The New England Patriots are hosting the Houston Texans today in a 2026 NFL playoff game that many expect to be a slugfest at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts.

Though the Patriots have been a high-scoring offense with Drake Maye putting up MVP-caliber numbers this year, the Texans are widely considered to have the most dangerous defense in the NFL. The Texans have allowed a league-best 277.2 yards per game this season.

New England is coming off a 16-3 win over the Los Angeles Chargers where the offense struggled and had several turnovers. Houston, meanwhile, also struggled offensively Monday night against Pittsburgh, but pulled away thanks to two defensive touchdowns.

Sunday's game is set to kick off at 3 p.m. The winner will advance to the AFC Championship Game and find themselves on the cusp of a Super Bowl appearance. 

Where can you stream the Patriots vs. Texans playoff game?

Today's game between the Patriots and Texans will air in the afternoon timeslot as the first part of a divisional round doubleheader.

For out-of-market fans, you can stream this afternoon's Patriots game through the NFL's subscription service, NFL+.

Additionally, fans can also stream the Patriots vs. Texans game through ESPN and other services like Hulu and YouTube TV.

After New England and Houston play, the weekend of football wraps up with the Los Angeles Rams traveling to play the Chicago bears with a berth in the NFC title game on the line.  

How can you watch the playoff game on cable?

Though it's technically a Sunday afternoon, the broadcast will be treated as a Monday Night Football experience for viewers.

For fans watching around the country, they'll be able to find the game on ESPN.

In Massachusetts, the Patriots-Texans game will be broadcast on WCVB-TV Channel 5 in addition to ESPN. 

The exact channel numbers can vary depending on your TV provider. Channels can also be different based on whether you are watching the game over the air or through a cable/satellite service.   

Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will have play-by-play and color commentary, with sideline reporting done by Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge.    

Pregame coverage in the Boston market begins at 11:30 a.m. on WBZ-TV.  There will also be complete coverage after the game in the Boston area with reaction and analysis during Patriots 5th Quarter airing on TV38. Postgame coverage will include news conferences from head coach Mike Vrabel and quarterback Drake Maye, plus more player reactions from the big game.

Who is favored and predicted to win the Patriots vs. Texans playoff game?

The Patriots are favorites in the game, but most markets expect it to be a close game. According to CBS Sports, New England is favored by 3 points. 

So who are the experts picking? Kyle Long and Pete Prisco at CBS Sports both picked New England to win, though they expect it to be a battle.

"This is going to be one of these hit you in the mouth, hit you in the mouth and hit you in the mouth again kind of games," said Prisco. 

Prisco added that he leaned New England because he believes the game is so evenly matched it will come down to which quarterback makes more plays, and in that case he trusts Maye more than Texans signal-caller C.J. Stroud.

Picks are pretty evenly split among ESPN experts.