NFL Handicapping Articles

2010 NFL Predictions: Buffalo Bills Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/14/2010

The Buffalo Bills were the worst team in the AFC East last season and there’s simply no way they won’t be again this year. I mean, it was almost a sad offseason for this team. The Bills couldn’t get any big-name coaches to even listen to them for their head coaching job, so they settled on retread Chan Gailey. Terrell Owens also is gone – not necessarily a bad thing – and Buffalo cut its best pass rusher, Aaron Schobel, who basically said he would retire rather than play for the Bills.

Sunday-Monday NFL Preseason Game Odds and Preview
by T.O. Whenham - 8/14/2010

Most people tune in to Colts games to watch the magic of Peyton Manning. If that’s you then you probably don’t need to bother with this one. Manning has thrown a total of seven passes combined in the last three years in the first preseason game, and it’s highly unlikely he will see more than two series here. The only thing he’ll be interested in working on here is his relationship with new centers because stalwart Jeff Saturday is out for up to six weeks with knee surgery. Manning has never cared about the preseason in the past, and he’s not going to start now.

2010 NFL Predictions: Pittsburgh Steelers Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/13/2010

Obviously 2009 was a disappointment for the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the reigning Super Bowl champs’ season seemed to go off track right in Week 1 when star safety Troy Polamalu got injured. He was never the same the rest of the season the few times he did play, and the Pittsburgh defense wasn’t the same, either. The Steelers were still good against the run, but not so much against the pass, and that unit couldn’t hold a lot of fourth-quarter leads. Thus Polamalu’s return to health is a huge key this year.

Brett Favre and Minnesota Vikings Drama – Betting Impact
by T.O. Whenham - 8/12/2010

Brett Favre. We are always talking about Brett Favre. There are a bunch of reasons for that, but the biggest one is that that’s exactly what Brett Favre wants. He’s the quintessential media whore - someone for Paris Hilton to look up to. Typically I would avoid talking about a guy like that just on principle. The problem here, though, is that the situation he has created is just so compelling from a handicapping perspective.

2010 NFL Predictions: Miami Dolphins Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/12/2010

With all due respect to the players the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills have added this offseason – OK, I probably shouldn’t include the Bills – there was no bigger potential addition in this division than the Dolphins trading for Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

2010 NFL Predictions: Washington Redskins Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/10/2010

You may have heard a thing or two about the Washington Redskins this offseason following a 2009 4-12 season and the end of the Jim Zorn era. Of course, Mike Shanahan was brought in as coach, bringing instant credibility to the franchise with his two Super Bowl rings (albeit none without John Elway).

2010 NFL Predictions: Picks for Breakout Stars
by T.O. Whenham - 8/9/2010

One of the most exciting things to watch every year in the NFL is the inevitable emergence of surprising stars. Despite all of the scouting and the endless coverage there are still players who can come from nowhere to blow the doors off of a season. Two big names jump out as ideal examples from last season. Before last year Dallas receiver Miles Austin had 18 catches for 354 yards. He was finally given a chance to shine last year, and he made the most of it - 81 catches for 1,320 yards, and more than a few jaw-dropping highlights.

NFL Predictions: Hall of Fame Game Odds and Picks Bengals vs. Cowboys
by Robert Ferringo - 8/7/2010

It is fitting that the NFL will again kick off its season in the shadow of its legends, its myths, and its history. Football is the new national pastime in this nation, and it has reached its chimerical level in part because of the consistent, communal, and seasonal nature of the sports. The whims and amusement of summer is winding to a close and our consciousness is slowly settling back into another focused fall and, inexorably, an unwavering winter.

NFL Predictions: Green Bay Packers May Be In For Turnover Hangover
by Robert Ferringo - 8/6/2010

Turnovers are the fickle mistress of the NFL. Inexplicable fumbles, fluke bounces for interceptions, muffed punts, bumbled snaps, tipped passes into unexpected arms; these are weekly occurrences in NFL betting and they can be the difference between winning and losing, insanity and exaltation, and the stench and weight of sheer and utter failure or the unstoppable confidence and high of unimpeded success.

NFL Handicapping System: Yards Per Point
by Robert Ferringo - 8/6/2010

Yards Per Point is an excellent statistic to utilize in NFL handicapping because, in its own way, it accounts for much of the “hidden yardage” that is otherwise difficult to quantify on game day. Although it’s actually pretty basic to calculate, Yards Per Point isn’t a common NFL statistic and there aren’t any mainstream databases that regularly track and update it throughout the season. However, it is a number that many professional handicappers rely on to give them greater insight into what is actually going on down on the gridiron each week.

NFL Predictions: NFC North Odds and Preview with Football Betting Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 8/6/2010

The “Norris” Division is what football is all about. The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears are two of the pillars of American football. The Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions are two more venerable organizations that made their mark the same way as the Pack and as The Monsters of the Midway: by playing a brutish, cannibalistic brand of football that laid the foundation of the modern game. Pound the ball on the ground and play great defense, that was the mantra and that’s what these teams did. They did it in the elements. They did it outdoors, in the bitter cold, in the woodland areas of the Midwest. And they set the standard for physical play in the NFL for half a century

NFL Predictions: Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/6/2010

With the NFL exhibition season kicking off Friday and Brett Favre already dominating the NFL news cycles – I’m sure that story won’t be over until Opening Day – it’s time for the writers here at Doc’s Sports to start inundating you with NFL predictions and player prop picks stories.

2010 NFL Predictions: Detroit Lions Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/5/2010

Well, if their trend continues, the Lions will reach four wins this season after going an infamous 0-16 in 2008 and then “improving” to 2-14 last year. Unfortunately the Lions weren’t able to break their road-losing streak, which is now at 20 games in a row (2001-’03 Lions own record of 24 in a row). And Detroit actually lost at home to St. Louis last year for the Rams’ lone win of the 2009 season and their first road win since midway through the 2008 season.

NFL Predictions: Defensive Rookie of the Year Props Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/5/2010

There aren’t many guarantees in life and, unfortunately, not in sports betting, either. But here’s one thing I can absolutely guarantee you when betting on this year’s NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award winner: there will never be a player to match 2008 winner Brian Cushing of the Houston Texans.

NFL Predictions: NFC East Odds and Preview with Football Betting Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 8/4/2010

In the last five years there have only been three occasions where a team from the NFC East has finished below .500. That’s just three losing records out of a possible 20 for the clubs in this division. That is a testament to just how tough, talented and focused the teams from the NFC East have been over the last half-decade in what is the most competitive division in the sport.

2010 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/4/2010

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers started their rebuilding process last year and it showed with a 3-13 record. But the scary part is that the Bucs will be even younger in 2010 so even a .500 record, much less a playoff spot, is a pipe dream.

2010 St. Louis Rams Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/4/2010

It’s probably fair to say that the St. Louis Rams have become the sad-sack franchise in the NFL. Last year the Rams went 1-15 for their third straight losing season (a total of six wins in that stretch). Fans in St. Louis haven’t witnessed a Ram victory in person in that city since Oct. 19, 2008. And ESPN had a cool stat: every team in the NFL has at least four players who have been to at least one Pro Bowl. Every team but the Rams, who have one: running back Steven Jackson, and he’s coming off offseason back surgery.

NFL Handicapping: Top Free Agent Signings in 2010
by Robert Ferringo - 8/2/2010

Right now the signing of T.O. by Cincinnati is making waves and getting headlines. But all of that hype is coming from people either outside of the sport or from people that are worried more about the entertainment aspect of America’s Pastime than they are the execution aspect. The reality is that while Owens is now more caricature than pass catcher he doesn’t really address the core needs that the Bengals offense has.

NFL Handicapping: Least Improved Teams
by T.O. Whenham - 7/31/2010

This is the time in the NFL when everyone is optimistic about everything. People around the league believe that this is the year that their team is going all the way, and that all of its players will emerge as superstars. In a lot of cases it makes sense to be at least a little optimistic as teams have worked hard to improve and become more competitive. Some teams, though, just didn’t do enough to warrant any optimism. Here’s a look at the two teams - one in each conference - that haven’t done nearly enough to improve in the offseason:

2010 Seattle Seahawks Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 7/30/2010

At least in the front office and on the coaching staff, it’s hard to argue any team underwent a bigger facelift in the offseason than the Seattle Seahawks. And it was time for a change, as following a 2007 record of 10-6 and a division title, the Seahawks have won just nine games since, including a 5-11 record last season that was full of injuries all over the field.