Christmas Day football is back, and 2025 is gifting us a loaded tripleheader featuring six teams with playoff aspirations, divisional rivalries, and major postseason implications. Sure, the games may still be several months away, but it’s never too early to bet on the NFL online.

Whether you’re looking to bet on the NFL, track the latest Super Bowl odds, or just want our free NFL Week 17 picks, we’ve got everything you need to make your holiday a profitable one.

And if you’re a holiday football fan, don’t forget our previews for Thanksgiving and Black Friday games, too!

It’s clear that NFL fans have been good little boys and girls this year because we’re getting treated to three thrilling Christmas Day games. Since 2020, the NFL has played an annual Christmas game regardless of which day of the week the Holiday fell on. However, that wasn’t always the case. The NFL outright avoided Christmas from 1943 to 1970.

In 1971, a Divisional Round Playoff game fell on Christmas and the NFL fans were in an uproar over it. So, the league decided to avoid Christmas like the plague. Nearly two decades later, in 1989, the league decided to return to Christmas action. It was probably inspired by the hit Christmas movie Die Hard. In 1990, the league included a Bye Week which meant that the regular season would extend beyond Christmas time.

So, if Christmas fell on a traditional NFL day of games like Monday, Saturday or Sunday, then the league would play on the Holiday. That was the strategy until 2020, when the NFL decided it wanted to take over every major holiday throughout the season. In short, the NFL wanted to conquer Christmas like Philly fans throwing things at Santa and booing jolly old St. Nick out of the stadium. 

With that said, let’s dive deeper into the latest NFL odds, courtesy of the top sports betting sites, and make our Week 17 NFL Predictions for the 2025 NFL Christmas football games.

What NFL Games Are On Christmas Day?

Three games light up the 2025 Christmas Day slate:

Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs – AFC West rivals headline the primetime game, and yes, the Chiefs are still favorites.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders – NFC East rivalry in the early slot. These two have squared off in no shortage of Thanksgiving games in the past, but this will be their first Christmas clash.

Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings – A clash of NFC North foes. Detroit last played on Christmas in 2023.

NFL Christmas Day Schedule

How To Watch NFL On Christmas Day

Unfortunately, the days of all NFL games airing on major TV networks seem to be a thing of the past. That terrible trend continues this year, as all 3 of the NFL’s Christmas Day games will be aired on streaming services. It’s the worst, isn’t it, folks?

The first 2 games of the day will air on Netflix, while you’ll find the nightcap on Amazon Prime. To my not-so-tech-savvy friends over 50, my condolences. Perhaps you can read about the games in the newspaper the next day.

• Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders – Netflix
• Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings – Netflix
• Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs – Amazon Prime

Christmas NFL Games Odds

Keep an eye on the latest NFL odds for Christmas and monitor how the lines change throughout the season.

Here’s where things stand as of now:

• Washington (-5.5) vs. Dallas | Total: 48.5 | ML: WAS -225, DAL +185
• Detroit (-2.5) at Minnesota | Total: 46.5 | ML: DET -135, MIN +114
• Kansas City (-4.5) vs. Denver | Total: 44.5 | ML: KC -198, DEN +164

Washington is the biggest favorite on the board, while Chiefs-Broncos features the lowest total. Expect movement as injuries and weather reports roll in. Obviously, none of that will take place for several months, so you’ve still got plenty of time to get those early bets in.

Looking for more of an edge? Check out our best handicappers to see who’s been red-hot this season and tail their plays.

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NFL Christmas Games Predictions

Let’s take a closer look at the three NFL Christmas games and make our NFL picks for the holiday.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders Odds

This classic NFC East rivalry is never short on drama. The Dallas Cowboys have dominated the rivalry over the years, but the Washington Commanders appear likely to enter this game as sizable favorites on their home field.

For the first time in franchise history, the Commanders will suit up on Christmas Day, welcoming the Cowboys in a Week 17 divisional rematch. While Washington is new to the holiday spotlight, the Cowboys are Christmas veterans, having played five times on December 25, including a dramatic 27-26 loss to the Cardinals back in 2010.

Washington enters the 2025 season riding high off a 12-5 campaign last year, their best regular-season mark since 1991. That season included a critical Week 18 win over the Cowboys, 23-19, which clinched the No. 6 seed in the playoffs. They’ll be aiming to duplicate that success in front of a national audience, and they’ll do it with a defense that’s rapidly become one of the most feared in the NFC. This will be the first of back-to-back divisional games for Washington, with the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles on deck.

Dallas, meanwhile, will be looking for redemption after a disappointing 7-10 finish in 2024. Major injuries to Dak Prescott, Trevon Diggs, and DeMarcus Lawrence derailed the Cowboys’ campaign. Despite a late-season surge, they missed the playoffs and ushered in a new era by replacing Mike McCarthy with Brian Schottenheimer as head coach. The addition of George Pickens via trade and a strong rookie class have Cowboys fans hopeful again, but winning on the road in Washington won’t be easy.

Of course, it’s far too early to know how injuries will affect this one. Few are talking about the potential for the Cowboys to enjoy a bounce-back season, but we see teams come out of nowhere to contend all the time in this league. Look no further than the Commanders, who managed to rise from obscurity to make a run all the way to the NFC Championship Game thanks to Jayden Daniels’ exploits last year.

I like the value on Dallas as a road underdog here. The Cowboys fared better on the road than they did at home in 2024, and I do think Washington is a potential regression candidate this year.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders Betting Trends

Check out the latest Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders betting trends:

Dallas Cowboys:

• 4-4-0 ATS as a road team in 2024
• 6-8-0 ATS as an underdog in 2024
• 11-6 to the over last season

Washington Commanders:

• NFL-best 7-2-0 ATS as a home team last season
• 7-4-0 ATS when favored in 2024
• 13-7 to the over last season

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders Predictions

Expect a gritty divisional battle. I think the Cowboys have the potential to rebound with Prescott back healthy, and a potentially rejuvenated run game should bring some much-needed balance to the offense.

Bet: Washington Commanders (-225) Dallas Cowboys +5.5 (-110), Total (pass)

Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings Odds

The second game of the 2025 NFL Christmas slate brings us an NFC North rivalry with serious playoff implications as the Detroit Lions visit the Minnesota Vikings. It’s a rare holiday spotlight for the Vikings, who are just 1-3 all-time on Christmas Day. This will be their fifth Christmas game in franchise history—and their first hosting the event since a 1971 playoff game against the Cowboys.

The Lions, on the other hand, will play on both Thanksgiving and Christmas for the first time since 1999, adding a bit of nostalgic flair to their impressive 2025 campaign. Since Dan Campbell took over in 2021, Detroit is 6-2 against Minnesota, including four straight wins dating back to 2022. That stretch includes a 31-29 thriller in Minneapolis and a dominant 31-9 win in Week 18 of last season to decide the division. Despite the Lions’ recent success, the Vikings still lead the all-time series 80-45-2.

Minnesota will be eager to flip the script in front of a national audience, especially at home where they’ve been a tough out historically. But Detroit’s physical run game, led by a strong offensive line and Campbell’s aggressive mentality, has been a consistent problem for the Vikings.

The Vikings are a wild card this season. Minnesota defied preseason expectations to enjoy a magical 14-3 campaign a season ago with journeyman Sam Darnold under center. Darnold skipped town to sign with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, which will clear the way for JJ McCarthy to start after missing all of last year due to injury. Minnesota still boasts a deep and talented offense around McCarthy, but there’s no telling how the young QB will fare in his first year against NFL-caliber defenses.

The Lions enter the season as one of the Super Bowl favorites after their disappointing playoff loss to the Commanders last season. Detroit was essentially the league’s best team wire-to-wire in 2024, and they’ll be as hungry as ever this term. Injuries on defense ultimately doomed Detroit’s hopes, but better luck on that side of the ball should mean the Lions will get back to the top of the division once again.

While the Vikings will be motivated to improve their Yuletide record, Detroit has simply had their number. Back the Lions to make it five straight in the series and cover the small number.

Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings Betting Trends

Check out the latest Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings betting trends:

Detroit Lions:

• 11-6 ATS as a favorite in 2024
• 6-1-0 ATS as an away favorite last season
• 10-8-0 to the over last season

Minnesota Vikings:

• 7-1-0 straight-up at home last season
• 11-6-1 ATS as a home favorite last year
• 11-7 to the under in 2024

Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings Predictions

The Lions are better on both sides of the ball and they should be close to wrapping up the NFC Conference by Christmas. If they can establish the run early, they should pull away late.

Bet: Detroit Lions (-135), Lions -2.5 (-110), Total (pass)

Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs Odds

The 2025 Christmas nightcap wraps up with a spicy AFC West showdown between the Denver Broncos and the Kansas City Chiefs. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video—marking the first time Amazon’s Thursday Night Football crew will broadcast a Christmas Day matchup. Denver is 2-2 all-time in Christmas games (all on the road), while the Chiefs have yet to lose on December 25.

Kansas City has been the class of the AFC West for nearly a decade, riding a streak of nine straight division titles dating back to 2016. But Denver’s resurgence under Sean Payton threatens to shake things up. With former Heisman candidate Bo Nix at quarterback and a young, physical defense behind him, the Broncos have legitimate Super Bowl ambitions for the first time in years.

These two teams split their regular-season matchups in 2024. The first was a back-and-forth thriller won by Kansas City. The second was a statement blowout—Denver crushed the Chiefs 38-0 in Week 18 to clinch their first playoff berth since 2015. That was only possible because Kansas City had already locked up the division and rested key starters like Patrick Mahomes. Still, it’s worth noting that Denver has now won two of the last three in the series, including one near-upset at Arrowhead that came down to the final snap.

The Chiefs were destroyed by the Eagles in the Super Bowl, but this has been the NFL’s juggernaut for the better part of a decade now. Every time you think their time is up, they just keep winning. The impending returns of Rashee Rice, Hollywood Brown, and Isiah Pacheco after injury-plagued 2024 campaigns should boost an offense that looked unexpectedly sluggish for much of last season. Kansas City’s defense – anchored by Chris Jones – will likely be one of the best in the sport again this fall.

A dominant defense and an opportunistic offense fueled Denver’s surprising rise last season. Nix, after a slow start, engineered an impressive rookie campaign, and he would’ve run away with Offensive Rookie of the Year honors were it not for Jayden Daniels. Some are still skeptical of Nix as a potential franchise QB, but he easily defied all preseason expectations in a major way in year one.

There’s still a significant edge in talent and playoff pedigree with Kansas City, especially in prime time and at home. But the Broncos’ recent fight and improved roster shouldn’t be ignored. Expect a grind-it-out type game, and while the Chiefs should win, Denver looks like a strong value to cover.

Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs Betting Trends

Check out the latest Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs betting trends:

Denver Broncos:

• 12-6 ATS in 2024
• 4-4-0 ATS as a road underdog last year
• 2-6 straight-up as an away underdog in ’24

Kansas City Chiefs:

• 10-0 straight-up at home last season
• 9-11-0 ATS in 2024
• 11-9-0 to the under last year

Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs Predictions

Kansas City should win, and cement itself as the top seed in the AFC Conference once again. However, 4.5 points feels rich against an improving Denver squad.

Bet: Kansas City Chiefs (-198), Broncos +4.5 (-110), Under 44.5 (pass)

NFL Christmas Best Bets

The following wagers are our best bets for the NFL Christmas games:

• Dallas +5.5 (-110)
• Detroit -2.5 (-110)
• Denver +4.5 (-110)

These plays combine matchup history, trends, and recent form. All three favorites are in strong spots, but Denver has quietly become a strong backdoor cover team.

Christmas Day Football Records

The following is a list of each NFL team’s Christmas Day record. There are eight teams that have never played on Christmas Day as of 2024.