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 Friday, July 26, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Christmas NFL Games
Kansas City Chiefs @ Pittsburgh Steelers (1 p.m. ET, Netflix)
Chiefs -4 (-112) @ Steelers +4 (-108)
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 much 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.
Pittsburgh’s offense should improve this season with Wilson taking over for Kenny Pickett, but I don’t think they will be able to trade scores against a Kansas City squad with one of the league’s best defenses.
Take the Chiefs to cover the spread on the road.
Baltimore Ravens @ Houston Texans (4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix)
Ravens -1.5 (-110) @ Texans +1.5 (-110)
This Christmas Day matchup is featured in my top 10 NFL games of 2024, and I can’t wait to see how it unfolds.
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).
However, Stroud didn’t have Tank Dell or Stefon Diggs that day, and Houston beefed up its defense this offseason by adding Danielle Hunter, Denico Autry, and Azeez Al-Shaair, among others.
I’m sure that Texans HC DeMeco Ryans circled this game on his calendar the minute the schedule was released, so I’m backing Houston to get the job done at home and win outright.
