What channel is the Bills game on? How to watch Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots

ORCHARD PARK - If Sunday afternoon’s game between the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots was only about the huge postseason implications it has for both teams, CBS would probably have sent its top broadcast team of Jim Nantz and Tony Romo to Highmark Stadium.

But then you factor in the ongoing story of the year in the NFL, the terrible situation that occurred Monday night when Bills safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field and nearly died, yeah, there was no doubt that this was going to be the No. 1 game in the 1 p.m. window.

Obviously, there are several games on the Week 18 schedule that carry big stakes because, incredibly, not even the No. 1 seed and subsequent first-round bye has been decided in either conference. It’s rare when you get to the final week and at least one isn’t locked up, let alone both.

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And there are teams, including New England, who are still in the running to claim a wild-card spot. The Patriots, in fact, control their own destiny and it they upset the Bills, they’re in the playoffs.

However, the focus of not only the NFL but the entire sports world the past several days has been on the compelling Hamlin story, from the moment he collapsed on the field in the first quarter of the game in Cincinnati, to his critical condition status in the two days that followed, right up to the encouraging news that was received Thursday that he is showing tremendous improvement.

Given all that, this is a game that will appeal to far more than just the regular Sunday afternoon crowd and there will be a massive amount of eyeballs on Orchard Park.

What time is the Bills vs. Patriots game?

• Date: Sunday, Jan. 8

• Time: 1 p.m.

• Place: Highmark Stadium

Who is favored to win Bills vs. Patriots game

• Tipico betting line: Bills -7.5

• Over-under: 42.5

• Money line: Bills minus-340 (bet $340 to win $100) and Patriots plus-280 (bet $100 to win $280).

Who is announcing the Bills vs. Patriots game

• Play-by-play: Jim Nantz

• Analyst: Tony Romo

• Sideline reporter: Tracy Wolfson

How to watch Buffalo Bills vs New England Patriots game on TV, streaming

Cable/Network: CBS. The game will be available locally via the following stations: WROC (Channel 8, Rochester), WIVB (Buffalo area), WTVH (Syracuse area), WKTV (Utica area), WENY (Elmira area), WRGB (Albany area), and WBNG (Binghamton area).

Online streaming services: NFL.com and the NFL mobile app. Also, the NFL has a streaming service called NFL+ which replaces NFL Game Pass, though you can’t cast the games to your TV - you must watch on your phone or tablet. The cost is $5 a month or $30 for the season, and a premium tier costs $10/$80 which includes all-22 coaches film and condensed and full-game replays. With it, you’ll be able to watch every local game on Sunday and the national games on Monday and Thursday nights as well as the playoffs and the Super Bowl. You can also stream if you have subscriptions to DirecTV, fuboTV, NFL+, Sling, Vidgo, Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, and Paramount+.

On the radio: How to listen to the Bills vs Patriots game

You can listen on SiriusXM satellite radio on channel 228 (Bills) and channel 384 (Patriots). On traditional radio, the Bills Radio Network has stations all across the state. They include:

• Rochester (WCMF 96.5 and WROC 950 AM)

• Buffalo (WGR550, 550 AM)

• Syracuse (WTKW 99.5/WTKV 105.5)

• Binghamton (WDRE 100.5FM)

• Ithaca (WIII 99.9/100.3 FM)

• Bath (WVIN 98.3 FM)

• Newark (WACK 1420 AM)

• Dansville (WDNY 93.9 FM)

• Elmira (WNGZ 1490 AM)

• Auburn (WAUB 98.1 FM/1590 AM)

• Geneva (WGVA 95.9 FM, 1240 AM)

Sal Maiorana can be reached at maiorana@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @salmaiorana.To subscribe to Sal's new twice-a-week newsletter, Bills Blast, please follow this link: https://profile.democratandchronicle.com/newsletters/bills-blast

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: What channel is Bills vs Patriots game on? Time, TV, streaming info