Both teams are in great form right now, with the Washington Commanders winning each of their last five games. Their strong finish pushed them to the Wild Card weekend as the No. 6 seed in the National Football Conference (NFC). Their opponent in the first round of the postseason is the No. 3 seed, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Washington Commanders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wild Card Odds MoneylineOddsWashington Commanders+136Tampa Bay Buccaneers-156 SpreadOddsWashington Commanders +3-110Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3-110 PointsOddsOver 50.5-110Under 50.5-110
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When, Where, and How to Watch? Place: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida Date: Sunday, January 12, 2025 Time: 8:00 p.m. ET How to Watch: NBC Washington Commanders Feeling Good About Their Chances The Washington Commanders are coming to Florida as 3-point underdogs, but they don’t seem to care. These guys won their last five games, including the one against the Philadelphia Eagles, in which they were 5-point underdogs.
The Commanders have been pretty good defensively, but it’s their Jayden Daniels-led offense that’s most responsible for taking them to the postseason. The rookie QB has been incredible throughout the season, getting a QBR of 70.6, which makes him the 4th-best quarterback this season.
The best thing is that he’s in terrific form right now, throwing 13 touchdown passes in the last five games, with five of those TDs happening in the game with Philly.
Can Tampa Bay Buccaneers Stop Daniels & Co.? Tampa’s defense is 16th-best in the league, which isn’t great, but these guys are famously good when it comes to putting pressure on the opposition QB. Tampa’s secondaries are also great at stopping WRs from doing much.
The last time they played against the Commanders – in Week 1 – they prevented Daniels from doing much passing-wise. Instead, most of Washington’s attacks came through running the ball.
We predict that something similar will happen in the Wild Card game as well. What do we predict for Tampa’s offense? With Baker Mayfield at QB, they have nothing to worry about their passing game. The guy’s been in great shape, putting on some really great performances lately – he threw 16 TDs in the last five games.
Of course, he wouldn’t achieve much if it weren’t for his colleagues on the receiving end. Rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan has really upped his game over the last couple of weeks, while Mike Evans and Chris Godwin remain top-class.
As if all that wasn’t enough, the Bucs’ look scary in the running back department, with Bucky Irving being their most productive runner with eight rushing TDs.
Washington Commanders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Prediction Although we like the Commanders, we don’t think they stand much of a chance against the Buccaneers. The boys from Tampa are good in practically every aspect of the game. Their defense could do better, but their offense looks impossible to stop. For all these reasons, we think they’re going to win by more than a field goal.
Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3
