Chiefs QB Patrick MahomesDavid Eulitt/Getty Images
It’s Christmas Week, and the NFL is giving fans a pair of games on Christmas Day. One, we’d consider for survivor play. We’d avoid the other.
The Kansas City Chiefs (-3) are set to host the Pittsburgh Steelers to open the week. While Kansas City is at home, has been notoriously tough to beat and has a knack for pulling out one-score games, this is far from a gimme.
Pittsburgh has a tremendous defense and will likely see the return of No. 1 receiver George Pickens, who has missed time with a hamstring injury. The Steelers could be getting other reinforcements as well.
“Some guys that didn’t play yesterday who have a real chance this week: Justin Fields, DeShon Elliott, Donte Jackson, George Pickens and Larry Ogunjobi all have an opportunity to play this week,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said, per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
While the Chiefs and Steelers may be off the table anyway, we’d look to avoid this one if possible.
The Baltimore Ravens (-5.5) will visit the Houston Texans in Wednesday’s second matchup. The Ravens are a more enticing option because of their strong pass rush and dynamic offense, led by Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry. The Texans just lost receiver Tank Dell to a torn ACL, and their offensive line has been a significant issue.
We’d also be a bit leery of the Buffalo Bills (-8.5) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-8) even though both are heavy favorites this week.
The Bills will host the rival New York Jets. While Buffalo has a much better team than New York, its defense has struggled mightily as of late. Everything will hinge on the Bills getting a clean game out of quarterback Josh Allen.
If Allen stumbles at all, the Jets could pull off the upset—something the New England Patriots nearly did against Buffalo in Week 15.
The Buccaneers defense has also been an issue, and it cost them in last week’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Up next are the scrappy Carolina Panthers, who took Tampa to overtime in the first meeting of 2024.
Carolina isn’t an overly talented team, but it’s playing good complementary football and is getting steady quarterback play from Bryce Young. The Panthers have become a serious threat to provide the upset in any given week.
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