There is almost no better time than winter break. It’s the period of relief a person receives due to the strenuous duties of his or her job, or in a student’s case, final exams. It’s a wonderful time to spend with family, especially on Christmas Day. Everybody, even if they aren’t willing to admit it, love getting gifts.

With all these things come with winter break, there is no shortage of entertainment filled throughout. One of the best things however, is the amount of great sporting events there are on TV. These are the top five sporting events over winter break that will undoubtedly bring excitement.

5. Dec. 25: Chicago Bulls at Oklahoma City Thunder

Over the course of the past few seasons, the NBA has taken ownership of Christmas Day. Even the most casual sports fan can’t help but plop right down on the couch, grab a snack, and watch the great matchups. This year will be no different. In the Bulls’ corner you have Jimmy Butler, Derrick Rose, and Pau Gasol. In the other you have 2014 MVP Kevin Durant, and perhaps an MVP candidate for this year in Russell Westbrook. There is one thing this game will have, and that is offense. Westbrook and Durant alone are scoring 53.6 points per game, fueling the league’s second-best offense. While the Bulls may not be the flashiest, they fight, and don’t be surprised if they do the same this Christmas, with the play of Gasol and Butler, who average a combined 36.6 PPG. The game will be at 1:30 p.m. on ABC.

4. Jan. 1: NHL Winter Classic: Boston Bruins vs. Montreal Canadiens

The NHL Winter Classic gives hockey another element. The sport is hard enough as it is when you factor in five opposing men doing anything in their power to prevent you from scoring. Then you move the game outside, where there are freezing temperatures, with wind and snow blowing in your face. Now that’s hockey. Montreal is currently one of the heavyweights of the hockey world, as they are third in the NHL in total points. Although not having star goalie Carey Price hurts them, (10-2 win-loss record) they still are the favorites. The Bruins will provide excitement with the offense of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, who are both top-20 in the league in points scored. The game will at noon on NBC.

3. Dec. 28: Denver Broncos vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Football to many Americans is more than a sport. It’s a way of life. The organization that practically owns a day of the week has had some of the highest ratings in not only the sports world but the TV world. In 2012-2013, eight of the top-ten TV broadcasts were football games. There are great matchups every single week that drive in millions of fans. Over winter break the best game is Broncos vs. Bengals. The current two and three heavyweight seeds in the AFC are battling for a potential first-round bye in the playoffs. What more do you want? It’s the battle of the backup quarterbacks with Bronco Brock Osweiller and Bengal A.J McCarron. The game will be at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

2. Dec. 31: College Football Playoff: Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl

Ah, the playoff. It is hard to imagine that any big sports fan would be doing anything other than watching football on New Year’s Eve. In the second edition of the playoff, there are two games. In the first, the Orange Bowl, the Clemson Tigers (1) are facing off against the Oklahoma Sooners. This game will be very physical, and most likely high scoring. Clemson quarterback DeShaun Watson is incredible, he has 41 total TDs this year. On the other side, is Sooner QB Baker Mayfield who may be out for blood after getting snubbed in the Heisman finalist race. He has 42 total TDs this year, 35 of them in the air. The other matchup should will also be very physical, as both teams define “smash mouth football.” Alabama, who seems to be good every single year, is using their workhorse Heisman (award for best player) running back Derrick Henry to try and exhaust Michigan State. The Spartans do rank seventh in the nation in rush defense however, so this matchup is one you won’t want to miss. The Orange Bowl is at 3 p.m. on ESPN, the Cotton Bowl is at 7 p.m. on the same channel

1. Dec. 25: Golden State Warriors vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

NBA, Christmas Day. Finals rematch. MVP Steph Curry against Lebron James. What a game this is going to be. The highly anticipated rematch between two of the league’s best is almost here, and people are going to be loving every second of it. Let’s start with the Warriors. After winning 67 games last year and winning the finals, some did not think they could get better. Well, they did. They won 24 games in a row coming out of the gate, which is astonishing. They are averaging more PPG than anyone else, with 115.3. Somehow Curry is even better than last year, averaging 32.3 PPG. He’s already the MVP frontrunner. Now let’s go to the Cavs, who are playing angry basketball right now. After losing to the Warriors in the finals last year, they are looking for revenge. LeBron James is doing what he does best, playing nearly every minute and doing everything stats-wise. It helps when you have two of the league’s better players in Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving at your side. This game has it all. It is on ABC at 4 p.m.