Minnesota @ Seattle preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 4, 2012 ) Minnesota 20, Seattle 30

Percy Harvin is expected to make his Seattle Seahawks debut against his former team when the Minnesota Vikings visit on Sunday. The explosive wide receiver, traded to Seattle in the offseason in a deal that included a first-round pick, has been battling a serious hip injury but was added to the 53-man roster Monday. "He just has to practice every day and show that what he's done in the rehab has paid off and that he can sustain through each day," coach Pete Carroll said. "We'll just see how it goes.”

Harvin’s quarterback from last season, Christian Ponder, is also dealing with an injury. The Vikings signal-caller dislocated his non-throwing shoulder trying to dive for a touchdown in a Week 10 victory over Washington, putting his status for Sunday into question. Ponder was limited in practice Wednesday and Thursday, though coach Leslie Frazier has yet to officially name a starter.

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Seahawks -12. O/U: 45.

ABOUT THE VIKINGS (2-7): Reigning NFL MVP Adrian Peterson leads the league with nine rushing touchdowns and his 87.3 yards per game on the ground rank third. He rushed for 182 yards and two TDs on 17 carries in a 30-20 loss at Seattle last November. Wide receiver Jerome Simpson, who leads the team with 491 receiving yards, is likely to play despite an arrest on suspicion of drunken driving last weekend.

ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (9-1): Seattle, which increased its NFC West lead to 2 1/2 games with a rout at Atlanta last week, is going for its sixth win in a row and its 13th consecutive victory at home. The Seahawks are one of the NFL’s most balanced teams, ranking in the top six in both total defense (289 yards allowed per game) and scoring (26.5 points). Adding Harvin, who scored 29 TDs (20 receiving, five kick returns, four rushing) in four seasons with Minnesota, to the mix should make the offense even more dangerous.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Seattle - 9-1 for the first time in team history - hasn’t won six games in a row since a franchise-best 11-game streak in 2005.

2. Minnesota has lost all four road games this season.

3. The Seahawks defense, ranked second with 178 passing yards allowed per game, likely will be without CB Brandon Browner (groin).

PREDICTION: Seahawks 28, Vikings 16