NFL Handicapping Articles

NFL Draft Betting Props with Expert Wagering Predictions
by Trevor Whenham - 4/18/2017

We are now just days away from the NFL Draft - a three-day spectacle that could and should be over in one day, or two at most. It's always a fun event to watch and see how your favorite teams fare. For bettors it can also be a fun event to bet on. My favorite way to bet on the draft is draft position "over/unders". They are a little confusing - oddsmakers offer a total, and you bet the over (that they will be drafted before the listed pick), or the under (that they will still be on the board by the time the listed pick is made).

NFL Handicapping: Judging the Offseason Quarterback Market
by Trevor Whenham - 2/9/2017

It's not an ideal time to be an NFL team in need of a quarterback - and there are plenty of them. The upcoming draft class lacks a sure thing and is really short on depth. Last year's group was stronger, and top pick Jared Goff still accomplished almost nothing. That means that teams looking to upgrade at the QB position are likely going to be forced to overpay - both in terms of contract and potentially in trade as well - to get one of the guys that are available. This last Super Bowl, and the whole playoffs leading up to them, was just the latest proof of how important QB play is in this league.

Legacy and NFL Glory at Stake in the NFC Championship Game
by Robert Ferringo - 1/20/2017

The Packers will meet the Falcons at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 22 for the NFC Title Game. The game will take place in the Georgia Dome and is available for viewing on Fox. The Falcons opened as a 4.5-point favorite in Las Vegas, but several offshore books have moved the spread to 5.0. The total is the set a 60.5 and is the highest playoff betting total in history.

Brady vs. Roethlisberger: Get Ready for an Instant Classic
by Robert Ferringo - 1/20/2017

You never know when it is the last time. The sting of a last smoky scotch. The sweet separation of a final kiss. The last goodbye to a significant soul. "Tempus fugit," as I once saw scribbled on a bathroom stall. And gravity always wins. Yet despite these Immutable Laws of Existence we still take so many moments for granted, unaware of The Final Time.

Expert NFL Picks: Pittsburgh Steelers at New England Patriots Odds & Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 1/19/2017

Is this season's NFL final four field any good or what? We have future Hall of Fame quarterbacks in New England's Tom Brady, Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger and Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers. Those three have combined for seven Super Bowl titles, the most of any four conference championship starting QBs since the merger.

NFL Championship Round Public Action Betting Report
by Trevor Whenham - 1/19/2017

This weekend in the NFL features both the fewest games we have seen on a weekend all season and the most important and most scrutinized games of the year. That combination ensures that public betting action will be intense. That, in turn, means that it's definitely worth our while to check in on just how the public is betting on the two games so far and consider what impact that could have on how we bet the games:

Free NFL Picks: Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons Odds and Expert Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 1/18/2017

By most accounts, this has been the worst NFL Playoffs ever for various sportsbooks, be they of the Las Vegas brick-and-mortar variety or those offshore options listed here at Doc's. The books are 0-8 thus far. The public hammered the four favorites in the wild-card round, and they all won and covered easily.

AFC Championship Game Betting Advice: NFL Playoffs Keys and Distractions
by Trevor Whenham - 1/18/2017

An interesting thing happens in the NFL Playoffs. The amount of media attention grows significantly with each passing round, while at the same time the number of games shrinks each week. By the time we get to the championship round there are only two games, and there is a massive hunger for content to fill airtime and real and virtual print space. That means that there is a whole lot of noise out there for bettors to wade through.

NFC Championship Game Betting Advice: NFL Playoffs Keys and Distractions
by Trevor Whenham - 1/18/2017

Handicapping successfully in an environment as oversaturated in media coverage as the NFL Playoffs can be a tough thing. There are so few games and so much public interest that every minor detail gets major coverage. Good handicappers have to learn to absorb the information that is important and discard that which doesn't matter. You can't get distracted by trivialities, and you need to focus on what really matters.

Green Bay Packers vs. Dallas Cowboys Expert NFL Betting Picks for Best Props on Board
by Chris Vasile - 1/13/2017

This game between the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys is not only the last game of the Divisional Round but it will likely be the most-watched game of the weekend. The Cowboys are "America's Team". Whether you agree with that nickname or not, the Cowboys are seemingly always in the spotlight and are seemingly criticized under a microscope.

Expert NFL Picks: Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 1/12/2017

Monday night's National Championship Game between Clemson and Alabama was the most-wagered college football game ever at pretty much every major sportsbook you could find. And the books took a major bath, but that's another story. I mention this because Sunday's Green Bay at Dallas game almost surely will be the most-wagered and highest-rated NFL game so far this season. The Cowboys always draw eyeballs and bettors, and the Packers aren't far behind in either. Frankly, the only matchup in these playoffs that would excite the sportsbooks and TV executives more would be a Patriots-Cowboys Super Bowl.

NFL Divisional Round Playoffs Handicapping: Biggest Keys to Success
by Trevor Whenham - 1/12/2017

The concept here is pretty straightforward. This weekend, which is often the best weekend of the NFL season, we are promised three really competitive interesting games (the fourth is obviously Houston, which I expect to be a special kind of humiliated). We're going to look at all four of the matchups to determine what the biggest key for success in the game is and what the biggest distraction is for bettors. So, let's get to it (lines for the games are from BetOnline):

Seattle Seahawks at Atlanta Falcons Expert NFL Betting Picks for Best Props on Board
by Chris Vasile - 1/12/2017

The Divisional Round of the NFL postseason kicks off with a rematch from Week 6, when the Seattle Seahawks travel to Atlanta to tangle with the Falcons. There were plenty of talking points in that Week 6 meeting, with the main one being the non-call on Richard Sherman for pass interference.

2017 Expert NFL Divisional Round Odds with Free Picks and Predictions Against the Spread
by Chris Vasile - 1/11/2017

In a year where almost everyone complained about the quality of product the NFL was giving us on a weekly basis, Wild-Card Weekend followed suit and delivered some pretty lame and boring football. You could argue that Oakland and Miami were already eliminated before kick off since they were both forced to start very bad quarterbacks. However, Detroit and New York had no such excuse. Both teams had their starting QBs in the lineup and both underperformed immensely.

Free NFL Picks: Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs Odds and Expert Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 1/11/2017

If the Kansas City Chiefs reach their first Super Bowl since the 1969 season -- before the NFL-AFL merger -- they probably should send a thank-you card to Indianapolis Colts linebacker Trent Cole. That's because in the Oakland Raiders' 33-25 win over the Colts in Week 16, Cole sacked Raiders star QB and MVP candidate Derek Carr, breaking Carr's leg.

NFL Playoffs Betting Advice and Handicapping: Bye Teams in the Divisional Round
by Trevor Whenham - 1/9/2017

It's a familiar scene heading into the poorly-named Divisional Playoffs Round of the NFL Playoffs. All four teams who enjoyed a bye week last week are favored against teams that won their games last week. All of the wild-card teams are out of the playoffs, and now the odds suggest that only the top two teams in each division will survive this week. This is nothing new - 22 of the last 24 home teams in this week of the playoffs have been favored, including this year, and one home team that wasn't the favorite was a "pick'em".

Super Bowl Betting Odds and Expert Handicapping: Checking in With First-Round Bye Teams
by Trevor Whenham - 1/6/2017

Now is a good time to take a look at the bye teams as we head into the NFL Playoffs. The reason for that is simple. This is the one time that few other people are doing the same. Soon the Patriots and Cowboys will resume their perches as conference and Super Bowl favorites. For now, though, people are more interested in whether Packers can keep things rolling, the mess at QB for Oakland and all the other storylines of the opening week of playoff action. While there is a bit of calm before the storm, then, let's check in on the four bye teams and their status at this point (odds to win the Super Bowl are from BetOnline):

NFL Playoffs Betting Advice and Handicapping: Avoid Distractions
by Trevor Whenham - 1/6/2017

The NFL Playoffs are about to begin. This week between the regular season and the start of the Divisional Round is an interesting one. I always like to sit back and look at what the media and the general public are talking about most. Some of it is always important and relevant. And much of it really isn't. Every year there are storylines that grab all sorts of attention. It makes sense - they are juicy and compelling.

Expert NFL Picks: New York Giants at Green Bay Packers Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 1/5/2017

You may want to go bet on whichever team you think wins this game to win Super Bowl LI. Why? Sunday's NFC wild-card game at Lambeau between the NFC's fifth-seeded New York Giants and NFC North champion Green Bay Packers is the eighth postseason meeting between the flagship franchises. The winner of the previous seven won the NFL championship or Super Bowl. How's that for a trend!

Free NFL Picks: Miami Dolphins at Pittsburgh Steelers Odds and Expert Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 1/5/2017

The Dolphins and Steelers are two of the marquee franchises in the AFC and both have rich playoff histories. It's just that the two haven't been good together in a long while as they meet in the first of two wild-card games on Sunday. The two franchises have played three times in the postseason, with the Dolphins holding a 2-1 edge.