NFL Handicapping Articles

Odds for the 2015 Baltimore Ravens NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/31/2015

It's a quiet Baltimore Ravens training camp, which is a nice change from last year when the Ray Rice issue was hanging over the franchise. "It's better this year than it was last year," said coach John Harbaugh, whose team had its first practice on Thursday. Really there are only two starting jobs up for grabs, the No. 2 receiver and tight end, the latter because of the serious injury suffered last season by Dennis Pitta.

Odds for the 2015 New York Giants NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/30/2015

Two interesting things to watch at Giants training camp. The first involves whether the team is going to sign Eli Manning to a massive long-term extension or let him play out his final season as San Diego is apparently doing with Philip Rivers. The team says it's willing to break the bank for Manning, and apparently officials have acknowledged that the front-loaded four-year, $87.4 million extension Ben Roethlisberger signed with the Steelers earlier this offseason is a template for Manning.

Odds for the 2015 Arizona Cardinals NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/28/2015

Pretty interesting news out of Arizona on Monday as the Cardinals hired Jen Welter as an assistant coaching intern for training camp and the preseason to work with inside linebackers. She is thought to be the first female coach of any kind in the NFL. She previously worked for the Texas Revolution of the Indoor Football League to coach linebackers and special teams and suited up as a running back and special teams player for the men's squad in 2014.

Odds for the 2015 Kansas City Chiefs NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/27/2015

I'm a stats guy -- I love interesting numbers. Statistics are more important and lasting in baseball than any other sport. We all know how many games Joe DiMaggio hit in a row or how many home runs Babe Ruth had or the last .400 hitter. Football just isn't like that. Tell me right now what the record for rushing yards in a season is? Or pass receptions.

Odds for the 2015 New Orleans Saints NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/24/2015

I have read more than one comparison linking last year's Dallas Cowboys to this year's Saints. How so? The 2013 Cowboys were 8-8 and missed the playoffs. They were a very pass-heavy team, with running back DeMarco Murray having a good-but-not-huge season. That offseason, Dallas upgraded its offensive line and relied more on Murray in 2014 as Tony Romo averaged 31.5 pass attempts per game, his lowest since his 2006. Murray was a monster, and Dallas was 12-4, winning the NFC East.

Odds for the 2015 Houston Texans NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/23/2015

If you ask me, there's only one true quarterback battle worth watching during training camp. Cleveland Browns? Don't make me laugh. New York Jets? Another funny joke. Buffalo Bills? Gag. Some might think there's a QB battle on the Philadelphia Eagles, but it's going to be Sam Bradford's job if he stays healthy.

Odds for the 2015 Detroit Lions NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/22/2015

You know how they say you need to have some sort of nice balance between the run and pass in the NFL to be successful? Well, I'm not sure that's true any longer. In 2011, one of the two seasons Detroit made the playoffs this century, the Lions rushed the ball 356 times and had 666 passing attempts, completing 423 of them. Last year, when they returned to the playoffs, Detroit ran the ball 396 times and threw it 604 times, completing 365 passes. Last year, the Lions averaged just 3.6 yards per carry, their worst since 2003.

Free Week 1 NFL Betting Picks: Top 3 Moneyline Dogs with Wagering Value
by Vernon Croy - 7/22/2015

It's the middle of the baseball season, and the NBA and NHL have been finished for a month. Everybody needs a bit of a sports injection at this stage of the year, and the NFL is only a month and a half around the corner. That means it's time to take a look at the calendar and schedule and to mark down the can't-miss games to watch. It also means it's time to take a look at some of the early betting action available for Week 1 of the season. Here are some of the top moneyline dogs for the opening week of the 2015 NFL season.

Betting Tips from Expert NFL Handicapper: Week 1 Line Errors
by Vernon Croy - 7/22/2015

The 2015 NFL Week 1 odds are already out. So who cares if training camps haven't even gotten started; it's time to take a look at some of the early matchups and what to keep an eye on. Some of these introductory lines seem to be out of whack as well, and these are some of the early NFL line errors which could help you cash in right as the season begins.

Expert NFL Betting Tips: Free Futures Wagering Picks and Predictions
by Vernon Croy - 7/22/2015

This time of year isn't too early to begin looking ahead at the actual NFL season. As most fans are actually looking ahead to next year from the moment the Super Bowl wraps up, or at least when the draft is held, now is actually the perfect time to start plotting the future. There are already plenty of odds and betting lines available, too. Here are some of the top NFL future bets to be made as we all count down the dog days of summer until the 2015 NFL season is upon us.

NFL Week 1 Lines are Out: Expert Handicapping and Predictions for Early Value in Odds
by Vernon Croy - 7/22/2015

Think it's too early to place down a bet on the beginning of the 2015 NFL season? Think again! The week 1 point spreads are already out, and while they're certain to change between here and kickoff for anything from injury to roster moves to preseason performance and more, there is already early betting value to be found. Take a look at a few of those early values.

Odds for the 2015 Cincinnati Bengals NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/21/2015

In April, the Cincinnati Bengals extended Coach Marvin Lewis' contract through the 2016 season as they didn't want him in a lame-duck situation this year. That marked the eighth time Lewis either signed a new contract or extension of a current deal since being hired in 2003. Lewis has a very solid 100-90-2 record in regular-season games with Cincinnati. The team has reached double-digit in wins each of the last three seasons, and the Bengals' 31 total victories are tied for fifth in the NFL over that span.

Odds for the 2015 Philadelphia Eagles NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/20/2015

The NFL is a much more interesting place when Chip Kelly is in it -- much like college football is when Steve Spurrier is around. Kelly isn't witty publicly like Spurrier is, but Kelly is going to do things his way and suffer the consequences. Hence the "Mad Scientist" moniker. The Eagles had one of the NFL's best running backs in LeSean McCoy. So what does Kelly do?

Odds for the 2015 Buffalo Bills NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/17/2015

I think the Buffalo Bills will be one of the most fascinating teams of the 2015 season -- the kind of team that could surprise everyone and win the AFC East but also could go 5-11. No team has had a longer playoff drought than the Bills. For some odd reason, last year's head coach, Doug Marrone, opted out of his contract following a 9-7 season that qualifies as a huge success in Buffalo.

Odds for the 2015 Seattle Seahawks NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/16/2015

Could this be the final season of the Seattle Seahawks as an NFL powerhouse? It's possible. You have the whole Russell Wilson contract extension issue, which I think everyone thought would be done easily but now has turned a bit ugly. This guy has been maybe the most underpaid player in NFL history since he joined the NFL. His 36 wins are the most in a quarterback's first three seasons in the Super Bowl era. Wilson is the first quarterback to start two Super Bowls in his first three seasons. He is also the youngest quarterback to start two Super Bowls.

Odds for the 2015 Denver Broncos NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/15/2015

To no surprise, Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning didn't retire after last season ended with a bad home loss to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC's divisional round. In fact, he not only returned but took a $4 million pay cut to help the team out. Don't cry too much for Manning -- he's still making $15 million. Alas, it didn't help Denver keep star tight end Julius Thomas as he got a big new deal to sign with Jacksonville.

Odds for the 2015 Carolina Panthers NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/14/2015

Did you know that entering last season, no team had ever repeated as the NFC South champion? That's hard to believe, I know. I gave the Carolina Panthers little shot to repeat in 2015 but they did -- albeit with a 7-8-1 record (it was 3-8-1 at one point). The Cats also became the first to win the South four times. Each of the other three teams in the division -- Atlanta, New Orleans and Tampa Bay -- have won it three times.

Odds for the 2015 Indianapolis Colts NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/13/2015

The NFL hasn't had a $200 million man yet. I'd say by this time next year, it will. That's because the Indianapolis Colts have to give Andrew Luck a massive extension somewhat soon, with the team saying it doesn't expect Luck to enter next season without one. The Colts have picked up his fifth-year rookie option deal for next year at around $16.7 million or so, and I get why the Colts don't want to hand Luck that $200 million deal now.

Top 3 NFL Sleeper Teams for Betting Profit in 2015
by Vernon Croy - 7/11/2015

It's never too early to start thinking about the 2015 NFL season. After all, what else are you going to do all summer, watch baseball? Absolutely not! Instead, let's take a look ahead and consider the Top 3 NFL sleeper teams for 2015. Which teams are going to come out from nowhere and surprise the rest of the league, and who are the hidden contenders to know?

Odds for the 2015 Green Bay Packers NFL Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/10/2015

I have little doubt in my mind that if Green Bay would have had home-field advantage in last season's playoffs that the Packers would have gone to the Super Bowl -- and probably beaten New England. The Pack were pretty much invincible at home but just a middling team on the road. They played pretty well most of the NFC title game in Seattle before blowing it.