NFL Christmas Odds: Breaking Down Christmas Day Betting Splits for Chiefs vs. Steelers, Ravens vs. Texans

With only two games remaining in the regular season, every potential playoff team is fighting for positioning down the stretch. The action starts early this week with a special Christmas Day doubleheader on Netflix, featuring the same four AFC teams from last Saturday in a rearranged schedule.

Let's take a look at the NFL Christmas Day slate to see how these AFC showdowns will affect the playoff picture and how bettors are attacking these games with our oddschecker+ public betting splits.

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NFL Christmas Odds

Chiefs vs. Steelers Betting Splits

The Kansas City Chiefs will put their near-perfect record on the line with a Christmas Day clash with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Patrick Mahomes is playing through an ankle injury, but has continued to find success for this Chiefs offense no matter the circumstance. They outlasted the Texans last week in a close game at Arrowhead, with Mahomes throwing for 260 yards and a touchdown. He isn't having his typical MVP-caliber season, but the Chiefs are rocking their best record in years by coming up clutch.

The public would agree with that sentiment, as they are clobbering the Chiefs on Christmas. 64% of the spread bets and 67% of the moneyline bets are on Kansas City, but they aren't seeing a ton of big money behind it. It may finally be time for the Chiefs to see their luck run out on the holiday, after surviving in 11 one-score wins. They have been horrendous against the spread this year, even though they sport a 14-1 record, and the magic may be finished today in Pittsburgh.

Instead, the Steelers have moved down from +3 to +2 during the week, and make up over 50% of the total handle despite getting just 36% of the tickets. Russell Wilson and company are desperate for a win today at home after dropping their last two games to the Eagles and Ravens. It is the toughest stretch of the season for Mike Tomlin's team, but an upset against the Chiefs would move mountains for their chances of winning the division.

Ravens vs. Texans Betting Splits

The Baltimore Ravens will head on the road to Houston, Texas for a battle with the Texans in the second game of NFL Christmas Day. The Ravens are neck and neck with the Steelers, and will know the result of the early game to some extent, although it won't affect their play style. Baltimore has a chance to take over the AFC North tiebreaker with a road win over this banged-up Texans squad in addition to a Steelers loss against KC. If they both win or both lose, they'll remain deadlocked in a tie heading to the final weekend in 10 days.

Both sides will be fighting tooth and nail to earn the home playoff game, which can make all of the difference in the wild card round. The Ravens have been surging as of late, winning three of their last four games. The only loss came against a top Eagles team a few weeks ago, and they are peaking at the right time offensively as the playoffs rapidly approach.

Heading into today's game, the Ravens have moved to a 6-point favorite against the Texans after opening at -4. Seeing a road team getting a nearly touchdown spread against another playoff game is very telling, and emphasizes how both teams are moving in opposite directions. The Texans just lost WR Tank Dell for the season due to injury, a

The public money continues to push the line, a rare occurrence as everything is stacking up for the Ravens. We're seeing 79% of the bets and 86% of the money coming in on the spread as it steadily moved over 1.5 points throughout the short week. There is little to no sharp money coming in to back the home Texans, as they enter a very difficult spot on four days of rest. Trying to reprogram this offense with new weapons on a limited time table as they go against one of the most aggressive defenses in the NFL isn't a great spot.

Only 12% of bets are coming in on the home dog moneyline at +230, as no one would be surprised to see them drop this game after already locking up the AFC South. Meanwhile, the total shows some interesting betting splits. Despite only 27% of the bets coming on the under, we're seeing 41% of the total handle backing this Under 47 number. It has ticked up a bit from the 46 opener however, so not everything is shaping up in unison for an under bet. But the Texans offense may struggle against the Ravens, with the top rushing defense in football shutting down Joe Mixon early and forcing Stroud to pass. With a banged-up receiving core, they may struggle to keep pace on Christmas Day.