The United States will look to defend its title when the world junior hockey championship begins on Thursday in Ottawa.

The Americans are bringing 10 players from that championship team to this year’s tournament, which features the world’s best under-20 players, including drafted and draft-eligible NHL prospects.

The 25-player U.S. team (14 forwards, eight defenseman and three goaltenders) features six NHL first-round picks, eight second-round picks and eight others drafted in other rounds. Twenty-two of the players are on college hockey teams.

The USA is in Group A with Canada, Finland, Germany and Latvia. Group B features Czechia, Kazakhstan, Slovakia, Sweden and Switzerland.

Here’s what to know about the Dec. 26-Jan. 5 world junior championships:

How can I watch the world junior championships?

The games will be aired on NHL Network in the United States and on TSN in Canada.

World junior championships Team USA roster

Goaltenders

Number, player, team

*-played on last year’s team

1 Trey Augustine, Michigan State*

30 Hampton Slukynsky, Western Michigan

31 Sam Hillebrandt, Barrie Colts*

Defensemen

Number, player, team

3 Logan Hensler, Wisconsin

4 Colin Ralph, St. Cloud State

5 Drew Fortescue, Boston College*

6 Adam Kleber, Minnesota Duluth

14 Aram Minnetian, Boston College*

16 Paul Fischer, Notre Dame

24 Cole Hutson, Boston University

28 Zeev Buium, University of Denver*

Forwards

Number, player, team

2 Teddy Stiga, Boston College

8 Brandon Svoboda, Boston University

9 Ryan Leonard, Boston College*

10 Carey Terrance, Erie Otters*

11 Oliver Moore, University of Minnesota*

12 James Hagens, Boston College

17 Danny Nelson, Notre Dame*

19 Trevor Connelly, Providence College

20 Joey Willis, Saginaw Spirit

22 Max Plante, Minnesota Duluth

23 Austin Burnevik, St. Cloud State

34 Gabe Perreault, Boston College*

74 Brodie Ziemer, University of Minnesota

91 Cole Eiserman, Boston University

2025 draft eligible players to watch

Team USA’s James Hagens was listed among Central Scouting’s early season top prospects to watch. He has 20 points in 16 games and is expected to play with Boston College linemates Ryan Leonard and Gabe Perreault.

Other A-rated skaters at this tournament include USA defenseman Logan Hensler, Canada forward Porter Martone and Canada defenseman Matthew Schaeffer.

Forward Victor Eklund, brother of the San Jose Sharks’ William Eklund, will play for Sweden.

World junior championships schedule

All times p.m. ET

Dec. 26

Sweden vs. Slovakia, noon, NHLN, TSN
Germany vs. United States, 2:30, NHLN, TSN
Switzerland vs. Czechia, 5, NHLN, TSN
Canada vs. Finland, 7:30; NHLN, TSN

Dec. 27

Slovakia vs. Switzerland, 1, NHLN, TSN
Finland vs. Germany, 3:30; NHLN, TSN4
Kazakhstan vs. Sweden, 5; TSN, NHLN will air at 11
Canada vs. Latvia, 7:30, NHLN, TSN

Dec. 28

Czechia vs. Kazakhstan, 1, NHLN, TSN
United States vs. Latvia, 3:30, NHLN, TSN

Dec. 29

Sweden vs. Switzerland, noon, NHLN, TSN
Finland vs. United States, 2:30, NHLN, TSN4
Slovakia vs. Czechia, 5 ET, NHLN, TSN
Germany vs. Canada, 7:30, NHLN, TSN

Dec. 30

Kazakhstan vs. Slovakia, 1 ET, NHLN, TSN
Latvia vs. Germany, 3:30, NHLN, TSN

Dec. 31

Switzerland vs. Kazakhstan, noon, NHLN, TSN
Latvia vs. Finland, 2:30, TSN4. NHLN will air at 3:30 on Jan. 1
Czechia vs. Sweden, 5, NHLN, TSN
United States vs. Canada, 8, NHLN, TSN

Jan. 2

Quarterfinal 1, noon, NHLN, TSN
Quarterfinal 2, 2:30, NHLN, TSN3, TSN4, TSN5
Quarterfinal 3, 5, NHLN, TSN
Quarterfinal 4, 7:30, NHLN, TSN

Jan. 4

Semifinal 1 3:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN
Semifinal 2 7:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, TSN

Jan. 5

Third-place game, 3:30, NHLN, TSN
Championship game, 7:30, NHLN, TSN

This story has been updated to add new information.

The ‘Thursday Night Football’ schedule has been terrific all season long, and Week 17 brings an NFC showdown for the final installment in 2024.

The Chicago Bears (4-11) will host the Seattle Seahawks (8-7) at Soldier Field for an intriguing matchup on Boxing Day.

The visiting Seahawks are coming off a disappointing home loss to the Minnesota Vikings and need a win to keep pace with the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West title race. Seattle has dropped two in a row another loss could eliminate them from playoff contention. 

Here’s how the playoff scenarios break down for Seattle:

If the Rams win and the Seahawks lose or tie the Bears, they are eliminated from contention.
If the Rams tie and the Seahawks lose, the Rams clinch the division.
If the Rams lose on Saturday and the Seahawks win on Thursday, a winner-take-all Week 18 game would be held at SoFi Stadium.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Meanwhile, Chicago has lost nine in a row and is attempting to navigate the close of a season in which the team fired its head coach and offensive coordinator.

Here’s everything to know about the ‘Thursday Night Football’ matchup for Week 17:

Where to watch Bears vs. Seahawks game today

Location: Chicago, Illinois
Venue: Soldier Field
Date: Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024 
Time: 8:15 p.m. ET 
Game: Bears vs. Seahawks

What channel is Bears vs. Seahawks?

TV channel (Local): Chicago: FOX 32 | Seattle: Seattle KING – 5 NBC

Only viewers in local markets can catch the game on TV, as the game will be live streamed on Amazon Prime Video.

Bears vs. Seahawks live stream free

Live stream: Amazon Prime Video 

‘Thursday Night Football’ will exclusively stream on Amazon Prime Video. 

Watch’TNF’with a Prime Video subscription

Bears vs. Seahawks predictions

Seahawks 24, Bears 20

Seattle is 5-1 on the road this season.

The Seahawks have their backs against the wall and will play with a sense of desperation with their playoff hopes hanging in the balance.

Meanwhile, the Bears have been outscored 102-42 over their last three matchups. Bears QB Caleb Williams could be running for his life often with two starting offensive linemen likely out on Thursday night. Williams is navigating an incredibly difficult season in which his head coach and offensive coordinator were fired, and now his blockers are extremely banged up. The rookie has been sacked a league-high 60 times.

The Bears are down left tackle Braxton Jones and guard Tevin Jenkins on Thursday night. Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams is having a career year and could make a major impact.

The Bears defense has struggled tremendously to slow down opposing passing games. They are allowing the second-highest yards per attempt (7.9). Seattle’s offense has tremendous players at the skilled positions headlined by DK Metcalf and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The dynamic duo will dominate this secondary.

Over the last six games, Chicago ranks 30th in opponent success rate and EPA per play allowed. The Seahawks rank third in EPA per play allowed and 11th in success rate allowed during this span. The Bears have allowed 179 total yards per game and seven touchdowns to opposing running backs in their last five games. Seattle should control this game from beginning to end.

Bears vs. Seahawks odds

The Seahawks are favorites to defeat the Bears, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Not interested in this game? Check out expert picks and best bets for every NFL game this week. 

Spread: Seahawks (-3.5) 
Moneyline: Seahawks (-190); Bears (+160) 
Over/under: 43.5

Our guide to NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered with Thursday Night Football odds and Monday Night Football odds. 

New to sports betting? USA TODAY readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with the best online sportsbooks and sports betting sites. 

FEELING LUCKY? Here are the best parlay bets and odds for NFL games this week 

Bears vs. Seahawks play-by-play

You can follow the Bears vs. Seahawks play-by-play here.

NFL playoff picture

Here’s how the AFC and NFC stack up entering Week 17:

AFC

Kansas City Chiefs (14-1, AFC West winners)*
Buffalo Bills (12-3, AFC East winners)*
Pittsburgh Steelers (10-5, AFC North leaders)*
Houston Texans (9-6, AFC South winners)*
Baltimore Ravens (10-5, wild card No. 1)*
Los Angeles Chargers (9-6, wild card No. 3)
Denver Broncos (9-6, wild card No. 2)

In the hunt: Indianapolis Colts (7-8), Miami Dolphins (7-8), Cincinnati Bengals (7-8).

NFC

Detroit Lions (13-2, NFC North leaders)*
Philadelphia Eagles (12-3, NFC East leaders)*
Los Angeles Rams (9-6, NFC West leaders)
Atlanta Falcons (8-7, NFC South leaders)
Minnesota Vikings (13-2, wild card No. 1)*
Green Bay Packers (11-4, wild card No. 2)
Washington Commanders (10-5, wild card No. 3)

In the hunt: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7), Seattle Seahawks (8-7)

An asterisk (*) denotes teams that have clinched a playoff spot. Teams that have clinched division titles are noted accordingly.

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Was the NFL’s latest attempt to claim ownership of the Christmas sporting space the kind of present worthy of a spot under the tree? Depends what was on your list.

There’s little question that all four teams that played Wednesday were deserving of the holiday scheduling slot, with each headed to the playoffs next month. And the games were plenty consequential, with the Kansas City Chiefs clinching the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoffs thanks to a 29-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, which allowed the Baltimore Ravens to seize control over the AFC North with a 31-2 victory over the Houston Texans. But with neither game ending up particularly close – and the same foursome playing just four days earlier, albeit in different matchups – any viewer would be justified in feeling as though they had been regifted something that should have been a White Elephant present.

Still, there’s no denying that there was substantial fallout from the doubleheader. Here are the winners and losers of the NFL Christmas slate:

WINNERS

Travis Kelce

He surpassed 1,000 career receptions Wednesday, joining Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten as the only tight ends to ever hit that benchmark. Kelce also caught his 77th career TD pass, breaking a tie with Gonzalez as the Chiefs’ all-time leader in that department. Kelce paid tribute to his Hall of Fame forebear by dunking the ball over the goalpost following the score, a celebration that draws a flag nowadays but didn’t when Gonzalez played for K.C.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

The Eagles (no, not Philadelphia)

Could Ian and Noah Eagle become the Mannings of the broadcast booth? Perhaps premature, but the father and son play-by-play voices (Ian was in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, Noah at Houston) are unfailingly smooth, informative and generally keep the spotlight where it belongs – whether on the field or when teeing up their analysts. Like Archie Manning, Ian Eagle, 55, is probably never going to work a Super Bowl as his profession’s version of QB1, but it feels like he’s getting some belated appreciation later in his career. However don’t be surprised if Noah Eagle, 28, continues to get plum assignments, and he might just rise to the top of the profession as some of the NFL’s older leading men on the mic cycle out.

Beyoncé and Mariah Carey

Not that they needed it, but two of the world’s most recognizable female entertainers got some heavy exposure on Wednesday’s afternoon-long presentation. Carey’s pre-produced rendition of her hit ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You’ ran prior to kickoff of both games. Beyoncé put on quite a show at halftime in Houston, her hometown – with quite a mix of her musical catalog and some appearances by some other heavy hitters – and basically provided the only thing Texans had to cheer all day.

Xavier Worthy

Wednesday marked the fourth consecutive game that the Chiefs’ rookie receiver set a new high for receptions, this time hauling in eight catches for 79 yards – also a personal best – and a touchdown. With nine scores on the year, the NFL’s fastest man – at least if you go by his record 4.21-second 40-yard dash at this year’s NFL scouting combine – is now tied with Jacksonville Jaguars receiver Brian Thomas Jr. for the most among first-year players. After initially struggling to adapt to the pro game and establish himself in a shifting receiving corps, Worthy now has emerged as a key weapon on quick hits for an offense navigating significant protection problems, especially with Hollywood Brown’s return helping further clarify his role. He did land on the naughty list, though, for capping off a holiday-themed touchdown celebration by appearing to mimic showing a holstered gun, earning him an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Ravens defense

They reclaimed the AFC North lead Saturday – before whacking the Texans – and have clearly re-emerged as Super Bowl threats after a bumpy midseason stretch. Yet while so much of the attention around this team is focused on QB Lamar Jackson and RB Derrick Henry, the team’s 2024 resurgence has largely coincided with a defensive rebound. Since its Week 14 bye, Baltimore has allowed 33 points – which was more typical of a single game earlier in the season. But rookie DC Zach Orr has his unit on track, in large part thanks to multi-talented S Kyle Hamilton exerting his various talents of late and a pass rush being led by veteran LB Kyle Van Noy. It’s starting to look like this team could actually survive a playoff game even if Jackson and Henry aren’t dominating.

Denver Broncos

It couldn’t have been easy for Broncos fans to cheer on their rival, especially when a win secured such a favorable playoff setup for Kansas City. But the outcome opens up the possibility – or perhaps likelihood – that the Chiefs will be resting their most significant contributors for the regular-season finale against Denver. Sean Payton and Co. would obviously prefer to end the NFL’s second-longest active playoff drought on Saturday by beating the Cincinnati Bengals. But the Broncos can rest a bit easier knowing the Chiefs won’t have anything to play for and might be opting for some R&R.

Netflix

The pregame scrutiny ahead of the streaming service’s regular-season NFL debut was certainly high – largely due to some notable hiccups during last month’s Jake Paul-Mike Tyson ‘fight.’ But Wednesday’s productions seemed to basically go off almost without a hitch. Should be interesting now to ponder Netflix’s future involvement with the NFL given how the breadcrumbs seem to point to some kind of annual Christmas broadcast package.

J.J. Watt

It’s generally almost better to retire a year too early than a year too late. And while the three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year could probably still be playing meaningful snaps in the league, he’s made a really nice transition to broadcasting – including Saturday’s turn as an in-game analyst, when Watt’s insight, sense of humor and ability to be a team player in a three-man booth all shone.

Lamar Jackson’s MVP campaign

Last year’s Christmas rout of the San Francisco 49ers served as the unofficial coronation of his second MVP campaign. While Jackson isn’t the runaway favorite now, this game could end up being an inflection point for the award. After Derrick Henry led the way early, Jackson tossed two touchdowns and ran for another by outracing the entire Texans defense. Josh Allen, meanwhile, won’t have meaningful matchups in the final two weeks, leaving Jackson – who on Wednesday became the NFL’s career leader in rushing yards by a quarterback – as the one with late-season sizzle. And with the Ravens moving atop the AFC North – and the chance to clinch next week – as perhaps the team in the conference no one wants to face, Jackson’s case for a repeat is gaining some serious steam.

NFL fans

For those who can’t be with their families, have too much time with families, just can’t get enough pro football – and perhaps with fantasy football championship implications at stake, particularly given the caliber of players in action Wednesday – and/or simply can’t get invested in NBA games this early in their season, then the flag the NFL has apparently planted on Christmas is a very welcome development that seems destined to continue in perpetuity considering the league is now willing to manipulate its schedule to accommodate Wednesday games.

LOSERS

NFL players

The Steelers, Texans, Chiefs and Ravens have all played three games in 11 days in order for the NFL to shoehorn Wednesday football into its schedule. And while that might be a win for ravenous football viewers, it’s most certainly not for those between the lines – and also runs counter to the narrative the league so often cites regarding the importance of player safety. Maybe this proves to just be the rare one-off when Christmas falls on a Wednesday and necessitates this level of schedule doctoring – playing on a Tuesday or Friday would be easier to build into the lineup. But this certainly doesn’t feel like it’s in the best interest of the players, and most certainly not at this late stage of the season – and it’s worth wondering if they’ll be sufficiently recovered even with the 11-day layoff they’ll get before Week 18. (It’s also an especially tough ask of the Chiefs and Ravens, who also played on Christmas last year. Tuesday will be the only day of the week that Kansas City does not have a game during the 2024 season.)

T.J. Watt

In addition to an ankle issue, we also learned on the Netflix stream Wednesday that Pittsburgh’s All-Pro pass rusher is dealing with a bum thumb – which might further explain why he’s been next to invisible in the past two games. Not a good development give how closely the struggling Steelers’ fortunes so often mirror Watt’s.

Netflix

This isn’t so much a criticism, but it must be noted that Wednesday’s success occurred with quite a few guardrails in place – notably Netflix’s ability to borrow so much established NFL broadcast and production talent as well as infrastructure, namely NFL Network’s broadcast studio. If Netflix aspires to do more than just a handful of games per season – i.e. competing with, say, rival Prime Video’s Thursday night package – then it’s still basically untested regarding its ability to pull off this level of coverage with in-house assets.

AFC pretenders

The football world already knows what the Chiefs, in possession of the AFC’s No. 1 seed yet again, are capable of – and certainly when the road to the Super Bowl goes through Arrowhead. But Kansas City’s victory Wednesday was deflating elsewhere for several reasons. The Buffalo Bills lost their shot at home-field advantage throughout. Flawed teams like the Broncos, Steelers, Texans and Los Angeles Chargers must all come to grips with the likelihood that one of them is headed to Kansas City after the Chiefs have effectively had two-plus weeks off. And while the fact that the reigning champs may have nothing to play for in Week 18 when the Broncos come to town – potentially great news for Denver as previously noted – that reality also could very well further undermine the already faint playoff hopes of the Cincinnati Bengals, Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins, all needing a lot of help (including two Denver losses) to get in.

Russell Wilson

It wasn’t the 2022 Christmas debacle, in which the infighting Broncos’ implosion in a 51-14 no-show against the Los Angeles Rams led to first-year head coach Nathaniel Hackett being fired the next day. But this wasn’t the smoothest sleigh ride for Wilson. His first-quarter interception after a Jaylen Warren touchdown was called back was deflating, and he gift-wrapped at least a couple of his five sacks. And even with George Pickens back after missing three games with a hamstring injury, Wilson couldn’t get much going downfield, with a season-low 5.5 yards per attempt. With both the 13-year veteran and the Steelers facing an uncertain future beyond the final year of the signal-caller’s contract, Mr. Unlimited sure looked … limited.

Steelers

But Pittsburgh’s troubles go well beyond Wilson at this point. No team suffered more over the past 11 days than the Steelers, who went from 10-3 to 10-6 – retrograding from a squad with a shot at the AFC’s No. 1 seed … to a team with a shot at winning the AFC North. Maybe. And while they’ve probably already exceeded the expectations many outside their locker room had over the summer, the Steelers also don’t look like a team that’s going to break an eight-year drought since its last postseason win given the way Wilson’s play has deteriorated – to say nothing of the defense at large. And with the quarterback position already an open question for 2025, there’s also no certainty that Pittsburgh’s current iteration is building in a holistically meaningful way toward next season.

C.J. Stroud

To be fair, the season-ending injuries to receivers Tank Dell and Stefon Diggs were major hits to the well-being of this offense, with the former’s gruesome incident particularly weighing on Stroud. But it’s worth wondering if Stroud would be the subject of heavier scrutiny in his sophomore campaign if he played for a franchise afforded the spotlight more often. Whether it was holding onto the ball too long, his ugly interception thrown to Hamilton at the start of the second half or just missing open targets, the reigning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year was routinely responsible for drive-killing plays. Offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik bears some responsibility for the ongoing issues, with last week’s repeated failed screens against the Chiefs serving as the latest ill-fated attempt to address the rampant protection problems. But it’s clear that this performance – which would have been only the second shutout of the NFL season if not for the defense getting on the board with a second-quarter safety – is untenable for a team now locked into the No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs.

Jerry Jones

It’s certainly a stretch to assume the Texans will become a Christmas Day staple the way Jones’ Dallas Cowboys have long starred in the late-afternoon slot on Thanksgiving. But, in terms of 2024 anyway, Houston has Texas’ better NFL team and – far more important – Beyoncé’s Lone Star State-inspired halftime show completely overshadowed … whatever the Cowboys did at intermission on Turkey Day this year. Guess the Texans were just ‘all in.’

NBA

That San Antonio Spurs-New York Knicks game at noon ET looked pretty good. And there was a time when a lot of people would’ve watched it and more of the compelling matchups the Association has historically served up on Christmas. Now? Pretty much a ghost of Christmas past.

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Despite a season replete with close calls, the Kansas City Chiefs ensured that the AFC playoffs will run through Arrowhead Stadium.

With a 29-10 win Wednesday over the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Chiefs (15-1) clinched the No. 1 seed in the conference and home-field advantage. It marks the fourth time under coach Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes that the team has secured the AFC’s top seed.

Now, as the Chiefs pursue a historic Super Bowl three-peat, the team can extend its record by hosting a sixth consecutive AFC championship game if it can prevail in its divisional-round matchup.

‘I told my wife, my pregnant wife, I was gonna get her the No. 1 seed so we can go have that baby,’ Mahomes said in a postgame interview. ‘So we got the 1 seed.’

Kansas City scored touchdowns on its two opening drives and then put the game away in the fourth quarter with two additional touchdown marches. Mahomes finished with 320 yards and three touchdown strikes on 29-of-38 passing, and the defense kept the pressure on Russell Wilson with five sacks.

All things Chiefs: Latest Kansas City Chiefs news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The 19-point deficit was the Chiefs’ greatest margin of victory this season, which has featured 11 of their wins coming in one-score games.

With the top seed in hand, the Chiefs now can sit their starters in the regular-season finale against the Denver Broncos if they choose, potentially providing an extended break for the likes of Mahomes, who has been dealing with a high ankle sprain, and defensive tackle Chris Jones, who missed Wednesday’s game with a hamstring injury. A win in Week 18, however, would place Kansas City alongside the 2007 New England Patriots, who went 16-0, as the only 16-team wins in NFL history.

The Steelers (10-6), meanwhile, ceded the AFC North division lead to the Baltimore Ravens, who beat the Houston Texans 31-2 later in the day.

Lamar Jackson now stands alone as the NFL’s most prolific quarterback when it comes to the ground game.

In Wednesday’s 31-2 win over the Houston Texans, the Baltimore Ravens quarterback broke Michael Vick’s record for career rushing yards (6,109) by a quarterback. Jackson, who is in his seventh season, accomplished the feat despite playing in 41 fewer games than Vick (143 to 102).

Jackson set the mark on a 6-yard run in the third quarter. He finished with 87 rushing yards on four carries, which included a 48-yard touchdown run.

The two-time NFL MVP – who’s squarely in the running for a third honor this season – said before the season that the record was not of particular importance to him.

‘I’m trying to get a Super Bowl,’ Jackson said on ‘The Lounge’ podcast. ‘If that record comes, so be it. But that’s not my goal. If it happens, I’m going to cherish it. Hopefully the record (wouldn’t) be broken for a long time from now, but it’s not my goal.’

All things Ravens: Latest Baltimore Ravens news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

After the game, Jackson said he was ‘grateful’ to break the record held by ‘one of my favorite players.’