NFL Playoff Picks 2016: Updated Odds and Predictions for Sunday Wild-Card Games

The Minnesota Vikings are clearly on their way up under second-year head coach Mike Zimmer. After showing significant improvement in his first season with a 7-9 record, the Vikings took another step forward in 2015 by recording an 11-5 mark and winning the NFC North.

The likelihood is that the Vikings will continue to improve over the next few seasons. The question is whether they are good enough to compete with the three-time NFC champion Seattle Seahawks at TCF Bank Stadium Sunday afternoon.

Statistically, it has been a special year for the Seahawks. They have the fourth-ranked offense in the league and the second-ranked defense. The Seahawks had a slow start, and they didn't really assert themselves until midseason.

The key to their surge was quarterback Russell Wilson, who looked fairly ordinary early on but may have been the best quarterback in the league in the second half of the season. Wilson had a shocking 24-1 TD-interception ratio in Seattle's last seven games.

Seattle's Legion of Boom defense showed some vulnerability in the early part of the year, giving up several fourth-quarter leads. However, the Seahawks remained a hard-hitting and physical unit throughout the season, and they are led by middle linebacker Bobby Wagner, who had 114 tackles, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

Teddy Bridgewater has become an effective quarterback in his second year in the league. He completed 65.3 percent of his throws for 3,231 yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Bridgewater does not have the arm strength that many of his peers possess, but he is smart, athletic and unafraid.

That last factor could make a big difference in this game, because the Seahawks are all about instilling fear in their opponents. If Bridgewater does not turn the ball over, the Seahawks will be competing against a resilient leader.

Running back Adrian Peterson led the league in rushing with 1,485 yards, and he can normally wear down most defenses. That's not likely against the league's No. 3 rushing defense. Peterson may have a couple of decent runs, but it's difficult to win the battle consistently against the Seahawks run defense.

The game is likely to be played in sub-zero temperatures and winds. That's going to make it hard to pass the ball consistently. Look for this to be a field-position game dominated by the punters and kickers early.

Eventually, the better team will assert itself. Seattle has been successful in the playoffs for several years, and they are confident and hot. They may not roll over the Vikings by the same 38-7 margin that they did last month, but they should win the game and cover the 4.5-point spread.

Game	Date, Time (ET)	TV	Line	Over/Under
Seattle at Minnesota	Jan. 10, 1:05 p.m.	NBC	Sea (-4.5)	39.5
Green Bay at Washington	Jan. 10, 4:40 p.m.	Fox	GB (-1)	45.5

Packers are trying to turn season around in D.C.

The Green Bay Packers had a ton of motivation at the onset of the 2015 season. They lost the NFC Championship Game at Seattle last year in heartbreaking fashion, and they had not been able to escape that pain over the offseason.

They started the season in excellent fashion, winning their first six games, and they appeared to be more than up to the task of of playing the role of NFC lead dog.

While their record looked good, the normally high-powered offense was not producing as expected. The Packers lost big-play wideout Jordy Nelson in the preseason, and they were never able to overcome his absence.

In fact, their offense slowed down as the season progressed. Green Bay lost six of its final 10 games and finished the year with the 25th-ranked passing offense in the league.

Considering Aaron Rodgers has won the MVP twice, that's almost unfathomable.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

So was the likelihood of an NFC East title for the Washington Redskins. A near-unanimous last-place selection in the NFC East by the NFL preview magazines, the Redskins took advantage of their flawed competition in the division. They were ordinary through the majority of the season, but they won their final four games to finish 9-7.

Kirk Cousins threw 29 touchdown passes and developed a game-changing rapport with tight end Jordan Reed. The Redskins may have shocked the football world by making the playoffs, but they appear relaxed as they prepare for their first postseason game since the 2012 season.

The Packers are one-point favorites, and this is a game that may well come down to the final possession.

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Point spreads provided by Odds Shark.