Despite being the visiting team on Wednesday, the Kansas City Chiefs are favored by 2.5 points over the Pittsburgh Steelers in their Week 17 matchup at Acrisure Stadium on Christmas Day (December 25).
After receiving $150 million in their stocking last year from Netflix, the National Football League, in turn, gifted the broadcast partner the rights to multiple games on Christmas over the next two NFL seasons. That forces a few NFL franchises to play on a rare mid-week point, which is cause for plenty of controversy given the physical demands of the game.
That said, no one is going to feel sad for the Chiefs as the reigning champs and holders of a 14-1 record—and that includes the Steelers.
The Chiefs face potential challenges in their game against Pittsburgh, most notably the uncertain status of star defensive tackle Chris Jones. As the engine in Steve Spagnuolo's defense, Jones is vital to the Chiefs' success—every bit as much as Patrick Mahomes or Andy Reid. Jones sustained a Grade 1 calf strain during the Week 16 victory over the Houston Texans.
The Steelers enter the game at 10-5 and an outside chance to win the division out from under the Baltimore Ravens in the right scenario. That means beating the Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals next week, however, and they just lost their second of two games against Baltimore in Week 16. It will be interesting to see how much fight they put up knowing their ticket to the postseason is already punched at least.
The over/under for the Chiefs at Steelers game is set at 43.5 points. The moneyline for the Chiefs is set at -134 while the Steelers are now at +114.
The Chiefs and Steelers will take the field at noon C.T. on December 25.