Dec 23, 2024, 12:00 PM ET
The penultimate week of the 2024 NFL regular season has finally arrived. With a number of playoff spots already locked up, seeding and the 2025 NFL draft order is still yet to be finalized. The week kicks off with a Christmas Day doubleheader. Russell Wilson and the Pittsburgh Steelers head to GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium to take on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in the early game, while Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens welcome C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans in the late afternoon game.
The final “Thursday Night Football” game of the season pits Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears while Saturday features a triple header of NFL action. The Los Angeles Chargers travel to Foxborough to battle the New England Patriots in the first game of the day. Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos play Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals in a game with playoff implications for both teams and Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams meet Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium on Saturday night.
On Sunday, an NFC North battle is highlight in the early afternoon slate as the Green Bay Packers face the Minnesota Vikings. Meanwhile in the late afternoon window, the Philadelphia Eagles are double-digit favorites over the Dallas Cowboys. Sunday Night Football features a rookie QB showcase as Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons faces off against rookie of the year favorite Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders.
And in the final Monday Night Football game of the year, the current No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Detroit Lions face the upset-minded San Francisco 49ers.
Our team takes an early look at the odds to find value before lines move later in the week.
All odds are accurate as of time stamp. For the latest odds go to ESPN BET.
Tyler Fulghum’s first bet: Denver Broncos (+3.5) at Cincinnati Bengals
Last week: Steelers-Ravens under 46.5. Total closed at 45.5. Ravens won 34-17.
Now is the time to jump on the Broncos’ side if you like Denver. At 9-6, the Broncos desperately need this game to stay in contention for an AFC wild card spot. Cincinnati has an explosive offense, but their defense is certainly one that Sean Payton and Bo Nix can exploit. Jump on this while the hook is still attached to the Broncos side. It could be very valuable by the time we get to kickoff.
Andre Snellings: Kansas City Chiefs–Pittsburgh Steelers UNDER 42.5 points.
Last week: Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5) over Washington Commanders.
Snellings: Defense is the dominant side of the ball for both teams. The Chiefs allow the third-fewest points in the NFL (18.5 PPG allowed) while the Steelers are tied for the sixth-fewest (19.9 PPG allowed). The Steelers’ defense can be vulnerable to high-powered attacks (allowing an average of 35.0 PPG in their last three games against top-7 offenses: the Ravens, Eagles and Bengals), but are otherwise stifling (18.1 PPG allowed in other seven of 10 most recent games). The Chiefs’ offense is no longer elite, and their defense has gotten even stingier of late: 15.0 PPG allowed in the last four outings. This is a midweek game, and both teams are dealing with lingering injury issues to key offensive personnel, so I see this one as a defensive slugfest.
Pamela Maldonado: Seattle Seahawks–Chicago Bears, First Half UNDER 20.5 points
Last week: Notre Dame (+150) to reach the CFP semifinal
The Bears have been downright anemic early in games, failing to score a single point in the first quarter across their last four games and enduring a first-half shutout in three of those matchups. That’s not a slump; that’s a pattern. Chicago’s offense is posting just 4.3 points per first quarter this season, a dismal 31st in the league, and their first-half average of 12 points barely lifts them to 28th. This is a team that struggles to find its rhythm until well after halftime, and that’s music to the ears of UNDER bettors. Factor in Seattle’s often methodical, clock-controlling style, and this game has all the makings of a low-scoring grind early on.
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