Washington Commanders vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers prediction and picks for wild-card round feat. Jayden Daniels, Mike Evans

The Washington Commanders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be featured on Sunday Night Football during the wild-card round of the NFL playoffs. This is one of the most intriguing matchups of the first round, which is likely why it was picked as one of the primetime games this week.

Washington Commanders vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers prediction

Jayden Daniels (image credit: getty)

The Washington Commanders put together an excellent 2024 NFL season by earning one of the wild-card spots in the NFC bracket. Many around the league viewed this season as more of a rebuilding year for the franchise, but their rookie quarterback and new coach exceeded expectations by getting them to the postseason.

They will go on the road to take on the NFC South division champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who won a game during the wild-card round last year. The Commanders finished two games better than them in the standings with their 12-5 record against the Buccaneers' 10-7, but winning a division title comes with a home game in the first round of the playoffs.

This appears to be an evenly matched game. The Buccaneers playing at home is a huge advantage, which is one of the reasons why they are the favorites. However, the Commanders' superior overall season makes them live underdogs. An upset could be in the cards as the Commanders are being predicted to advance.

Washington Commanders vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers picks

Mike Evans (image credit: getty)

If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to find success against the Washington Commanders, they will likely need Mike Evans to have a major impact. One of the most intriguing individual factors in this game is his direct matchup against Marshon Lattimore. The two have engaged in a heated rivalry when Lattimore was still with the New Orleans Saints, so it will be interesting to see if they get physical with each other again.

Baker Mayfield already proved last year that he is capable of winning playoff games when he defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round, so it's time to see what Jayden Daniels can do. He has been one of the best rookies in the NFL this season, but the playoffs often present a much greater challenge. How Daniels performs could be the determining factor in this game, especially against the Buccaneers' 29th-ranked passing defense.

In what is expected to be a closely contested matchup and a potential shootout, both teams appear to have a legitimate chance of advancing to the next round. It could go either way, but the predicted outcome is a Commanders victory by a 28-24 score.