NFL Handicapping Articles

NFL Football Predictions: Week 15 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 12/9/2014

I have no statistical proof, but in my memory I can't recall a season that entered Week 15 without a single playoff spot clinched in the NFL. That's truly amazing. I do expect that to change this week when three of the four AFC divisions can be clinched with a win by favorites Indianapolis, New England and Denver (only road team among the trio) -- also the three-best teams in the conference, no doubt. However, and unfortunately, the big story in the NFL this week won't be huge divisional games between San Francisco-Seattle and Dallas-Philadelphia, but instead the Bengals-Browns matchup at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

NFC Playoff Scenarios: NFL Odds and Predictions
by George Monroy - 12/9/2014

The NFC Playoff picture is in a messier state of affairs than its AFC counterpart. Every division is currently separated by a single game, and the NFC East and South have multiple squads tied for the division lead. Certain matchups over the next few weeks will be amplified as they take on greater significance toward the playoff picture. Dallas and Philadelphia are set for a huge Week 15 matchup, Seattle and Arizona will battle for the NFC West division lead during Week 16, and to top things off Green Bay and Detroit are set to face each other during the final week of the season.

NFL Props: Jim Harbaugh Odds and Predictions for End of San Francisco Tenure
by George Monroy - 12/8/2014

San Francisco’s humiliating loss against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday probably eliminated the team from the postseason, and it could have been one of Jim Harbaugh’s final games as head coach of the team. The speculation coming out of the Bay Area is that ownership, management and the players are all tired of Harbaugh’s over-the-top and abrasive style, which will probably leave the former Stanford coach out of a job before the year’s end.

AFC Playoff Scenarios: NFL Odds and Predictions
by George Monroy - 12/8/2014

The AFC playoff picture is slowly beginning to clear itself out after 14 weeks of NFL action. The New England Patriots have positioned themselves for the No. 1 seed in the conference after a big win in San Diego on Sunday, while Denver and Indianapolis control their own destiny in their respective division races. The AFC North, however, has been the most interesting and confusing division to handicap with every team still in the running for the crown.

NFL Teasers Betting: Best Basic Strategy Options for Week 14
by George Monroy - 12/4/2014

Basic strategy teasers have been on fire over the last three weeks, posting a 7-1 record through eight qualifying games, and the only squad not to cover during that span was Kansas City during last weekend’s loss at the hands of the Denver Broncos. Basic strategy teasers are two-team, six-point wagers that involve only favorites of 7.5 to 8.5 points and underdogs of 1.5 to 2.5 points. The idea is to tease the favorites down past the strongest NFL key number of three and to tease the underdogs up past the second-strongest NFL key number of seven.

Expert NFL Betting Picks: Weekly NFC East Predictions Week 14
by Dave Schwab - 12/3/2014

I had the Giants at Jacksonville game staying “under” 44.5 as last week’s NFC ‘pick of the week,’ and while I missed the mark on that pick by a few points to fall to 8-5 on the year, the biggest news in this division was the Eagles’ 33-10 victory over Dallas to take sole possession of first place at 9-3 on the year.

NFL Totals Betting: Week 14 Over and Under Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 12/3/2014

Overall, my year-to-date record for Doc’s Sports on the “over/under” line stands at an even 19-19-1 as a result of a second straight 2-1 record in last week’s top three free picks. The overall results in Week 13 of the NFL season favored the over with a 9-7 mark in the 16 games.

NFL Football Predictions: Week 14 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 12/2/2014

How unusual is it that we enter Week 14 of the season and not only has a single division title not been clinched yet but no club has even locked up a playoff spot? That could change this week. The Colts can lock up the AFC South with a win in Cleveland and a Houston loss in Jacksonville. Denver, meanwhile, will clinch a playoff spot with a win and losses by Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland plus a few other results involving the Chiefs, Texans and/or Chargers.

NFL Picks: Thanksgiving Special Props Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 11/26/2014

I used to like to do the "mosts" every Friday during football season here at Doc's, but I haven't really seen the sportsbooks list those props this season. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. You know, the most yards rushing in a week, most passing and most receiving. Well, Bovada has come through for us this week on the excellent Thanksgiving tripleheader. Just another reason to love Turkey Day football.

Expert NFL Betting Picks: Weekly NFC East Predictions Week 13
by Dave Schwab - 11/26/2014

When last week’s NFC ‘pick of the week’ came out, I had Dallas -4.5 points over the Giants as my 4-Unit play. The spread closed at three points to make this game a wash, which is why it is always important to track line movements as the week wears on. Since I am counting this game as a loss, my year-to-date record with these free picks now stands at 8-4.

NFL Totals Betting: Week 13 Over and Under Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 11/26/2014

Overall, the year-to-date record for my free picks for Doc’s Sports on the “over/under” line stands at 17-18-1 after going 2-1 with last week’s results. I favored the “over” in two of the three picks, and overall that play ended up with a slight 8-7 edge in all the NFL games in Week 12.

NFL Teasers Betting: Best Basic Strategy Options for Week 13
by George Monroy - 11/26/2014

Basic strategy teasers have produced a 5-0 record over the last two weeks and covered both bets during a Week 12 that featured New England and Denver as small home favorites. For those that are new to the wager, a basic strategy teaser is a two-team combination bet similar to a parlay that lets bettors move spreads around by six points. The teasers, however, only involve certain spreads, which include favorites of 7.5 to 8.5 points and underdogs of 1.5 to 2.5 points.

NFL Football Predictions: Week 13 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 11/25/2014

You want NFL parity? I'll give you NFL parity. Entering Week 13 there are 16 teams with at least seven wins, the most ever through 11 games. All four AFC North teams sit on seven wins, and it's the first division in league history to have every team at least three games over .500 at any point in a season. To me this NFL season has been like the NCAA version in that there are probably 10-12 teams good enough to win it all with no clear-cut favorite.

NFL Division Odds: Taking a Closer Look Heading into Week 13
by George Monroy - 11/25/2014

The NFL season is 13 weeks old, and nearly every division is still up in the air with five of the eight groupings either tied or within a game of each other. The other three divisions are still relatively undecided, with the New England Patriots holding the largest lead in the NFL with three games, so any unexpected loss by a first-place team could keep each division race tight until the very end of the season.

Case of the Mondays: Beckham Overshadows Bryant, but Giants Lose
by Ricky Dimon - 11/24/2014

Odell Beckham Jr. made an unbelievable catch and had an all-around awesome game to take best receiver on the field honors away from the Cowboys’ Dez Bryant, but Beckham’s team could not quite seal the deal on Sunday night. The Giants blew a double-digit lead and dropped a wild one in Dallas 31-28. In Atlanta, meanwhile, another thriller saw the home team go down to Cleveland 26-24 in part due to some buffoonery by head coach Mike Smith.

NFL Handicapping: Betting Ramifications of Moved Jets vs. Bills Game
by Trevor Whenham - 11/21/2014

We get a lot of snow where I live, but I will never again complain about it (well, that’s not true, but you get my point). We have never seen anything close to what they have been hit with in Buffalo this week. Just think about this — the amount of snow that has fallen is deeper than the tallest player in the NBA. Almost as crazy are the pictures emerging Friday evening of snowmobiles picking up players at their homes and delivering them to a bus to the airport. Surreal.

Expert NFL Betting Picks: Weekly NFC East Predictions Week 12
by Dave Schwab - 11/19/2014

I thought last Sunday’s game between Philadelphia and Green Bay would have been a bit more competitive, but the end result served me well with a 4-Unit win on the “over”. This ran my record to 8-3 on the year for my NFC East ‘pick of the week’.

NFL Teasers Betting: Best Basic Strategy Options for Week 12
by George Monroy - 11/19/2014

Basic strategy teasers made a solid comeback during Week 11 by going a perfect 3-0 in all games that qualified. New England, Seattle and Detroit all managed to return a nice profit for those bettors that had jumped on the games. Heading into Week 12 there are two basic strategy teasers on the board, and both happen to involve the two best teams in the AFC—the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots.

NFL Totals Betting: Week 12 Over and Under Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 11/19/2014

Anyone riding the “under” in last week’s NFL games cleaned up as that play paid off in 10 of the 14 games. I was finally able to carve out a 2-1 winning record with my top three picks on the total line for Doc’s Sports to snap my mini-slide. Overall, my year-to-date record for these free picks stands at 15-17-1.

2014 NFL MVP Odds and Predictions Power Rankings
by George Monroy - 11/19/2014

The 2014 NFL season is beginning to wind down after 11 weeks of exciting action. That is no reason to frown, however, because sports bettors can finally begin talking about the MVP race in earnest. Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers is, at the movement, the favorite to win the award, but at certain points in the season Peyton Manning and Tom Brady were on everyone’s’ radar as the top choice to bring home the 2014 MVP trophy.