A Guide to Legally Betting on NFL Christmas Day Games
The NFL Christmas Day games have become a holiday tradition, offering fans thrilling betting opportunities while they open gifts and spend time with family. In 2025, the NFL is delivering a tripleheader on December 25th, featuring high-profile matchups with potential playoff implications.
Whether you're a seasoned bettor or new to the game, this guide will help you navigate the legal landscape of betting on NFL Christmas games in the United States. From the best NFL sportsbooks to the types of bets available, we’ve got you covered for a festive and profitable betting experience.
Learn how to place legal bets, find the best odds, and take advantage of exclusive promotions for the 2025 Christmas NFL slate.
Best NFL Betting Sites for Christmas Day Games
Choosing the right sportsbook is key to an outstanding betting experience. Below are some of the top legal NFL betting sites for 2025, offering competitive odds, generous bonuses, and a wide range of betting options for Christmas Day games.
| Rank | Site | Bonus | Age | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | 50% Max $1,000 | 18+ | Visit Site Review |
| 2 |  | 125% Max $3,125 | 18+ | Visit Site Review |
| 3 |  | 50% Max $1,000 | 21+ | Visit Site |
| 4 |  | 50% Max $250 | 18+ | Visit Site |
| 5 |  | 50% Max $200 | 21+ | Visit Site |
| 6 |  | 50% Max $250 | 18+ | Visit Site |
Why Choose These Sites?
The brands that you see here are the same ones that we use to place legal NFL bets online. We’ve been using most of these best-reviewed online sportsbooks for years, but some have come along recently, while others have been removed from the list due to poor service.
We update our list of recommended NFL betting sites frequently so that readers can find the best options available to them in their state. These findings are almost entirely based on personal experience, but we also weigh the opinions of outside parties and reviews.
NFL Christmas Day Odds
Here are the opening odds for the 2025 NFL Christmas Day games, courtesy of BetUS
Types of Bets for NFL Christmas Games
The league’s Christmas Day games offer a variety of NFL bet types to enhance the holiday excitement. Here are the most popular bet types available:
Point Spread
Bet on a team to win by a set margin or lose by less than the margin. For example, if the Chiefs are -4.5 against the Broncos, they must win by 5 or more points to cover the spread. Underdogs must lose by less than the spread to cover.
Moneyline
Bet on which team will win outright. For example, Chiefs (-198) vs. Broncos (+164) means a $198 bet on the Chiefs wins $100, while a $100 bet on the Broncos wins $164 if they win.
Over/Under (Totals)
Bet on whether the combined score of both teams will be over or under a set number. For example, a total of 44.5 points allows you to wager on whether the final tally will be over 45 or under 44 points.
Prop Bets
Gamble on specific events within the game, such as player performance (e.g., Patrick Mahomes over 255.5 passing yards) or unique props like halftime show performer appearances.
Live Betting
Parlays
Where Can I Legally Bet on NFL Christmas Games?
Betting on NFL Christmas Day games is legal in every state across the USA. As of 2025, 39 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized state-regulated sports betting. There are also offshore sportsbooks that are legal and regulated internationally, accepting US bettors from all 50 states.
Sportsbooks that are based in other countries are unaffected by US gambling laws at the state and federal levels. This means you can bet on NFL odds online with an offshore sportsbook site without breaking any local or national laws.
The History Of NFL Games On December 25th
Before 1970, NFL seasons typically ended mid-December, naturally avoiding Christmas Day games. Championship games were moved to December 26th if Christmas conflicted. Back then, the Super Bowl was played early to mid-January.
In 1971, the first NFL games on Christmas Day were played, both part of the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs:
- 1971: The Dallas Cowboys defeated the Minnesota Vikings 20-12.
- 1971: The Miami Dolphins defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 in double overtime, the longest game in NFL history at 82 minutes and 40 seconds.
Public backlash to the lengthy Dolphins-Chiefs game led to no Christmas games for 17 years. Between 1972 and 1988, the league avoided Christmas Day games, adjusting schedules to play around the holiday. In 1989, the NFL resumed Christmas games with a Monday Night Football game.
- 1989: The Minnesota Vikings defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 29-21.
From 1990 to 1999, there were occasional regular-season games when Christmas fell on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday.
- 1993: The Houston Oilers defeated the San Francisco 49ers 10-7.
- 1994: The Miami Dolphins defeated the Detroit Lions 27-20.
- 1995: Dallas Cowboys defeated the Arizona Cardinals 37-13. Emmitt Smith set the single-season rushing TD record with his 25th touchdown during this game.
- 1999: Denver Broncos defeated the Detroit Lions 17-7.
From 2000 to 2019, Christmas games became more regular, especially when the holiday aligned with typical game days.
- 2000: The Tennessee Titans defeated the Dallas Cowboys 31-0.
- 2004: The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Oakland Raiders 31-30
- 2004: The Denver Broncos defeated the Tennessee Titans 37-16.
- 2005: The Chicago Bears defeated the Green Bay Packers 24-17
- 2005: The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Minnesota Vikings 30-23.
- 2006: The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys 23-7
- 2006: The New York Jets defeated the Miami Dolphins 13-10.
- 2009: The San Diego Chargers defeated the Tennessee Titans 42-17
- 2010: The Arizona Cardinals defeated the Dallas Cowboys 27-26.
- 2011: The Green Bay Packers defeated the Chicago Bears 35-21.
- 2016: The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens 31-27
- 2016: The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Denver Broncos 33-10.
- 2017: The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Houston Texans 34-6
- 2017: The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Oakland Raiders 19-10.
Starting in 2020, the league began featuring games on December 25th, regardless of the day of the week. In 2022, Christmas Day featured its first NFL tripleheader.
- 2020: The New Orleans Saints defeated the Minnesota Vikings 52-33 (Friday game).
- 2021: The Green Bay Packers defeated the Cleveland Browns 24-22
- 2021: The Indianapolis Colts defeated the Arizona Cardinals 22-16.
- 2022: The Green Bay Packers defeated the Miami Dolphins 26-20
- 2022: The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Denver Broncos 51-14
- 2022: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Arizona Cardinals 19-16.
- 2023: The Las Vegas Raiders defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 20-14
- 2023: The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New York Giants 33-25
- 2023: The Baltimore Ravens defeated the San Francisco 49ers 33-19.
- 2024: The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-10
- 2024: The Baltimore Ravens defeated the Houston Texans 31-2