Week 17 Chiefs vs. Steelers prediction and fantasy outlook for Christmas Day game feat. George Pickens, Travis Kelce

It's Christmas Day and the NFL has a special treat for us. The day kicks off with Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs facing off against the Pittsburgh Steelers. While the Chiefs are on the verge of securing the No. 1 seed in the AFC, the Steelers are holding strong in third place, with the Houston Texans, who play later tonight, close behind.

The Chiefs bring some extra excitement to the game with the return of marquee free agency addition Hollywood Brown. So, without further ado, here's our prediction for the Chiefs vs. Steelers game this afternoon.

---

Kansas City Chiefs vs Pittsburgh Steelers prediction

The Chiefs don't quite look like themselves this year, but let's not forget this is the same team that powered its way to a third Super Bowl in five years. With the addition of DeAndre Hopkins and Hollywood Brown, Andy Reid has more weapons to rely on as playoff time approaches.

Patrick Mahomes' high-ankle sprain isn't expected to be a problem, especially after facing one of the league's best pass rushes last week. Nevertheless, Mahomes will need to be on high alert as he faces T.J. Watt on Christmas Day.

All things considered, we're favoring the Chiefs this week based on form. Mahomes seems to play his best when battling through an injury, so expect him to shine, particularly targeting Xavier Worthy, who ran the most routes after Travis Kelce last week.

Sportskeeda's NFL Playoff Predictor has this game running close, predicting a 16-15 win for the reigning Super Bowl champions.

---

Chiefs vs Steelers Fantasy Outlook

George Pickens and Xavier Worthy are our straight-up picks for this afternoon. Pickens will feature for the first time in three seasons, and the Steelers have really struggled without their primary playmaker over the last few weeks. With Russell Wilson and Pickens on the field, the Steelers average 23.6 PPG and 389.7 yards per game, with 255 of those being air yards.

On the Chiefs' side, expect Mahomes to take some targets away from Travis Kelce to integrate Hollywood Brown back into the offense as they prepare for the playoffs. Kelce has 89 catches on the season, so he is on pace to surpass his total from last year.

Don't expect the Chiefs' running backs to rack up many yards against the Steelers' run defense, especially with DeShon Elliott back in action.

---

Where to watch Chiefs vs Texans live today

Both NFL Christmas Day games will air live on Netflix today. The Chiefs-Texans game will kick off live at 1 PM from Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Netflix has not officially announced a halftime show for the game, but Beyoncé will be performing at halftime during the Ravens-Texans game later that night.