NFL Handicapping Articles

NFL Handicapping: Key Players Returning From Injury
by Robert Ferringo - 7/15/2010

Bad calls by officials, crippling and unsightly turnovers, and devastating injuries are all part of what makes football betting the masochistic masterpiece that it is. All three are at the whim of Gravity and the Gambling Gods, and that unholy trinity is at the core of luck, losses, and/or liquor-induced comas each and every season.

2010 Minnesota Vikings Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 7/9/2010

In a perfect world, I wouldn’t write an analysis of the 2010 Minnesota Vikings schedule until late August, which is probably when Brett Favre makes his return “official” – with LeBron James finally deciding his NBA future, now it’s Favre’s “will he or won’t he” that probably dominates the sports headlines for a while. But we all know he’s playing this year because he already has had ankle surgery that he wouldn’t have needed if he wasn’t going to play football. And he’s also out throwing to high schoolers in Mississippi.

Is 18-Game NFL Season Good or Bad for Bettors?
by T.O. Whenham - 7/7/2010

Without looking at a calendar you can tell every year when the endless NFL national obsession is short of real news, because some sort of debate always breaks out. Right now the NFL Draft is in the rear view mirror, most of the free agents have found new homes, coaching changes have been made, and training camps are still a ways off. There’s just not a lot going on.

2010 Dallas Cowboys Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 7/6/2010

You think Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is, well, “jonesing” to see his club play in this winter’s Super Bowl on the Cowboys’ home field? Jones would like nothing more than to turn those two weeks before the big game into all things Dallas. No team in NFL history has hosted a Super Bowl it played in.

The Brett Favre Circus Starts Again
by T.O. Whenham - 7/2/2010

Brett Favre just couldn’t handle being out of the news. Maybe it was all the attention everyone is paying to where LeBron James will play next year. Or maybe he was jealous because Phil Jackson, the second most diva-ish retirement fiend behind Favre, has been gaining headlines surrounding his indecision (although he re-signed with the Lakers yesterday). Or perhaps Favre is just sick of hearing about the World Cup.

2010 Indianapolis Colts Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/29/2010

Our second team-by-team NFL schedule breakdown focuses on the second-place team from last season, the Indianapolis Colts. And other than death and taxes there seems to be one sure thing in life: Indianapolis winning at least 12 regular-season games, as it has done for a record seven seasons in a row.

2010 New Orleans Saints Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/29/2010

We of course have to start at the top here at Doc’s with our 2010 team-by-team NFL schedule analysis, so today we give you the Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. Oddsmakers at BetUS have listed the Saints as +900 to win Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington next February; just the Colts at +800 have shorter NFL futures odds.

2010 New England Patriots Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/29/2010

It has been years since the New England Patriots weren’t overwhelming favorites to win the AFC East. After all, the Pats have won it six of the past seven years and the one season they didn’t Tom Brady was lost in the season opener and they still tied the Dolphins atop the division. But there it is on Bodog’s NFL futures odds to win the AFC East: Jets +130, Patriots +135.

NFL Week 1 Odds and Early Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 6/10/2010

We are less than two months away from the start of NFL training camps (hallelujah!), which means that several NFL props are starting to be released at the books. I also will be taking a look at some of the top teams’ NFL schedules and do an analysis of their likely win totals in a few weeks here at Doc’s. But today let’s take a look at the NFL Week 1 odds that have been posted on BetUS. Here’s just a quick comment on each game if you simply can’t wait to get those bets down.

2010 NFL Undrafted Free Agent Signings
by Doc's Sports - 5/18/2010

If you are looking for NFL undrafted free agents signings you have come to the right place as below we have a current list of 2010 NFL undrafted free agent signings for each NFL team. Even though these guys did not get picked up in the NFL Draft, they still have a great chance to make the 2010 squad as many undrafted NFL free agents have had great success in the NFL.

Tim Tebow Predictions for Broncos in 2010
by Matt Severance - 4/27/2010

Has the Tim Tebow hysteria died down yet? All of Gator Nation was ecstatic that their boy was drafted in the first round by the Denver Broncos last week, while all those (delirious) Denver fans already can see Tebow becoming the franchise’s best quarterback since John Elway. Obviously that’s silly, but you can bet that Tebow’s No. 15 Broncos jersey will be a hot seller not just in the Mile High City but all over the country.

Impact of the ‘Big Ben’ Suspension
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 4/21/2010

Now that Big Ben is officially Big Banned and with the NFL schedule being released, we can look ahead to see how the 2010-11 NFL season shapes up for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Roger Goodell officially handed down the six-game suspension for Roethlisberger on Wednesday.

Handicapping NFL Overtime Rule Changes
by T.O. Whenham - 4/9/2010

The NFL as a league is very good at a lot of things. Unfortunately, one of those things is making knee jerk reactions instead of considered decisions. A perfect example of that is the decision to change the overtime playoff rules this offseason. There is no doubt that the NFL's playoff format is broken and in need of a massive change. The way they went about doing it, though, just didn't make any sense.

NFL Free Agency Impact Players
by T.O. Whenham - 3/19/2010

NFL free agency still rages on, and it will to some extent until the season starts. The biggest splashes have been made, though, and the teams with the greatest sense of urgency have addressed their issues. Now that the smoke has cleared on the initial flurry of moves it's a good time to look at the deals that have been done so far to see which ones have the biggest impact for bettors. Here are seven that stand out as the most significant in my eyes:

New NFL Overtime Rules and Betting Effect
by Pat Spence - 3/8/2010

In 1974 the NFL adopted sudden death overtime for regular season games, allowing for ties if neither team scored in the 15 minute extra period. Playoff games have always been sudden death. Now, after ironman Brett Farve’s Minnesota Vikings didn’t get the ball and a chance to win or tie in the 31-28 NFC Championship loss to eventual Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints, the NFL Competition Committee is considering a rule change, but only for the Playoffs.

2011 Super Bowl Futures Predictions
by Robert Ferringo - 2/12/2010

Some people are still reeling from their Super Bowl party or Super Bowl winner’s parade, and the memories from a great game between New Orleans and Indianapolis in The Big Game are still as fresh as the stains on those clothes or the DWI ticket you picked up that night.

Will Favre Play Next Season? Bet on It!
by Matt Severance - 2/11/2010

Look, I have absolutely no clue if Brett Favre will return to the NFL for next season. I’m pretty sure Favre himself has no idea, either, despite saying right after the Vikings’ NFC title game loss to the Saints that he was “highly unlikely” to return. But let’s not take the word of probably the most wishy-washy athlete in pro sports history.

NFL Handicapping: Offseason Storylines
by T.O. Whenham - 2/10/2010

It seems hard to believe, but the football season is over. Until training camps start in the middle of the summer we won't get to see teams play again, and we won't see another meaningful game until September. That seems like an impossibly long time to wait. Luckily, the NFL never really rests.

NFL Betting: 2010 Pro Bowl
by Matt Severance - 1/27/2010

If you sign up for the Doc’s newsletter, you are guaranteed a starting spot in this Sunday’s AFC-NFC Pro Bowl! OK, that’s obviously not true, but it seems that hardly any players of value want in for this year’s Pro Bowl, which of course is not in Hawaii the week after the Super Bowl -- as has been the case since 1980 -- but instead in Miami the week before the big game at the same site.

NFL Public Action Report: Championship Round
by T.O. Whenham - 1/22/2010

We are into the nitty-gritty of the NFL Playoffs, so now is where things really start to get good. There are, of course, only two games on tap this weekend. That means that betting volumes on each of the games is going to be much higher than a typical NFL game. High volumes means that the spreads and totals are going to be under a whole lot of pressure, and they will react strongly to unbalanced betting activity.