NFL Playoff Schedule 2016: Wild-Card TV Schedule, Live Stream and Picks

The NFL postseason is set to kick off Saturday afternoon, and all signs point to a highly competitive Wild Card Weekend. In fact, the lack of dominant teams during the regular season suggests the entire playoff run should feature close, entertaining games.

Odds Shark noted the biggest favorite in the Wild Card Round is the Seattle Seahawks at just five points in their matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. All four road teams are either favored by narrow margins or even, which further showcases the level playing field across the board.

Let's check out the important information ahead of the opening round, including a look at the bracket and viewing details for each contest. That's followed by predictions for which teams will move to within three victories of a Super Bowl title.

2016 NFL Playoff Bracket

Wild-Card Viewing Info

Date	Time (ET)	Matchup	TV	Live Stream
Jan. 9	4:35 p.m.	Chiefs at Texans	ESPN	WatchESPN
Jan. 9	8:15 p.m.	Steelers at Bengals	CBS	CBSSports.com
Jan. 10	1:05 p.m.	Seahawks at Vikings	NBC	NBC Live Extra
Jan. 10	4:40 p.m.	Packers at Redskins	FOX	Fox Sports Go

Game Picks

Kansas City Chiefs at Houston Texans

Although the Kansas City Chiefs enter the game riding a 10-game winning streak, some of their recent games haven't yielded the type of confidence that usually comes from that type of run. They only managed single-score victories over the San Diego Chargers (4-12), Cleveland Browns (3-13) and Oakland Raiders (7-9) across their final four games.

Meanwhile, the Houston Texans received two sources of good news in their regular-season finale. Brian Hoyer, their most consistent option under center, returned and J.J. Watt showed how dominant he can be when at full strength with eight total tackles, three sacks and two passes defended.

One thing both teams have done well down the stretch is keep points off the scoreboard. While they both ranked inside the top 10 in scoring defense for the season, the numbers are even better for the second half of the campaign, as noted by Scott Kacsmar of Football Outsiders:

So expect a defensive battle that will likely hinge greatly on field position. Full credit to the Chiefs for salvaging the season after losing Jamaal Charles early on, but this is exactly the type of game in which the running back's dynamic playmaking ability will be sorely missed.

Prediction: Texans 17, Chiefs 16

Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

Perhaps the most intriguing player as AFC North rivals the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers face off is Giovani Bernard. The Bengals' dual-threat running back received just 12 touches in two games against the Steelers during the regular season. But with Jeremy Hill averaging just 3.6 yards per carry, the backup deserves a bigger role.

He could provide the big plays the offense needs with quarterback Andy Dalton still trying to work his way back from a broken thumb. AJ McCarron has filled the void admirably and is hoping the experience will lead to further progress in the playoffs, per Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

"

Just from coming in from the Pitt game and then being in the San Fran game and how I started out especially against Denver, I felt like we were throwing it all over and we were really taking advantage of a lot of things, and capitalizing on them. I've said this from the beginning: It's all about reps. The more reps I get, the more comfortable I am and the more chemistry we create as an offense.

"

Ultimately, not having their starting quarterback limits the Bengals' margin for error. That's far from ideal given the secondary is going to have its hands full with Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant, who combined for 18 catches in that Dec. 13 triumph.

Prediction: Steelers 24, Bengals 21

Seattle Seahawks at Minnesota Vikings

For the second straight season the Seahawks came out of the gates slow before finishing with a flourish to head into the playoffs on a high note. They won six of their final seven games, including an impressive 36-6 rout of the Arizona Cardinals in the finale.

The Seahawks must decide whether to return to a run-heavy approach or allow Russell Wilson, who's been playing the best football of his career, to keep throwing it more often.

Conditions in Minnesota may force both teams to adjust their approach. Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network noted the freezing temperatures will put a lot of pressure on the defenses to slow down the rushing attacks, featuring Adrian Peterson, Minnesota's top offensive threat:

Six weeks ago this game would have looked a lot more winnable for the Vikings. But the Seahawks have been on such a roll as of late, including a 38-7 win in the teams' Week 13 meeting, that it's suddenly hard to pick against them.

Prediction: Seahawks 23, Vikings 17

Green Bay Packers at Washington Redskins

It's a bit surprising to see the Green Bay Packers aren't underdogs, at least by a field goal or so, because of their mundane level of play as of late. Team Rankings' ratings based on the final five games puts the home-standing Washington Redskins at No. 8 compared to No. 14 for Green Bay.

Yes, Aaron Rodgers gets to face off with the league's 25th-ranked pass defense, but Washington has been the more complete team since Kirk Cousins found his groove around midseason. Finding a connection with tight end Jordan Reed helped spark the surge.

The Redskins defense still understands it must prevent Rodgers from completely taking over the game, though. Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today passed along comments from DeAngelo Hall about what Washington must do to slow him down:

"

We feel like if we can get guys around him, always in his face and harassing him, maybe he can make a mistake or two. And then maybe we can capitalize on it. But definitely when they have gotten beaten, it’s just because they haven't been able to protect him. He's the same gun-slinging guy who can make every throw on that field.

"

While Rodgers' presence is always going to keep the Packers at the forefront, they simply haven't played great football heading into the playoffs. On the flip side, Washington has been picking up steam and could emerge as a tough out for the top contenders.

Prediction: Redskins 31, Packers 27