In the NFL’s Wild Card playoff round, the Washington Commanders will visit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Washington was one of the most compelling stories in the NFL this season and will look to keep their story going, while the Bucs look to win at home to advance to the Divisional round of the playoffs. Tampa is a three-point home favorite entering this game, while the total for the game has been set at 51.5 points.
Here, you will find our breakdown of Commanders vs Buccaneers from Raymond James Stadium on Wild Card weekend. Along with a look back at how both of these teams arrived at the postseason, you will also find our best bet for this matchup. With over a decade of sports betting experience under our belts, you can have confidence in our prediction for this huge game from Tampa Bay.
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Commanders Look For Win In Daniels’ Playoff Debut
The Washington Commanders got a win in Week 18 of the regular season over the Dallas Cowboys. They didn’t end up needing that win, as the Green Bay Packers lost to the Chicago Bears, which locked the Commanders into the sixth seed in the NFC playoff picture. But Washington has won five straight games going into the playoffs and will look to build on that momentum with a win despite the Commanders entering as underdogs this week according to NFL betting sites.
The big question for Washington going into this game will be how Jayden Daniels performs in his first career playoff start. Daniels was excellent this season for the Commanders and is a virtual lock for this year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award. But performing at that level in the playoffs will be a much tougher task, especially with the Commanders struggling against upper-echelon teams in the NFL this year.
Buccaneers Riding Wave Of Momentum Entering Playoffs
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a win in the final week of the regular season, beating the New Orleans Saints to clinch the NFC South title and qualify for the playoffs. That, combined with the LA Rams losing to the Seattle Seahawks, moved the Bucs from fourth to third in the NFC playoff standings. Now the Bucs will host a first-round playoff game and will look to get a win during Wild Card weekend for the second season in a row after they beat up on the Philadelphia Eagles at home to advance to last year’s Divisional playoffs.
For Tampa, taking care of the football will be the biggest key to their Wild Card matchup this week. Baker Mayfield threw an interception against the Saints that nearly cost them their division title in Week 18. While that interception came off of a tipped pass, in fairness to Mayfield, the Bucs will hope that play serves as a reminder that they cannot afford any back-breaking mistakes from their quarterback in this matchup.
Commanders vs Buccaneers Wild Card Prediction
Our best bet for Commanders vs Buccaneers in the Wild Card playoffs is for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to win and cover the spread at home. Tampa beat Washington 37-20 in the opening week of this season. And while we expect a much closer game than that given how much progress Jayden Daniels has made in his rookie campaign, we do expect Baker Mayfield and the Bucs to advance to the Divisional playoffs for the second straight season.
