The NFL doesn’t have the same Christmas Day tradition as the NBA, but football is slowly but surely becoming an annual spectacle on Santa’s big day.
There has been at least one NFL game on Christmas since 2020, and we’ve got two more fascinating matchups this year, even with the holiday falling on a Wednesday.
Let’s get ready for these festive fixtures by looking at the 2024 NFL Christmas odds and schedule.
NFL odds cited below are current as of Monday, Dec. 23, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Christmas NFL Games
Kansas City Chiefs @ Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m. ET, Netflix)
Chiefs -2.5 (-110) @ Steelers +2.5 (-110)
After losing at home to the Raiders on Christmas Day last year, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs travel to Pittsburgh to take on Russell Wilson and the Steelers.
Playing at home on Christmas is probably a disadvantage when it comes to distractions, so I’m expecting a better effort from Kansas City this time around. Plus, Mahomes has torched the vaunted Steelers defense in three career meetings, throwing for 988 yards, 14 touchdowns, and just one interception. The Chiefs won all three contests, averaging 40 points per game.
- Read more about this Christmas Day matchup with our Chiefs vs Steelers prediction.
This version of the KC offense hasn’t been nearly as explosive, so I’m not expecting that degree of offensive outburst, but it is finally getting healthy now that Hollywood Brown is back in the lineup. Andy Reid’s squad also doesn’t need 40 points to win games because Steve Spagnuolo’s defense has held its last four opponents under 20 points.
Pittsburgh’s offense has taken steps forward this season with Wilson under center, but it has struggled lately with WR George Pickens (hamstring) sidelined. If he can’t play on a short week, the Steelers could be the latest victim of a KC squad that only wins one-possession games.
At less than a field goal, take the Chiefs to cover the spread on the road as one of your best NFL bets today.
Baltimore Ravens @ Houston Texans (4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix)
Ravens -5 (-110) @ Texans +5 (-110)
In the finale of the NFL’s Christmas Day double-header, the Baltimore Ravens travel to Houston to take on the Texans in a rematch of their 2023 AFC Divisional Round clash.
Baltimore won that all-important meeting in January 34-10, as the Ravens’ defense shut down C.J. Stroud, and Lamar Jackson accounted for four touchdowns (two passing, two rushing). Stroud didn’t have Tank Dell or Stefon Diggs for that matchup, and unfortunately for Houston, those two elite wideouts won’t be any help this time around after suffering season-ending injuries.
- Prepare for the NFL on Christmas with my Ravens vs Texans prediction.
I’m sure that Texans HC DeMeco Ryans circled this game on his calendar the minute the schedule was released, but I’m not sure his short-handed squad can go toe-to-toe with the healthier, in-form Ravens. Give me Baltimore to win and cover on the road.
