Two games take us through Christmas.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all, and now it’s time to celebrate with some football. After playing last Saturday, four AFC contenders are now set to take the stage on Christmas Day — with a Beyonce half-time show sprinkled in.
Check down below to see Pats Pulpit’s picks tonight and head to the comment section to further discussion Friday night’s action.
Patriots rooting guide
Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers: Go Steelers! A bit of a crazy one for the Patriots draft pick, but a Steelers win will keep the Buffalo Bills hopes for the No. 1 seed alive — leading to them likely playing their starters against New England in Week 18. | 1:00 p.m. ET, Netflix
Baltimore Ravens at Houston Texans: Go Ravens! Beating the Patriots earlier this season, a Texans loss will positively impact New England’s strength of schedule. | 4:30 p.m. ET, Netflix
Game picks
Oliver Thomas: After three games gone due to a hamstring injury, George Pickens is back. And at home, where the Steelers have gone 5-1 this season. Why not end a December losing skid on Christmas Day against the No. 1 seed in the AFC? The Chiefs have shown a tendency to clinch first-round byes in the postseason. They also have shown a tendency to play with their food in the regular season. But as Mike Tomlin once said, “We love being in the kitchen.” | Steelers 27, Chiefs 23
The Ravens have allowed an NFL-low 3.6 yards per carry. And while Joe Mixon has eclipsed the century mark on the ground seven times this season, he has also been held to outings of 57, 46, 25, 23 and 22 yards. Behind an offensive line missing multiple starters, the screen game didn’t work last weekend, either, for the Bobby Slowik, C.J. Stroud and the Texans. The ball has to get out even faster without Tank Dell’s separation. | Ravens 28, Texans 20
Brian Hines: A healthy Hollywood Brown and rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy has brought some juice to Kansas City’s offense. And while it’s still not always pretty, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs have been trending upwards in recent weeks. The same can’t be said for Russell Wilson and the Steelers, who have lost their last two while scoring under 20 points. This could be a sneaky time for them to get back on track at home, but you know the drill by now: we don’t pick against Mahomes. | Chiefs 24, Steelers 20
A change in the usage of star safety Kyle Hamilton has brought the Ravens defense back from the dead. That’s bad news for C.J. Stroud who is now without Tank Dell and was already down Stefon Diggs for the season. Room will also be hard to find for Joe Mixon, who has not been the same after an ankle injury of late, against a Baltimore defense that allows the least amount of rush yards per game (83.1). | Ravens 30, Texans 23
If you’re looking to make your own pick on the game, head over to FanDuel.