Why not stuff your stocking with some NFL action on Christmas Day? That’s right; move over NBA. We have 2 NFL games on the schedule, starting with Kansas City visiting Pittsburgh before Houston hosts Baltimore. The latter is an especially crucial contest for the Ravens, who are trying to overtake the Steelers for first place in the AFC North. The Texans have already clinched the AFC South. Here is my Ravens vs Texans Same Game Parlay for the festivities, which get underway at 4:30 pm ET on Netflix. Also, be sure to check out our full Ravens vs Texans predictions.
Part of the value in a Same Game Parlay, of course, is that all of its components can be correlated if you so choose. That is some of the plan here, as Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews finding the endzone would obviously work well with a win and cover by the Ravens. At the same time, plays that aren’t correlated drive up the overall payout of the parlay. That is the case with backing Houston running back Joe Mixon to rack up a decent chunk of receiving yards. But even if he does, there is no reason why the visitors can’t take care of business. Let’s break down each of the 3 legs.
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Houston has locked up its division and is unlike to improve on its current seeding (#4), so motivation could be a factor on Wednesday. It’s a much different story for Baltimore, which needs a win in the worst way since it has the same record as Pittsburgh but doesn’t own the tiebreaker. Moreover, the Texans have not played very well throughout the second half of the season and they just lost Tank Dell for the year – again – because of another nasty knee injury. Baltimore, on the other hand, is one of the healthiest teams in the league.
It’s also worthing noting that head coach John Harbaugh’s club took care of Houston twice last season (once in the wild-card round) by a combined score of 59-19. The Ravens have also had a successful history against the Texans, beating them twice last season (once in the Wild Card round) by a combined score of 59-19. Especially with Dell sidelined, I am definitely inclined to roll the dice with Lamar Jackson to a greater extent than C.J. Stroud right now. Give me an inspired Baltimore outfit to get the job done and have a very merry Christmas.
Find out our best Ravens vs Texans player prop bet for their NFL Christmas Day matchup
Andrews has been a touchdown machine of late, just as he has been pretty much his entire career since being drafted by the Ravens in 2018. The Oklahoma product has scored in 4 consecutive contests and all 9 of his TDs this season have come in the last 10 games. When Baltimore gets in the red zone, Jackson makes sure to look in his most reliable pass catcher’s direction. The Ravens now face a Houston defense that has surrendered the most passing touchdowns in the entire NFL (28, tied with the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers). Andrews has every reason to find the end zone again on Christmas Day.
Check out our Kansas City Chiefs vs Pittsburgh Steelers predictions for the other Christmas Day game
This is also a favorable matchup for Mixon, at least in terms of his potential production in the passing game. Against opposing RBs the Ravens have allowed the third-most receiving yards, eighth-most receptions, fourth-most targets and tied for the fifth-most receiving TDs. Mixon should be able to capitalize on this opportunity. The former Oklahoma standout has made at least 4 catches in 3 of the last 4 games and has surpassed this 18.5 quota in 4 of the last 6, missing it on the hook once during this stretch. He has gained at least 19 receiving yards in 8 of 12 contest during the 2024 campaign.
Lock in our best Chiefs vs Steelers player prop bet, targeting Patrick Mahomes
