NFL Handicapping Articles

Expert NFL Betting Picks: Weekly NFC East Predictions Week 16
by Dave Schwab - 12/17/2014

Philadelphia’s inability to stop Dallas from moving up and down the field in this past Sunday’s 38-27 Cowboys’ victory cost me my NFC East “play of the year” with a bold 6-Unit wager on the “under” 55 in that game. Time is running out to right the ship after four straight losses, but I am more than confident that I am cashing in with this week’s free pick

NFL Football Predictions: Week 16 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 12/16/2014

We didn't have a single playoff spot wrapped up entering Week 15, but now four clubs are in: New England, Denver and Indianapolis clinched their respective division titles while Arizona clinched at least a wild-card berth. The four teams to have qualified through Week 15 is the second-fewest number since the field expanded to 12 in 1990. Depending on what happens this week, all four NFC division crowns could be up for grabs entering Week 17 for the second year in a row. That has never happened in back-to-back seasons in a conference dating to the merger.

NFL Futures Odds: Can the Long Shot Arizona Cardinals Make a Super Bowl Run?
by George Monroy - 12/16/2014

The Arizona Cardinals are down to their third-string quarterback after a pair of injuries shut down Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton, while seemingly dashing the team’s Super Bowl chances in the process. Arizona, at the moment, may be the most underrated 11-3 team in NFL history as most football experts have jumped off the Cardinal bandwagon and expect the team to make a quick playoff exit come January.

NFL Totals Betting: Week 15 Over and Under Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 12/10/2014

After posting a solid 4-2 record in my previous two weeks of NFL “over/under” picks for Doc’s Sports, I hit the Mother lode in Week 14 with a perfect 3-0 mark in my top three plays. This boosted my year-to-date record with these free total line selections to 22-19-1. The overall results in the NFL last week on 5Dimes’ closing betting odds clearly favored the “under” with 10 of 16 games staying under the total line.

Expert NFL Betting Picks: Weekly NFC East Predictions Week 15
by Dave Schwab - 12/10/2014

This past week I went with “over” 45.5 in the New York vs. Tennessee game as my NFC East ‘pick of the week,’ and for the second time in a row I ended up on the wrong side of the total line in a Giants’ game. My year-to-date record for these NFC East free picks now stands at 8-6 while in the midst of a three-game slide.

NFL Teasers Betting: Best Basic Strategy Options for Week 15
by George Monroy - 12/10/2014

Basic strategy teaser bets are closing out the NFL season on a strong note after starting on the wrong one. Last week, the two-team, six-point teasers went 3-0 to push its record to 10-1 over the last four Sundays. The wagers tend to be the most profitable way to tease NFL games and are designed to take advantage of the most common point differentials in any given NFL game—three and seven.

NFL Props Odds and Predictions: Head Coaching Specials
by Alan Matthews - 12/10/2014

If you read my stuff here regularly at Doc's, you know I love head coaching props from Bovada. Alas, I haven't hit on them much this season. However, with the NFL season in the homestretch, the site has released a handful on the futures of some embattled coaches. Each prop asks if he will be the head coach of his current team for Week 1 next season. I'll examine one by one. Bit surprised that the Jets' Rex Ryan isn't on that list, but I suppose it's because it's such a sure thing he's not back.

NFL Football Predictions: Week 15 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 12/9/2014

I have no statistical proof, but in my memory I can't recall a season that entered Week 15 without a single playoff spot clinched in the NFL. That's truly amazing. I do expect that to change this week when three of the four AFC divisions can be clinched with a win by favorites Indianapolis, New England and Denver (only road team among the trio) -- also the three-best teams in the conference, no doubt. However, and unfortunately, the big story in the NFL this week won't be huge divisional games between San Francisco-Seattle and Dallas-Philadelphia, but instead the Bengals-Browns matchup at 1 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

NFC Playoff Scenarios: NFL Odds and Predictions
by George Monroy - 12/9/2014

The NFC Playoff picture is in a messier state of affairs than its AFC counterpart. Every division is currently separated by a single game, and the NFC East and South have multiple squads tied for the division lead. Certain matchups over the next few weeks will be amplified as they take on greater significance toward the playoff picture. Dallas and Philadelphia are set for a huge Week 15 matchup, Seattle and Arizona will battle for the NFC West division lead during Week 16, and to top things off Green Bay and Detroit are set to face each other during the final week of the season.

NFL Props: Jim Harbaugh Odds and Predictions for End of San Francisco Tenure
by George Monroy - 12/8/2014

San Francisco’s humiliating loss against the Oakland Raiders on Sunday probably eliminated the team from the postseason, and it could have been one of Jim Harbaugh’s final games as head coach of the team. The speculation coming out of the Bay Area is that ownership, management and the players are all tired of Harbaugh’s over-the-top and abrasive style, which will probably leave the former Stanford coach out of a job before the year’s end.

AFC Playoff Scenarios: NFL Odds and Predictions
by George Monroy - 12/8/2014

The AFC playoff picture is slowly beginning to clear itself out after 14 weeks of NFL action. The New England Patriots have positioned themselves for the No. 1 seed in the conference after a big win in San Diego on Sunday, while Denver and Indianapolis control their own destiny in their respective division races. The AFC North, however, has been the most interesting and confusing division to handicap with every team still in the running for the crown.

NFL Teasers Betting: Best Basic Strategy Options for Week 14
by George Monroy - 12/4/2014

Basic strategy teasers have been on fire over the last three weeks, posting a 7-1 record through eight qualifying games, and the only squad not to cover during that span was Kansas City during last weekend’s loss at the hands of the Denver Broncos. Basic strategy teasers are two-team, six-point wagers that involve only favorites of 7.5 to 8.5 points and underdogs of 1.5 to 2.5 points. The idea is to tease the favorites down past the strongest NFL key number of three and to tease the underdogs up past the second-strongest NFL key number of seven.

Expert NFL Betting Picks: Weekly NFC East Predictions Week 14
by Dave Schwab - 12/3/2014

I had the Giants at Jacksonville game staying “under” 44.5 as last week’s NFC ‘pick of the week,’ and while I missed the mark on that pick by a few points to fall to 8-5 on the year, the biggest news in this division was the Eagles’ 33-10 victory over Dallas to take sole possession of first place at 9-3 on the year.

NFL Totals Betting: Week 14 Over and Under Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 12/3/2014

Overall, my year-to-date record for Doc’s Sports on the “over/under” line stands at an even 19-19-1 as a result of a second straight 2-1 record in last week’s top three free picks. The overall results in Week 13 of the NFL season favored the over with a 9-7 mark in the 16 games.

NFL Football Predictions: Week 14 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 12/2/2014

How unusual is it that we enter Week 14 of the season and not only has a single division title not been clinched yet but no club has even locked up a playoff spot? That could change this week. The Colts can lock up the AFC South with a win in Cleveland and a Houston loss in Jacksonville. Denver, meanwhile, will clinch a playoff spot with a win and losses by Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Cleveland plus a few other results involving the Chiefs, Texans and/or Chargers.

NFL Picks: Thanksgiving Special Props Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 11/26/2014

I used to like to do the "mosts" every Friday during football season here at Doc's, but I haven't really seen the sportsbooks list those props this season. Maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. You know, the most yards rushing in a week, most passing and most receiving. Well, Bovada has come through for us this week on the excellent Thanksgiving tripleheader. Just another reason to love Turkey Day football.

Expert NFL Betting Picks: Weekly NFC East Predictions Week 13
by Dave Schwab - 11/26/2014

When last week’s NFC ‘pick of the week’ came out, I had Dallas -4.5 points over the Giants as my 4-Unit play. The spread closed at three points to make this game a wash, which is why it is always important to track line movements as the week wears on. Since I am counting this game as a loss, my year-to-date record with these free picks now stands at 8-4.

NFL Totals Betting: Week 13 Over and Under Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 11/26/2014

Overall, the year-to-date record for my free picks for Doc’s Sports on the “over/under” line stands at 17-18-1 after going 2-1 with last week’s results. I favored the “over” in two of the three picks, and overall that play ended up with a slight 8-7 edge in all the NFL games in Week 12.

NFL Teasers Betting: Best Basic Strategy Options for Week 13
by George Monroy - 11/26/2014

Basic strategy teasers have produced a 5-0 record over the last two weeks and covered both bets during a Week 12 that featured New England and Denver as small home favorites. For those that are new to the wager, a basic strategy teaser is a two-team combination bet similar to a parlay that lets bettors move spreads around by six points. The teasers, however, only involve certain spreads, which include favorites of 7.5 to 8.5 points and underdogs of 1.5 to 2.5 points.

NFL Football Predictions: Week 13 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 11/25/2014

You want NFL parity? I'll give you NFL parity. Entering Week 13 there are 16 teams with at least seven wins, the most ever through 11 games. All four AFC North teams sit on seven wins, and it's the first division in league history to have every team at least three games over .500 at any point in a season. To me this NFL season has been like the NCAA version in that there are probably 10-12 teams good enough to win it all with no clear-cut favorite.