When the NFL released its schedule for the 2025-26 season, these Christmas Day games felt like presents from Santa Claus. Unfortunately, as we approach Christmas, NFL Week 17, these games feel more like lumps of coal.

We can’t blame the NFL schedule makers for how these teams turned out. But it would be nice if there was a flex policy since Christmas is a day for celebration, not skipping the games for Netflix’s latest shows and movies. Yes, I still need to get caught up on Stranger Things season 5.

With that said, only the Detroit Lions and one of the Super Bowl favorites in the Denver Broncos have Playoff possibilities while the other four teams are already eliminated. And, yes, that includes the Kansas City Chiefs who will most likely finish 6-11 on the season.

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:

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

Unfortunately, both teams have already been eliminated from Playoff contention. So, this game will matter more for NFL bettors and fantasy football managers.

Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings – A clash of NFC North foes comes down to Minnesota trying to play spoiler by preventing the Lions from trying to capture one of the NFC Wild Cards. A loss and they will be eliminated from the Playoffs.

Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs – AFC West rivals were set to headline the primetime slot and everyone was excited. Unfortunately, Rudolph lost his red nose, Santa pulled a hamstring, and Patrick Mahomes tore an ACL. In other words, this game is all about how bad the Broncos beat the Chiefs by.

History of the NFL on Christmas

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. 

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

KKeep 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 this writing

• Washington vs. Dallas (-6.5) | Total: 50.5 | ML: WAS +260, DAL -320
• Detroit (-6) at Minnesota | Total: 44.5 | ML: DET -270, MIN +220
• Kansas City vs. Denver (-13) | Total: 36.5 | ML: KC +625, DEN -950

When the schedule was first released, Washington was the biggest favorite at -5.5 points with a -225 moneyline. However, that all changed after Jayden Daniels was injured.

The biggest underdog is the Kansas City Chiefs at +13 points and a -950 moneyline. Without Mahomes or Gardner Minshew, the sportsbooks believe that KC has no shot at winning.

The Lions have seen their odds increase from -135 to -270 along with the spread going up from -2.5 points to -6 points.

The largest Total of the day comes in the Washington vs. Dallas game. It jumped up from an opening of 48.5 total points to an O/U of 50.5 points.

Need some Christmas Day NFL picks wrapped under your tree? Then check out our best handicappers and celebrate more than just the holiday; celebrate your winnings, as well.

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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

The Dallas Cowboys and Washington Commanders have both been disappointments this season. For the Commanders, they’ve gone from the NFC Championship last year to one of the worst teams in the NFL. At 4-11, the Commanders don’t even have a shot at the Top 5 in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Dallas was doomed by their defense for a second straight year. The offense is one of the best in the NFL, especially their passing attack. Unfortunately, their defense couldn’t stop anyone.

These two teams have played against each other 131 times and Dallas owns a massive lead in this rivalry with an 80-49-2 record.

Furthermore, the Cowboys have already defeated Washington this season. They beat the Commanders 44-22 on October 19. And, this was with Jayden Daniels in the lineup.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Washington Commanders Predictions

I see the Dallas Cowboys going into Washington and defeating the Commanders. Sure, the Eagles almost fell victim to the Commanders in a trap game as they looked ahead to the Buffalo Bills. However, Dallas has nothing to look forward to other than padding their individual stats and shooting for player bonuses.

So, that means this Dallas team will go out there and put up numbers offensively. They will also give up big numbers defensively. Fortunately, Washington’s defense is almost as bad as the Cowboys’ defense. That bodes will for Dak Prescott and company.

Washington gives up the 4^th most rushing yards at 141.0 ypg. They also give up the 7^th most passing yards at 241.7 ypg. The Cowboys have the no.1 passing attack in the NFL that averages 274.3 ypg. Prescott, Pickens and Lamb should have big games on Christmas.

I’m taking Dallas to win this game outright as they’ve gone 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS in their last five games against the Commanders. Additionally, Dallas is 9-3 SU in their last trips to Washington.

I also like Dallas to win by at least a touchdown. They’ve gone 4-1 ATS in their last five NFC East games, while Washington is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games and 1-8 ATS in their last nine NFC games.

Lastly, take the Over as I don’t see either defense slowing down the opposing offense. The Over is 5-2 in the last seven Washington games and 4-1 in the last five head-to-head meetings.  

Bet: Dallas Cowboys -320, Cowboys -6.5 (-110), U 50.5 (-110).

Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings Odds

Don’t look now, but the Minnesota Vikings have won three games in a row and sit at 7-8 on the season. They keep on winning despite already being eliminated from the Playoffs. This is a testament to the character of the team and the coaches.

The Detroit Lions are 8-7 and most likely going to miss the Playoffs. A loss will eliminate them but a win will keep their small Playoff hopes alive. The Lions have dropped three of their last four games.

These two teams have played against each other already and the Vikings upset the Lions 27-24 back in November.

Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings Predictions

With the way that these two teams have been playing over the last month, I would’ve said take the Vikings to cover the spread. However, there’s a good chance that JJ McCarthy doesn’t suit up on Christmas due to a hand injury that he suffered against the Giants last weekend.

If he doesn’t play, then the Vikings have no shot at winning. If he does play, then I think Minnesota will keep the game close and try to steal a victory at the end of the contest.

With that said, I am taking the Lions to win as they’ve gone 5-1 in their last six games against Minnesota. Additionally, the Lions are 11-4 SU in their last 15 road games and 15-5 SU in their last 20 NFC North matchups. Minnesota is 5-11 SU in their last 16 Thursday games.

I see the Lions taking advantage of Minnesota’s 24^th ranked rush defense (127.6 ypg) and leaning on their explosive ground game with Gibbs and Montgomery. That should open up their play-action passing, which is huge considering that Minnesota has the no.3 pass defense at just 169.2 ypg.

Without McCarthy, or even a healthy JJ, this offense struggles mightily. So, take the Lions in a crucial matchup. I would skip the spread and total for this game until you see if McCarthy plays. If he does, then take Minnesota to cover the 6 points. Skip the Total since neither offense can be relied upon right now.

Bet: Detroit Lions -270, Spread (pass), Total (pass) 

Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs Odds

These two teams have played against each other 131 times and it’s the Kansas City Chiefs that hold a sizable lead in this rivalry with a 73-58 series record. However, the Denver Broncos have won three of the last four head-to-head meetings including two in a row.

Denver already defeated Kansas City last month. Without Patrick Mahomes, and relying on their third string QB, the Chiefs are a shell of their former selves. They’ve lost four games in a row, while the Broncos just had their 11-game winning streak snapped by the Jaguars.

I see a highly motivated Broncos team take the field on Christmas and a hopeless Chiefs team that has lost the Christmas spirit and won’t make the Playoffs for the first time in a decade.

Denver Broncos vs. Kansas City Chiefs Betting Trends

Tennessee crushed the Chiefs last weekend as KC was forced to go with a third-string QB after backup QB Minshew suffered a knee injury. Add in the fact that KC has already been eliminated from the Playoffs on the same day that they lost Mahomes to a torn ACL, and you got a team that doesn’t even have the ability to play spoiler on Christmas.

Denver is 11-1 SU in their last 13 games and 5-0 SU in their last five road games. Kansas City is 1-6 SU in their last seven games and 1-8 ATS in their last nine AFC West games.

It’s hard to see a wounded Chiefs team after they established themselves as the NFL’s recent dynasty. Yet, every dynasty must come to an end at some point. The question and concerns now turn towards whether or not KC can bounce back next year, if Kelce will retire, and if the Chiefs can add more talent on offense.

As for this week’s game, the Broncos should pull away and win by a comfortable margin. Denver has one of the best defenses in the NFL and the Chiefs will struggle to move the ball on them with their third-string quarterback and no consistent running game.

I expect a spirited effort from KC’s defense for the first half but they will break in the second half after Denver dominates the Chiefs’ offense. Take Denver to win and cover the spread. Skip the Total due to KC’s offense.

Bet: Denver Broncos -950, Broncos -13 (-110), Total (pass)

NFL Christmas Day Prop Bets

Let’s take a look at some of the best Player props and Game prop bets for these Christmas Day games:

Dak Prescott Passing Yards

• Over 273.5 yards (-110)
• Under 273.5 yards (-110)

Dak Prescott has had a solid season as he’s averaging 278.3 passing ypg with 28 TDs to 10 INTs. Unfortunately, his strong season hasn’t resulted in wins for Dallas. But he has provided us with a few winning prop bets this year. And, I like that to continue this week, as well.

Prescott will throw for at least 274 yards against a Washington defense that’s giving up 241.5 passing yards per game. Take the Over!

Bet: Over 273.5 yards (-110)

CeeDee Lamb Receiving Yards

• Over 76.5 yards (-110)
• Under 76.5 yards (-110)

CeeDee Lamb is averaging 85.6 ypg in his 12 starts. He’s also averaging nearly nine targets per game, which should equate to at least 77 receiving yards this week. Lamb has gone over this mark eight times this season. He also had three 100-yard performances in a row before last week. Take the Over!

Bet: Over 76.5 yards (-110)

Chris Oladokun Passing Yards

• Over 152.5 yards (-110)
• Under 152.5 yards (-110)

With Mahomes and Minshew out, the Chiefs were forced to go with Chris Oladokun in Tennessee last weekend. He went 11-of-16 for 111 yards and zero TDs or turnovers.

The Broncos allow only 201.4 passing yards per game and have the second highest sack rate in the league. This is bad news for a third-string QB in his first start and an offensive line that’s highly inconsistent against aggressive pass rushes.

Take the Under as I don’t see how Oladokun surpasses 150 yards against a highly motivated Denver Broncos team.

Bet: Under 152.5 yards (-110)

NFL Christmas Best Bets

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

• Denver Broncos (-950)
• Dallas Cowboys (-320)
• Dak Prescott over 273.5 passing yards (-110)

I like Dallas in the morning game on Christmas Day as they have a better team and look like pride matters. Well, at least some pride in hitting player bonuses over the final two weeks. This also means that Prescott should come close to 300 yards against one of the worst pass defenses.

As for the Broncos, they’re still fighting for the no.1 spot in the AFC and they have a chance to demolish their bitter AFC rival. Look for the Broncos to smash KC and then rest their starters for most of the 4^th quarter as they turn their attention towards a Week 18 matchup with the Chargers.

If you put these best NFL Christmas bets into a parlay, then you will win $176.95 for every $100 wagered. That’s almost a 2x ROI for this parlay card.

If this parlay card interests you, then you can also check out our best NFL parlays of the week. Additionally, we have weekly College Football parlays, as well. 

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.