The set-up: The 9-7 Lions made the postseason despite losing their final three games (went 0-4 ATS their last four), thanks to the Giants beating the Redskins 19-10 at Washington in Week 17. Add to that the fact that Detroit hasn't won a playoff game in its past eight tries (last victory came back in 1991), so taking the Lions seems like a stretch. Then again, the 10-5-1 Seattle Seahawks had a chance to grab the No. 2 seed in the NFC but went only 2-2 after Pro Bowl safety Earl Thomas was lost to an injury. Throw in some sideline squabbles and that's only added fodder to the idea that Seattle is a team in turmoil. Pick you poison.

Detroit: QB Mathew Stafford completed 65.3 percent of his passes for 4,327 yards with 24 TDs and 10 INTs (93.3 QB rating). He became just the fourth QB with 4,000 passing yards in six consecutive seasons, despite a Detroit rushing game which averaged a woeful 81.9 YPG on 3.7 YPC to rank of 30th among 32 teams (Riddick's 357 yards is a team high but he's been placed on IR!). It's true that Zach Zenner has given Detroit's rushing game a jolt with 136 yards and three TDs in his last two contests but it's doubtful the Seattle rush D (92.9 YPG allowed to rank 7th) is staying up at night worrying about Zenner. However, Stafford's season is about more than just his passing numbers, as the Lions trailed in the fourth quarter of every game during the regular season. Amazingly, they overcame nine fourth-quarter deficits while streaking out to a 9-4 record before falling back to earth in December and early January. A major concern is the Detroit D, which allowed 73 points on 823 yards its last two games, as Prescott and Rodgers completed 42 of 59 passes (71.2%) with seven TDs and not a single interception!

Seattle: Russell Wilson had an inconsistent season, finishing with 4,219 yards but a modest 21 TDs (11 INTs) and a 92.6 QB rating. He gets little help from his running game as well, as Seattle ranked 25th with 99.4 YPG on 3.9 YPC. The Seattle defense had led the NFL in scoring in each of the last four seasons but allowed 34 to Arizona and 23 to San Francisco to close the season at 18.3 PPG which left them third. Seattle's ground game has struggled to get untracked since the retirement of Marshawn Lynch, with Thomas Rawls plagued by multiple injuries while Christine Michael (now with Green Bay) and C.J. Prosise (shoulder) also had their injury issues. There is talk that Wilson is contemplating removing his knee brace for the playoffs, so Seattle comes into this game with plenty of questions, as well.

The pick: However, all things are far from even in this matchup. As noted above, the Lions haven't won a playoff game in their last eight tries and the franchise has NEVER won a road playoff game! The dome-playing Lions travel off a short week (on a three-game slide) into cold weather and possible rain. Seattle's CenturyLink Field has been a ‘safe haven' for the Seahawks, as neither head coach Carroll, nor QB Russell Wilson lost a postseason game at home (Carroll's 5-0 and Wilson 4-0). Wilson is not only 4-0 at home in the postseason but he's also 34-6 in the regular season, with 67 TD passes and just 18 INTs at CenturyLink Field. Stafford claims he hasn't been affected by wearing a glove on his throwing hand to protect an injured finger, although he has registered just two TD passes and three INTs in his last three games after recording 22 TDs and seven picks prior to the injury. Yes, Wilson has been up and down this season but the Detroit D doesn't make many big plays, with only 14 takeaways and just 26 sacks on the year. Plus, remember that Dak Prescott had a QB rating of 148.3 and Aaron Rodgers had a 126.0 rating in Detroit's last two games, as the Lions allowed 73 points, after having held eight straight opponents to 20 points or less! Seattle earns a 10* rating.