NFL Christmas Schedule 2017: Start Times, Live Stream Info For Steelers, Eagles

A couple of the top Super Bowl contenders will play on the 2017 NFL Christmas schedule. With the playoff picture shaping up, they’ve got a chance to earn home-field advantage until the 2018 Super Bowl.

It all starts at 4:30 p.m. EST when the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Houston Texans on NBC. The AFC contest can also be seen with a live stream online by using NBC Sports Live Extra. The Philadelphia Eagles host the Oakland Raiders at 8:30 p.m. EST in the season’s final “Monday Night Football” game on ESPN and WatchESPN.

Pittsburgh needs a win to keep pace with the New England Patriots in their quest to get the AFC’s No.1 seed. The Steelers were once in the driver’s seat to finish with the conference’s best record, but that changed when they lost to the Patriots at Heinz Field in Week 15.

Philadelphia can clinch the No.1 seed in the NFC with a victory in the final game of Week 16. They have the conference’s best record, and they own the tiebreaker over the Minnesota Vikings, who are also vying for home-field advantage.

Neither team is expected to have much trouble with their opponent. Even without Ryan Shazier and Antonio Brown, the Steelers are 8.5-point road favorites in Houston, per OddsShark. Philadelphia is favored by nine points over the Raiders with Nick Foles under center instead of the injured Carson Wentz.

The Texans and Raiders have been two of the AFC’s most disappointing teams in 2017, though that's happened under very different circumstances. Houston’s season has been plagued by injuries to their best players, and they never had much of a chance to make the playoffs when Deshaun Watson went down for the year. Oakland has simply underachieved after they were expected by many to contend for the Super Bowl.

T.J. Yates will start at quarterback for the Texans against the Steelers. Houston has just one victory in games that haven’t been started by Watson, who was an MVP candidate before getting hurt. Edge rushers J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus have long been done for the season, as well.

Oakland did lose Derek Carr for a game earlier this year, but the quarterback has been under center for the Raiders in every other game. The Raiders were officially eliminated from playoff contention earlier this weekend.