There are winners in life and there are losers in life. This team is a loser in life. DET@DAL

Other points...

Lions:

Third straight game on the road. That's a tough spot to enter the playoffs in.

A very weak showing to end the year vs. the Pack. The Pack controlled that game virtually the whole way and beat them in almost every meaningful statistical category.

Didn't cover against the lousy Bears and Jimmy Clausen prior to that.

Prior to that? Didn't cover as big favorites against the Vikings.

0-3 ATS in it's last three.

Dallas:

Blew the doors off the Colts which many here love over a very live Cincy team.

Won in Seattle, a place where no other team can.

4 straight wins of double digits.  4-0 SU and ATS in it's last 4.

One team on a major upswing in real and betting-terms and one team, betting-wise on a down swing.

Now to the spread.

Do I like it at 7?

No.

You are paying a premium for Dallas. You always will. They are among the most public of teams and in good years, that premium gets worse.

But I don't see Dallas losing this game in any way, shape or form.

So if they win outright, what can we say about the spread?

It's big, but you Detroit backers better get inside the number.

And getting inside that number in the playoffs isn't easy especially in the Wild Card Round.

I'll give you this stat and take it for what you will.

Since 1978, Wild Card round winners cover 89% of the time, that is the team that wins, covers almost 9 of 10 times.

That means, only 10% of the games in all the Wild Card Rounds since 1978, resulted in a favorite winning but not covering the spread.

So if you don't have money on this Detriot ML, that trend doesn't bode well for you.

Now that trend DOES NOT predict the future, it is simply a trend about playoff spreads. That's it.

Enough. It's a number with a premium that is distasteful but we will attempt to avoid a backdoor.

GREAT teaser side btw: Cowboys to -1. Then you can take another game of your liking.

The pick is in.

The Winners in Life (Cows) - 7 over the Losers in Life (Lions)

Boy, they come in all shapes, sizes and levels of stupidity, don't they.