Why You Can Trust CNET How to watch the Bills vs. Texans NFL Wild Card game without cable
Welcome to Wild Card weekend!
Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins of the Houston Texans face a tough test on Saturday against the stout defense of the Buffalo Bills.
The NFL's Wild Card weekend kicks off Saturday afternoon with a pair of 10-6 teams. The Buffalo Bills finished two games behind the New England Patriots in the AFC East and are the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs as one of the two Wild Card teams. The Houston Texans are the 4 seed after winning the AFC South by one game over the Tennessee Titans (who grabbed the AFC's other Wild Card birth).
Led by third-year quarterback Deshaun Watson and star wideout DeAndre Hopkins, the Texans will face a stout Bills defense, which allowed the third fewest yards this season. The Texans' own defense will get a spark with the return of former defensive player of the year JJ Watt, who has been out since October with a torn pectoral muscle. Watt's pass-rushing ability will be needed to help contain the Bills' second-year quarterback Josh Allen, who possesses a rocket arm and rare running ability. The Texans are 2.5-point favorite at home.
The Wild Card game between the Bills and Texans kicks off in Houston at 4:35 p.m. ET (3:35 p.m. CT) on ABC and ESPN.
Wild Card weekend schedule
The Bill vs. Texans is the first of four Wild Card games this weekend. Here's the full schedule:
Saturday, Jan. 4
- Buffalo Bills at Houston Texans, 4:35 p.m. ET (ABC and ESPN)
- Tennessee Titans at New England Patriots, 8:15 p.m. ET ( CBS )
Sunday, Jan. 5
- Minnesota Vikings at New Orleans Saints, 1:05 p.m. ET ( Fox )
- Seattle Seahawks at Philadelphia Eagles, 4:40 p.m. ET ( NBC )
How to stream the NFL Wild Card games
You can stream the Bills-Texans game on the WatchESPN app, but you will need to log in with a pay TV account. If you don't have a pay TV subscription, you can watch the game with a live-TV streaming service.
Check out which services offer ABC or ESPN for the Bill-Texans game as well as Fox, CBS and NBC for the other three Wild Card games this weekend. (Note: CNET is a division of CBS.) The catch is that not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it includes the channels you need for the games you want to watch.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV costs $50 a month and includes all the channels NFL fans need to watch the playoffs: ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.
Hulu with Live TV
Hulu with Live TV costs $55 a month and includes ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN. Click the "View channels in your area" link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code.
AT&T TV Now
AT&T TV Now's basic, $65-a-month Plus package includes ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and ESPN. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live.
Sling TV
Sling TV splits its live NFL options across its $30-a-month Blue plan and $30-a-month Orange plan, which forces NFL fans into a tricky decision or encourages them to spring for both at $45 a month. Sling Blue includes NBC and Fox. Sling Orange includes ESPN. Sling TV doesn't offer ABC or CBS. Sling's packages are discounted by $10 for the first month. Enter your address here to see which local channels are available where you live.
FuboTV
FuboTV costs $55 a month and includes CBS, Fox and NBC but not ABC or ESPN. Click here to see which local channels you get.
CBS All Access
CBS All Access costs $5.99 a month and will let you watch the Vikings-Saints Wild Card game on Sunday afternoon if you live in one of these 206 markets where the service offers live TV. It makes for a good add-on for Sling TV subscribers, who don't get CBS.
All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our massive streaming services guide.
