The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will travel to face Green Bay Packers for the NFC Championship in the 2021 NFL Playoffs. The game is scheduled for Sunday, January 24 with kickoff set for 3:05 p.m. ET. The game will air on FOX. The winner of this matchup will be heading to Super Bowl 55, taking place in Tampa Bay, Florida.
How the Packers and Bucs got here
The Packers arrive to the NFC Championship on the back of their second-consecutive 13-3 season under head coach Matt LaFleur. Aaron Rodgers had a career year — 4,299 passing yards, 70.7% completion rate, 9.1% TD rate and just five picks on the season. They met the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional round and advanced with a 32-18 victory with the help of their RB corps, Davante Adams and and a cast of secondary characters who have rotated to fill the role of Rodgers’ WR2 option throughout the season. As the No. 1 seed in the NFC, the Packers continue to have homefield advantage in Lambeau.
The Bucs entered the Divisional round as underdogs to the New Orleans Saints, but the general public saw right through it. Despite the Saints moneyline sitting at -175, 66% of moneyline bets for this contest were placed on the Bucs. The Bucs outshined the Saints by a mile, particularly when it comes to quarterback play, as Drew Brees closed out his season with just 134 passing yards on 19 completed passes, 1 touchdown and 3 INTs. The Bucs have featured RB Leonard Fournette through the 2021 NFL Playoffs, who has totaled 239 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on 45 touches through the postseason. Ronald Jones has been managing a quad injury but was available in the Divisional round, a plus sign that he’ll be available for this outing against the Packers. In Week 6, Jones managed 113 rushing yards and two scores against Green Bay in a 38-10 victory in Tampa.
The Bucs defense may be just the right match to face the high-flying Packers offense, especially as they designated DT Vita Vea for return.
How to watch
Date: Sunday, January 24th
Time: 3:05 p.m. ET
TV channel: FOX
Live stream: FOX Sports
Current odds for Bucs vs. Packers
Point spread: Packers -3.5
Point total: 50.5
Moneyline: Packers -177, Bucs +155