games on Christmas with a 100%-win rate. However, the top NBA teams have played significantly more games. The NBA’s Miami Heat have played 14 games and won 12, so if you want to include the larger sample size, they are the most successful sports team in the US on Christmas!

Christmas Day Best Records in NFL and NBA

Worst Sports Teams Record on Christmas Day

The Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings, and New Orleans Pelicans (1-3) all have just one win in four attempts on Christmas. However, again, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons are the biggest losers when you factor in the 20+ games and horrid winning percentage. Some teams on this list might come as a surprise, at least according to current results. The Minnesota Vikings, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Denver Nuggets are among the top teams in their respective league in 2024. However, they’ve taken their fair share of lumps over the years, especially on Christmas Day!

Christmas Day Worst Records in NBA and NFL

Best and Worst NBA Teams on Christmas

Let’s delve into the top 5 NBA winning percentages and best NBA team going into Christmas, which can be helpful information for NBA betting.

The NBA and Christmas have been synonymous with one another since the tradition began in the 1946-47 season.

Best NBA Teams Record on Christmas Day

TEAM	RECORD	WIN %
1. Miami Heat	12-2	85.7%
2. Portland Trail Blazers	14-4	77.7%
3. Utah Jazz	6-2	75%
4. Washington Wizards	16-7	69.5%
5. Chicago Bulls	13-8	55.8%

The Miami Heat (12-2) have the best overall record on Christmas in the NBA. With an 85.7% winning percentage, the Heat are the most successful NBA team on Christmas Day. They have won nine consecutive games, with their most recent win in 2023 over the Philadelphia 76ers, 119-113. The Portland Trail Blazers, who haven’t played on Christmas since a 117-96 loss to the Utah Jazz, have the second-best winning percentage at 77.7%. The Jazz have only played eight games on Christmas Day, but have a winning record of 6-2 (75%) for the third-best mark. It’s worth noting that the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers have played the most games on Christmas. That said, neither has been particularly successful. The Knicks are 23-32 (41.8%) while the Lakers have a 24-26 (48%) record in Christmas Day games.

Worst NBA Teams Record on Christmas Day

Check out teams with the worst NBA records on Christmas Day, based on the winning percentage of at least three games played on December 25 all-time:

TEAM	RECORD	WIN %
1. New Orleans Pelicans	1-3	25%
2. Oklahoma City Thunder	6-14	30%
3. Detroit Pistons	10-22	31.5%
4. Denver Nuggets	3-6	33.3%
5. Atlanta Hawks	9-12	42.8%

Minimum three games, the New Orleans Pelicans (1-3) have the worst record in the NBA with a winning percentage of 25% on Christmas Day. New Orleans has just one win in three attempts. In their latest Christmas assignment, they fell by a score of 111-98 to the Miami Heat in 2020. If you are interested in a larger sample size, the Oklahoma City Thunder (6-14) have just a 30% winning percentage through 20 games. The Detroit Pistons (10-22) narrowly avoid the second-worst NBA Christmas record with a 31.5% success rate.

Best and Worst NFL Teams on Christmas

The first NFL game on Christmas was played in 1971. The NFC divisional playoff game between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings was the inaugural NFL Christmas matchup.

Since the 1970s, occasional Christmas games were scheduled until the NFL introduced annual matchups in 2020. Two games are scheduled for Christmas 2024. Let’s look at the best NFL records (three games minimum) on Christmas.

Best NFL Teams Record on Christmas Day

TEAM	RECORD	WIN %
1. Philadelphia Eagles	3-0	100%
2. Green Bay Packers	3-1	75%
3. Baltimore Ravens	2-1	66%
4. Broncos, Chiefs, Dolphins, Titans	2-2	50%
5. Dallas Cowboys	2-3	40%

The top winning percentages and lowest winning percentages will vary drastically compared to the NBA due to the number of games. Consequently, note that these trends aren’t as strong for your Christmas NFL betting strategy as the NBA Christmas games. The Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) have the best winning percentage of NFL teams that have played at least three games on Christmas. They are coming off a 33-25 win over the Giants in 2023 for a 100%-win rate. The Green Bay Packers (3-1) are the only other team to win three games in the NFL on Christmas. Among the teams with three or more Christmas games on their resume, the Ravens, Packers, and Eagles are in an exclusive club of teams above .500! As the NFL continues with their annual Christmas tradition, the percentages will shift markedly, though.

Worst NFL Teams Record on Christmas Day

On the opposite side of the coin, let’s check out the worst NFL records on Christmas Day. Since only one team has played five times on Christmas, the best records include some of the worst.

TEAM	RECORD	WIN %
1. Cardinals, Vikings	1-3	25%
2. Las Vegas Raiders	1-2	33.3%
3. Dallas Cowboys	2-3	40%
4. Broncos, Chiefs, Dolphins, Titans	2-2	50%
5. Baltimore Ravens	2-1	66.7%

The Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings (1-3) share the worst record in the NFL on Christmas. With a winning percentage of 25%, they are easily the least successful team. The Las Vegas Raiders are a game below .500 after a 20-14 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023. There are six NFL teams who have never won on Christmas Day, though they don’t reach the three-game minimum for our criteria. The Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers (0-2) are a Christmas loss away from leaping the Cardinals and Vikings.

What NBA and NFL Teams Play on Christmas?

The NBA and NFL have a host of action on Christmas Day 2024. Find the Christmas sports schedules for a day of big action on December 25, 2024:

NFL 2024 Christmas Schedule:

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m. ET – Netflix)
Baltimore Ravens vs. Houston Texans (4:30 p.m. ET – Netflix)

NBA 2024 Christmas Schedule:

San Antonio Spurs vs. New York Knicks (12 p.m. ET – ESPN)
Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Dallas Mavericks (2:30 p.m. ET – ABC)
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Boston Celtics (5:00 p.m. ET – ABC)
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors (8:00 p.m. ET – ABC)
Denver Nuggets vs. Phoenix Suns (10:30 p.m. ET – ESPN)

The Sports Geek will have you covered with a variety of sharp NFL picks and NBA picks for the Christmas Day slate. We are looking forward to stuffing your stocking with big wins at the best sports betting sites!

Before locking in your Christmas Day picks, consider checking out the winningest and worst teams in sports. While this shouldn’t be your only homework, it’s a trend to remember for Christmas betting.

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