NFL Handicapping Articles

Odds for the 2015 Houston Texans NFL Home Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/2/2015

Bad news for the Houston Texans this season: They will not be playing in the Super Bowl. That's if you go off the previous nine teams to appear on the excellent HBO show "Hard Knocks." Last week Houston was announced as this year's team, and no club on the show has made it to the Super Bowl. The Jets did reach an AFC title game one season they were on the show. I think Houston's a solid choice because J.J. Watt is a pretty entertaining guy on social media, not to mention a total freak of a defensive player.

Odds for the 2015 Detroit Lions NFL Home Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/1/2015

Is this finally the season the Lions get a home playoff game? They haven't since 1993, back when they played in the old Pontiac Silverdome, and even that was a loss to Green Bay. The Lions' last playoff win was at home, a 38-6 rout of Dallas in the divisional round following the 1991 season. Unfortunately for Detroit, it's stuck in the same division as Green Bay, so barring an Aaron Rodgers injury I don't see an NFC North title and thus home playoff game this season, either.

Odds for the 2015 Cincinnati Bengals NFL Home Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 5/29/2015

Apparently it doesn't matter whether the Bengals have a home or road playoff game -- they are going to lose it. Do you realize that Cincinnati hasn't won a postseason game since 1990? Four of those losses have been at home, the most recent in the 2013 season as a sizable favorite in frigid cold against warm-weather San Diego. I don't see how Coach Marvin Lewis survives if the Bengals don't at least win one playoff game this season.

Odds for the 2015 Philadelphia Eagles NFL Home Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 5/28/2015

I am not an Eagles fan by any stretch, but I can't wait to see what this team does in 2015 because I do like Coach Chip Kelly. The guy is an innovator, that can't be questioned. But how is he is as a general manager? He was given full control this offseason and definitely took advantage of that in jettisoning some key players and seemingly always targeting former Oregon guys to bring in.

Odds for the 2015 Buffalo Bills NFL Home Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 5/27/2015

I'm excited to see the Bills this season and think they have a decent shot at ending the NFL's longest playoff drought. Buffalo will have a monster defense and should run the ball all day with new addition LeSean McCoy. That's what new head coach Rex Ryan likes to do, and he has brought plenty of excitement to the city. In fact, I'd say Ryan is probably the most popular Bill. Can any other team claim that of its coach over a player?

NFL Top Games with Odds and Predictions for Weeks 1 through 8
by George Monroy - 5/27/2015

The 2015 NFL season is months away, and at the moment the entire football world is still focused on quarterback Tom Brady's pending appeal of a four-game suspension issued by the NFL for his role "Deflategate" scandal. Placing the controversy aside, there is still a season's worth of games on the horizon, and CG Technology has released its first set of lines for every game on the schedule.

Finding the Betting Value in the 2015 NFL Season Win Total Odds
by Dave Schwab - 5/27/2015

The NFL offseason has entered the stage where we pretty much know what all 32 teams will look like this upcoming season after going through the bulk of the free agency signings and the college draft. Bovada has recently updated its moneyline betting odds for the projected win total for each and every team, making it a perfect time to find the best value in the numbers.

Odds for the 2015 Seattle Seahawks NFL Home Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 5/26/2015

The loudest stadium in the NFL these days is in Seattle with the "12th Man" fans there making it perhaps the hardest place to visit in the league. In 2013, Seattle rode home-field advantage in the playoffs to the Super Bowl, beating the Broncos in the big game. Last year, Seattle managed to snag home-field advantage again despite a 3-3 start. The Seahawks beat the visiting Panthers and Packers in the NFC playoffs before losing an epic Super Bowl to New England.

Odds for the 2015 Denver Broncos NFL Home Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 5/25/2015

To no surprise, Broncos QB Peyton Manning decided not to retire after that hugely disappointing home playoff loss to Indianapolis in the AFC's divisional round in January. Manning even says he would like to play past this season, but if his Broncos either really struggle or win the Super Bowl then I believe he walks away. Good luck to teams trying to win in Denver during the regular season as the Broncos are 22-2 there since Manning arrived in the Mile High City.

How New Extra Point Rules will Affect NFL Betting
by Robert Ferringo - 5/22/2015

I understand that The Powers That Be running the National Football League hate sports gamblers (well, some sports gamblers), but this is getting ridiculous. A cavalcade of rule changes over the past several years has warped the game and forced football bettors to stay on their toes. But the NFL's latest alteration is one that has a lot of pros shaking their heads.

Odds for the 2015 Carolina Panthers NFL Home Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 5/22/2015

I've never been to a Carolina Panthers home game. but will the team have the audacity to celebrate last season's NFC South title with some sort of banner or whatever inside or outside of Bank of America Stadium in downtown Charlotte? I ask because the Panthers won the division with a below-.500 record (7-8-1), only the second team to ever do so. Is that worth celebrating?

Odds for the 2015 Indianapolis Colts NFL Home Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 5/21/2015

Don't think that having home-field advantage matters in the playoffs? I give you the Indianapolis Colts as proof it does. The Colts have advanced one round in the playoffs each of the past two seasons, being eliminated on the road. In 2012, Andrew Luck's rookie year, the Colts went to Baltimore in the wild-card round and were dominated 24-9. In 2013, they staged a huge home rally in the same round and beat Kansas City 45-44.

NFL Season Win Total Sucker Bets
by Trevor Whenham - 5/21/2015

There are some NFL season win total bets that make sense. They fit with how you see things turning out during the season. They could be worth a bet. Then there are those that just seem like a really, really bad idea. Like convenience store sushi. You can't be certain that they are losing bets, but there is enough uncertainty and cause for concern that you just can't possibly justify betting on them.

Handicapping the 2015 NFC South Schedule with Important Games and Predictions
by George Monroy - 5/21/2015

The NFC South may be the worst division in football. The situation was so bleak in 2014 that the division had fans and media experts questioning the rules and wondering if an under-.500 team should even be allowed to make the playoffs. No changes were made during the offseason, of course, since sub-.500 teams making the playoffs is a rare occurrence.

Handicapping the 2015 NFC North Schedule with Important Games and Predictions
by George Monroy - 5/21/2015

The Green Bay Packers are the clear favorite to capture their fifth straight NFC North title with the rest of the division struggling to improve over the offseason and one team actually losing a franchise player during free agency. The Packers themselves must deal with the fallout of a devastating playoff loss that cost the organization a shot at a sixth Super Bowl appearance and may use the disappointment as a catalyst for a renewed interest in the regular season.

Odds for the 2015 Green Bay Packers NFL Home Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 5/20/2015

Is there a better home-field advantage in the NFL than Lambeau Field? Maybe Seattle has an argument. Green Bay was 8-0 at home last regular season, 6-1-1 against the spread and 7-1 "over/under." The Packers generally crushed teams there other than a Week 2 comeback against the Jets and a 26-21 Week 13 win over New England that should have been a Super Bowl preview if not for the Packers' collapse in the NFC title game.

Odds for the 2015 Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Home Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 5/19/2015

The Steelers will enter the 2015 regular season off a home loss after being upset in the wild-card round by Baltimore when Pittsburgh was without injured star running back Le'Veon Bell. Perhaps the biggest offseason loss for the Steelers wasn't a player -- although safety Troy Polamalu, a potential Hall of Famer, retired -- but long-time defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau. He caught the team by surprise when he resigned in January and then quickly latched on with the Tennessee Titans.

Handicapping the 2015 NFC West Schedule with Important Games and Predictions
by George Monroy - 5/19/2015

For the last three seasons, the NFC West has been the power division in the NFC and still is considered to have the toughest group of teams in the entire NFL. Even the under-.500 St. Louis Rams earned a measure of respect for the way they played defense and conducted themselves with multiple key injuries to the roster. Seattle is once again the Super Bowl favorite. And even though San Francisco is expected to take a step back, the division is still filled with teams that no one wants to play.

Odds for the 2015 Dallas Cowboys NFL Home Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 5/18/2015

I continue my analysis of teams' home schedules -- doing all 32 home slates before switching to road -- with the Dallas Cowboys. And there was arguably no more schizophrenic home/road team last season than Dallas. They were only 4-4 at JerryWorld but 8-0 on the road, the NFL's only unbeaten away from home. That Dallas won the NFC East probably saved Coach Jason Garrett's job. The Cowboys got a gift (or two) from the referees in beating visiting Detroit in the wild-card round, but then they got jobbed by the refs on a Dez Bryant (non) TD catch in the divisional round at Green Bay.

Handicapping the 2015 AFC South Schedule with Important Games and Predictions
by George Monroy - 5/18/2015

The AFC South is all about one team and one player-the Indianapolis Colts and Andrew Luck. The Colts are currently the largest favorite to win their division, according to the odds at Bovada, and at this point in his career Luck is a regular-season monster who is almost certain to produce 10 or 11 wins a year, the same way his predecessor Peyton Manning did for Indianapolis for most of his career. Let's take a closer look at the AFC South schedule, go over important games and make a few predictions. All odds come from Bovada.