NFL Handicapping Articles

NFL Week 16 Special Props Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/19/2013

I led last week's Bovada special props story on Kirk Cousins, and I will again this week because the former Michigan State star paid off in a huge way in his first start of the season. Cousins, with Robert Griffin III deactivated (and that mess just getting worse in Washington with RGII now speaking out), was 29-of-45 for 381 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

NFC East Weekly NFL Betting Picks: Week 16
by Dave Schwab - 12/18/2013

The NFC East reverted to its early-season form last Sunday with all four teams taking a hit in the loss column. This means that 8-6 Philadelphia still holds a one-game lead over 7-7 Dallas at the top of the division with two games to play. New York has now lost its last two games, and Washington’s losing streak has reached six games. I went with Seattle over the Giants by 7.5 points as my ‘pick of the week’ and cashed in on the 3-Unit play. This raised my year-to-date record on my picks to 11-3 and my earnings to +$3,300 on a $100-per-unit wager.

NFL Totals Betting: Week 16 Over and Under Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 12/18/2013

High-scoring games have been the norm in the NFL as the regular season winds down, with the total going “over” in 10 of 16 games for the second week in a row. After posting a costly 0-3 mark in Week 14, I bounced back with a clean sweep in my three picks last Sunday to improve to 25-19-1 heading into Week 16’s matchups.

NFL Betting and Handicapping: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 12/17/2013

Wow, Week 15 of the NFL season was a lot like a late-season Saturday in college football season, with upsets galore shaking up the playoff races. Let's face it, the NFL may have better players than college, but NCAA games are usually a lot more exciting.

NFL Handicapping: Tight Division Races
by Trevor Whenham - 12/17/2013

With just two weeks left in the NFL season, we certainly can’t complain about a lack of drama in the playoff race. The wild cards are basically down to three teams for two spots in both leagues, and that has certainly been interesting in the past. There are five divisions, though, that still have the potential to come down to the last game of the season. That’s one of the things that makes the NFL so great. Here’s a look at how each of the five races break down, and what betting implications they could have:

NFL Week 15 Special Props Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/13/2013

The big story of the week in the NFL was dead-man walking Mike Shanahan deciding to deactivate Robert Griffin III, the same guy who cost the Redskins three first-round picks (one a swap) and a second, for the rest of the season and start backup Kirk Cousins. Shanahan says it's just to assure that RGIII doesn't get hurt and will be fully healthy for offseason activities and into next season (even son Kyle, the team's offensive coordinator, said he was disappointed by the move and had no say in the move).

Week 15 NFL Betting Line Movement: Oddsmaker Explains Moves
by CarbonSports - 12/13/2013

At this point in the year, the AFC looks like a three-team conference with Denver, New England and Kansas City, in that order, at the top of the heap. If Week 15 NFL betting line movement has shown us anything, it’s that the NFC is a much different picture. The following four games have experienced some eye-catching alterations in the past 48 hours. These are all games worth jumping on early if you like the favorites, and I’ll tell you exactly why.

Basic Strategy NFL Teasers: Best Options for Week 15
by George Monroy - 12/13/2013

As the NFL regular season comes to a close, the one constant for bettors has been basic strategy teasers. The wager has won at an 80 percent rate all year and would have brought in a profit for anyone wagering on each teaser week-in and week-out. Last week the teasers went 1-2 and had their first losing week of the season. The wager made bettors a profit for 14 straight weeks of the season.

NFL Playoffs Wild-Card Scenarios
by Trevor Whenham - 12/12/2013

As we get closer to the NFL Playoffs, there is a bit of clarity emerging in the wild-card races. There are still a lot of things that can happen, but at least we are at the point where we can begin to understand what is at stake and what is likely to happen. Teams embroiled in wild-card races can elevate their game or crumble under the pressure depending on their makeup. Bettors need to know which teams are in races, and what they need to do, so they can assess the meaning of games and the potential for motivation.

NFL Handicapping: Colts Down the Stretch and Playoffs
by Trevor Whenham - 12/12/2013

The Indianapolis Colts are an odd case at this point in the season. Last week they became the first team in the league to clinch their division, but if they keep playing like they are then they could wind up being the least inspiring division winner of all. They started out with such promise, and they won some big games. Lately, though, the bottom has fallen out of their year.

NFC East Weekly NFL Betting Picks: Week 15
by Dave Schwab - 12/11/2013

The Philadelphia Eagles sledded their way to a 34-20 victory over Detroit on Sunday to take the outright lead in the NFC East at 8-5 after Dallas started another December on a losing note in a 45-28 loss to Chicago this past Monday night. Both New York and Washington continue to go through the motions as the losses continue to pile up. I went with the “under” in the Redskins 45-10 loss to Kansas City as my pick of the week instead of just going against the Redskins, which has been a profitable strategy the past several weeks.

NFL Totals Betting: Week 15 Over and Under Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 12/11/2013

Despite cold and snowy weather all across the country last Sunday, a play on the “over” was still the way to go in the NFL. The total ended up going over in 10 of the 16 games on Week 14’s schedule. I had bad weather on my side in all three “under” picks last week, but all three games went way over the closing line. This unfortunate turn of events dropped my record on the year to 22-19-1, so it is back to the drawing board for Week 15 in the NFL.

NFL Betting and Handicapping: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 12/10/2013

Was Week 14 the best regular season Sunday in NFL history? That's saying a lot, but I'd argue that it was the best slate of 1 p.m. games that I can remember. The winter weather played a big role in several East Coast games, so let's hope that's what happens at the Super Bowl. Here's what we saw Sunday in the early games:

Basic Strategy Teasers: Best Options for Week 14
by George Monroy - 12/6/2013

The big NFL game of the week will be a huge NFC West divisional matchup between the one-loss Seattle Seahawks and heated rival San Francisco 49ers. Luckily for bettors, the game is a basic strategy teaser matchup that will give the visiting Seahawks six extra points to play with. The matchup is a likely candidate to decide the NFC’s representative in this season’s Super Bowl, and it could go a long way in helping either the New Orleans Saints or Carolina Panthers steal the top seed in the conference.

NFL Handicapping: Houston and the Gary Kubiak Firing
by Trevor Whenham - 12/6/2013

There was a mercy killing in Houston this morning. Gary Kubiak’s days had long been numbered, but this loss to Jacksonville last time out was the final straw, and he was put out of his suffering. He was fired this morning, and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips has been named interim coach for the rest of the season. Phillips has already filled that role for one game this season when Kubiak was out recovering from his mini-stroke.

Week 14 NFL Line Movement – Shrinking Spreads for Denver, San Fran
by CarbonSports - 12/6/2013

Three games are creating mayhem in the sportsbook already and they all involve curious Week 14 NFL line movement. By now we have a vague idea of how good and bad certain teams are given the circumstances of a particular matchup. Is it time to trust your instincts or the lead of the oddsmakers? The answers may surprise you.

NFL Week 14 Special Props Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/5/2013

I was feeling rather brilliant for a minute there in last week's Cardinals-Eagles game. I predicted in this space a week ago that I thought Nick Foles' streak of not getting picked off would end against Arizona and that Cards star Patrick Peterson would be the guy to do it. And indeed Peterson did snag a Foles pass in the fourth quarter, but it was wiped out because of a holding call on safety Tyrann Mathieu. Arizona may have won had that stood.

NFL Handicapping: Kansas City Chiefs
by Trevor Whenham - 12/5/2013

The Kansas City Chiefs have been a perfect example this year of how fickle fans and public bettors can be. Before the season they were getting very little attention at all, and they would have been getting absolutely none if it weren’t for Andy Reid and some interest around the raw deal Alex Smith got in San Francisco. After they started winning some games, though, and were the last unbeaten standing, people started jumping on the bandwagon.

NFC East Weekly NFL Betting Picks: Week 14
by Dave Schwab - 12/4/2013

Dallas and Philadelphia kept pace with one another atop the NFC East with victories last week, and New York remained in the race with a crucial win over Washington. I had the Giants last week as my ‘pick of the week’ in a game that closed with the Redskins favored by a point. It was one of my biggest plays of the year, and with another five units my total profit for the year is now $3,250 on a $100-per-unit wager. My overall record for the season with these picks is a sterling 11-2 as things continue to fall into place.

NFL Totals Betting: Week 14 Over and Under Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 12/4/2013

A play on the “under” in Week 13 of the NFL regular season proved to be profitable with 10 of the 16 games on the schedule staying under the closing total line. This cost me in two games I had going “over” the total for a final record of 1-2 in my top picks. Heading into this week’s game, my record for the year is now 22-16-1.