The second year of the NFL’s expanded playoff bracket has arrived, which means we’re in for a jam-packed weekend of football. Prepare your schedules and your game snacks.
Today brings the first two wild-card games, including an AFC East divisional matchup between the Patriots and the Bills. Don’t sleep on non-gridiron action either, as the Lakers and Nuggets meet in a rematch of the 2020 Western Conference finals and Auston Matthews and the Maple Leafs take on Jordan Kyrou and the Blues.
Here’s what I’m watching.
A quick note: With COVID-19 cases rising, sports schedules are fluid and subject to change.
MUST WATCH
New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills
Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports
Both these teams are used to cold weather, but Saturday night’s chill could still be a shock to their systems. Temperatures are expected to drop to the low single digits, according to The Weather Channel.
When the AFC East rivals met in Buffalo in December, New England rookie quarterback Mac Jones finished with just three pass attempts and two completions in windy Highmark Stadium, but his team won 14–10. Could we be in for a repeat performance as the wild-card Patriots look to upset the No. 3 seed Bills?
8:15 p.m. ET, CBS, watch on fuboTV
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LINEUP
• Men’s College Basketball: Tennessee at Kentucky | Both teams’ most recent losses came against No. 12 LSU, which leaves the No. 22 Volunteers and the No. 18 Wildcats looking to make up ground in the SEC. 1 p.m. ET, ESPN, watch on fuboTV
• Oakland Raiders at Cincinnati Bengals | The Raiders clinched a wild-card berth at the last possible moment with an overtime victory against the Chargers last Sunday night. They’ll look to carry momentum from their four-game winning streak into today’s game against the No. 4 seed Bengals. 4:30 p.m. ET, NBC, watch on fuboTV
• Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets | Reigning MVP Nikola Jokić is shining again for the Nuggets, as is four-time MVP LeBron James for the Lakers. But both teams are still looking to rise up the ranks in the Western Conference midway through the season. 9 p.m. ET, NBA TV, watch on fuboTV
HIDDEN GEM
Toronto Maple Leafs at St. Louis Blues
Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews was named the Atlantic Division captain when the NHL announced its All-Star Game rosters last Thursday. He’s tied with Alex Ovechkin for second in the league in goals with 24. He’ll look to add to that total against the Blues, but St. Louis comes in riding high on a three-game winning streak. Today’s game marks the first between these teams this season.
7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, watch on fuboTV
Think we missed something worth watching? Reply to guide@si.com and let us know what we should be looking out for and why.
Happy streaming!
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