NFL Handicapping Articles

NFL Playoffs Betting Advice: Traps to Avoid in Conference Championships
by Trevor Whenham - 1/14/2014

When you sit down to handicap the NFL conference championships this weekend, the biggest key is to avoid falling into the traps that are lurking out there. The media coverage of these two games is very intense, and it can be very easy to get distracted by some heavily-covered storylines — storylines that aren’t nearly as important to the outcome of the game as they may seem.

NFL Divisional Round Special Props Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 1/9/2014

The former Florida International star was a third-round steal for Indianapolis in the 2012 draft and has emerged as one of the NFL's top young receivers. He's also clearly Andrew Luck's No. 1 guy with Reggie Wayne out for the season.

NFL Handicapping: Impact of Coaching Changes
by Trevor Whenham - 1/9/2014

The coaching carousel is spinning as wildly as ever this year in the NFL. Seven coaching changes have been made already, and there is no guarantee that we are done yet. Only three of the seven positions have been filled — a surprisingly glacial pace that shows no major signs of speeding up in any hurry. While there will be plenty of time to dissect the specific hires and what they mean for the teams, I want to take a higher-level look from a betting perspective now.

NFL Playoff Betting Advice: Avoid these Wagering Traps
by Trevor Whenham - 1/8/2014

By now we are all sick of hearing how San Diego coach Mike McCoy was Peyton Manning’s offensive coordinator last year in Denver. While it’s a good story, and you can be sure that both guys are motivated just a little bit more to get the best of the matchup, it’s easy for bettors to overcompensate for the significance of this situation.

NFL Divisional Round Playoffs Key Stats and Betting Trends
by Dave Schwab - 1/8/2014

The race to Super Bowl XLVIII continues this Saturday and Sunday with the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs. The top two seeds in both the AFC and the NFC will face off against the survivors of last weekend’s wild-card round. To get you ready for all the action, the following is a brief look at some key facts and figures for each matchup, with NFL betting odds provided by BetOnline.

NFL Totals Betting: Divisional Playoffs Over and Under Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 1/7/2014

The quest for Super Bowl XLVIII got underway last weekend with the wild-card round of this season’s NFL Playoffs. Three of the four games were nail-biters that came down to the final seconds of the game, and three of the four also stayed “under” the closing total line.

NFL Wild-Card Special Props Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 1/3/2014

I haven't done any "mosts" special props this season because there were usually so many other unique options, but this looks like a good weekend to start with four wild-card games -- three of which look very evenly matched. The only one that doesn't, in my mind, is San Diego at Cincinnati. But even a Bolts win there wouldn't exactly be a shocker.

NFL Head Coaching Special Props Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 1/3/2014

Of all the current open NFL jobs, is the Washington Redskins the best one? I think Houston was as it's a hands-off owner with deep pockets and a ton of talent already in place. The Texans just won back-to-back division titles, and this year's 2-14 flop was simply a runaway train that got away from them when Matt Schaub started throwing interceptions returned for scores. So I'm not surprised that Bill O'Brien jumped quickly from Penn State when the gig was offered.

NFL Totals Betting: Wild Card Playoffs Over and Under Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 1/2/2014

The NFL regular season came to a close with 10 of the final 16 games staying “under” the total after in stayed under in 11 of 16 games in Week 16. Whether or not this trend carries over into the playoffs remains to be seen, but it is something to keep in the back of your mind as you begin to handicap this weekend’s matchups.

NFL Wild-Card Weekend Key Stats and Betting Trends
by Dave Schwab - 1/2/2014

The NFL playoffs get underway this weekend with four games in the Wild-Card Round. To get you ready for all the action, the following is a brief look at some key facts and figures for each matchup with NFL betting odds provided by BetOnline.

NFL Playoffs Betting: Odds Show AFC and NFC Much Different
by Trevor Whenham - 12/31/2013

We are at the point in the NFL Playoffs when anything is still possible. There are 12 teams qualified, and though some have an easier road than others, every team has an opportunity to win it all. With a full slate of teams still to choose from, one good way to classify the teams and compare them is by their conferences. This year that comparison is particularly interesting because the NFC is, in so many ways, deeper and more threatening.

NFL Playoffs Handicapping: Potential Betting Traps
by Trevor Whenham - 12/30/2013

Everything is new in the NFL once the playoffs start. What happened in the regular season is relevant, but it is far from a defining factor. The last two years a fourth seed has won the Super Bowl. The year before that Green Bay was a sixth seed that got hot at the right time. If handicappers get too tied down by what happened in the regular season they can fall into traps that might lead to bad decisions. Here’s a look at one such potential trap in each of the four wild-card games:

NFL Week 17 Playoff Scenarios: Who’s in and Who’s Out in Both the NFC and AFC
by George Monroy - 12/27/2013

For many teams, the NFL season has come down to the final week of the year—one game to continue on into the postseason. Week 17 will feature two matchups for the division crown, must-win situations for nearly every team in contention, and a few of the top teams battling for seeding position. The Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos are still the favorites to win the Super Bowl, receiving +240 and +300, respectively.

NFL Week 17 Special Props Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/26/2013

I can't believe it's the final Sunday of the 2013 regular season already, although I should be able to continue with these NFL specials into the playoffs. Hopefully you took my advice last week on the “over” 1.5 teams scoring at least 40 points. Three did: Cincinnati (vs. Minnesota), New England (vs. Baltimore, that one shocked me) and Philadelphia (crushing Chicago, another surprise).

NFL Totals Betting: Week 17 Over and Under Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 12/26/2013

In a complete reversal of trends for the NFL total lines from the week before, 11 of 16 games in Week 16 stayed “under” the total. This was after 10 of 16 games went “over” in Week 15. I rode this wave to victories in my first two picks, but a late interception for a score that took the New England vs. Baltimore matchup over the closing 45.5-point line ruined a perfect 3-0 weekend. I head into the final week of the regular season with an overall record of 27-20-1 in my weekly total line picks.

Basic Strategy NFL Teasers: Best Betting Options for Week 17
by George Monroy - 12/26/2013

The final week of the NFL season will be spent by teams jockeying for playoff position while a handful of others try to play the role of spoiler for those squads trying to make the postseason. The big matchups of the weekend will be the Green Bay Packers facing the Chicago Bears for the NFC North Division title and the Philadelphia Eagles play the Dallas Cowboys for the NFC East title.

NFC East Weekly NFL Betting Picks: Week 17
by Dave Schwab - 12/24/2013

This season’s NFC East division title all comes down to Sunday night’s matchup between Philadelphia and Dallas at AT&T Stadium in what will be the final game of the 2013 NFL regular season. These two teams have been neck-and-neck in the standings all season long, so it is only fitting they meet in a winner-take-all showdown.

NFL Handicapping: Chiefs Only Playoff Team With No Motivation
by Trevor Whenham - 12/24/2013

It has seemed to be a particularly wide-open NFL season this year, and Week 17 is proof of that. Most years we see a handful of teams in Week 17, and even a few in Week 16, that are just waiting for the postseason to start. This year, though, we have just one playoff team that can’t change their fate regardless of what happens, and that team is the Kansas City Chiefs.

NFL Betting and Handicapping: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 12/23/2013

God help us: A full week of ESPN fawning over the Dallas Cowboys. It could be worse, I suppose, if Tim Tebow was the Dallas quarterback. For the third season in a row, Dallas, always a media darling, will play in a winner-take-all NFC East Championship Game. And for the third year in a row, the game was flexed into the Sunday night finale slot. It hasn't worked too well for Dallas previously.

Basic Strategy NFL Teasers: Best Betting Options for Week 16
by George Monroy - 12/20/2013

With only two weeks left in the NFL season, most teams are still jockeying for playoff position. Teams like the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers are chasing after division leads, while others, like the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, have their divisions locked up and are only concerned about seeding. For bettors, the only worry is trying to find as many solid gambling opportunities as possible before the regular season ends.