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Where to watch Buccaneers vs. Commanders playoff game: TV channel, time, live stream

Jacob Camenker   Paste BN
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The NFL is hosting a wild-card tripleheader on Sunday, culminating with a "Sunday Night Football" matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Commanders.

The Buccaneers enter the postseason having won six of their last seven games and looking to improve upon their performance in the playoffs last year. They knocked out the Philadelphia Eagles as the No. 4 seed in last year's bracket and will look to eliminate another NFC East team this year in the Commanders.

Dispatching Washington will be no easy task. The Commanders enter the postseason having won five consecutive games to finish with 12 wins for the first time since 1991. New head coach Dan Quinn seems to have re-energized the team as it shakes off the pall of the Daniel Snyder era and looks to shape itself into a consistent contender with Jayden Daniels at quarterback.

The Buccaneers and Commanders already met in Week 1 and played each other during Washington's most recent playoff appearance, which occurred at the beginning of the Ron Rivera era.

Will the Commanders be able to upset the NFC South champions? Here's what to know about the matchup and how to watch it as a part of the NFL's Super Wild Card Weekend.

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Where to watch Buccaneers vs. Commanders game today

  • Location: Tampa Bay, Fla.
  • Venue: Raymond James Stadium
  • Date: Sunday, Jan. 12
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET 
  • Game: Buccaneers vs. Commanders

The Buccaneers and Commanders are set to square off at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday. It will be the fifth playoff game played out of six on Super Wild Card Weekend.

What channel is Buccaneers vs. Commanders?

  • TV channel: NBC

NBC will broadcast the Buccaneers vs. Commanders game in the wild-card round as part of its "Sunday Night Football" package. Mike Tirico will be on play-by-play for the event with Cris Collinsworth serving as his color commentary counterpart and Melissa Stark roaming the sidelines.

Buccaneers vs. Commanders live stream free

Football fans can watch the Buccaneers host the Commanders in the wild-card round with a subscription to NBC's proprietary streaming service, Peacock. Cord-cutters can also catch the action with a subscription to Fubo, which offers a free trial.

Stream tonight's game with a Peacock subscription

Buccaneers vs. Commanders predictions

  • Buccaneers 34, Commanders 27

Both offenses seem likely to play well in this contest, but it will be hard for the Commanders to contain the Buccaneers enough to win this one.

The Buccaneers have been one of the hottest offenses down the stretch of the 2024 NFL season. Baker Mayfield has averaged 293.2 passing yards, 3.2 passing touchdowns and one interception over his last five games. He has completed 73% of his passes and guided Tampa Bay to a 4-1 record. He continues to make good decisions and utilize his mobility to turn negative plays into positives.

It isn't just Mayfield that has Tampa Bay's offense playing well. Their running game has been excellent, averaging an impressive 174.1 rushing yards per game over the Buccaneers' last eight games. Much of that has been sparked by rookie back Bucky Irving, who has three games with at least 113 rushing yards over that span.

Jayden Daniels and the Commanders probably won't go quietly in this one either. They are averaging 30.2 points per game over their five-game winning streak to close the season, and the Buccaneers have allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game this season (243.9). That should allowed Terry McLaurin and Co. to make some downfield plays, especially with the Buccaneers depleted at safety in the absence of Jordan Whitehead, who recently suffered season-ending injuries in a car accident.

While the Commanders may keep pace in a shootout, the experience of Mayfield and the Buccaneers will likely win out in the end. This is Tampa Bay's fifth consecutive postseason trip, while it's Washington's first since 2020. Add in that Mayfield led the Buccaneers to 37 points and threw four touchdowns in their Week 1 over the Commanders and Tampa Bay should set itself up for another appearance in the NFC divisional round.

Buccaneers vs. Commanders odds

The Buccaneers are favored to beat the Commanders, 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: Buccaneers (-3) 
  • Moneyline: Buccaneers (-185); Commanders (+150)
  • Over/under: 50.5

Our guide to NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered.

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

Buccaneers vs. Commanders stats, history

The Buccaneers and Commanders have faced off 26 times in their franchises' history. They have split the series down the middle, each with a head-to-head record of 13-13. No team has strung together more than back-to-back wins since Tampa Bay beat Washington four times from 1994-96.

The Buccaneers beat the Commanders head-to-head in Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season 37-20. Mayfield completed 24-of-30 passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns in that game, which was the first start of Daniels' career. Daniel went 17-of-24 passing for 184 yards while adding 88 yards and two scores on the ground.

Tampa Bay won the last playoff meeting between these two teams in 2021. Tom Brady led the No. 5 seed Buccaneers to a 31-23 victory despite a superlative effort from Taylor Heinicke, who was forced to play quarterback for Washington just months after returning to the NFL. The Buccaneers went on to win Super Bowl 55 while Heinicke has since established himself as a respected NFL backup.

Buccaneers vs. Commanders play-by-play

You can follow the Buccaneers vs. Commanders play-by-play here.

NFL playoffs schedule

The NFL playoffs kick off on Jan. 11 with the league's Super Wild Card Weekend before concluding on Feb. 9 with Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans.

Super Wild Card weekend

All times Eastern

Saturday, Jan. 11

Sunday, Jan. 12

Monday, Jan. 13

Divisional round

Saturday, Jan. 18

  • AFC/NFC divisional game: 4:30 p.m.
  • AFC/NFC division game: 8:15 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 19

  • AFC/NFC divisional game: 3 p.m.
  • AFC/NFC divisional game: 6:30 p.m.

NFL conference championship round

Sunday, Jan. 26

  • NFC championship game: 3 p.m.
  • AFC championship game: 6:30 p.m.

Super Bowl 59

  • Date: Feb. 9, 2025
  • Location: Caesars Superdome (New Orleans)
  • Time: 6:30 p.m.
  • TV: FOX

NFL games today on TV

Buffalo Bills vs. Denver Broncos

  • Location: Orchard Park, NY
  • Venue: Highmark Stadium
  • Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
  • Channel: CBS
  • Streaming: Paramount+

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Green Bay Packers

  • Location: Philadelphia, PA
  • Venue: Lincoln Financial Field
  • Time: 4:30 p.m. ET
  • Channel: Fox

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