NFL Handicapping Articles

2014 NFL Schedule Analysis: NFC Futures Odds Picks and Predictions
by George Monroy - 5/2/2014

The NFL schedule has been released, which means that countless fans have spent the last few weeks counting their team’s potential wins and losses and making predictions on how the 2014 season might end up. Earlier in the week we took a look at the AFC side of the schedule and made a few predictions on how things might pan out. Now let’s take a closer look at the 2014 NFC schedule with analysis and predictions.

2014 NFL Schedule Analysis: AFC Futures Odds Picks and Predictions
by George Monroy - 5/1/2014

The 2014 NFL season is still over four months away, but with the recent schedule release a few weeks ago and the draft coming up soon, it’s hard not to have football on the brain. It may be early. However, since the Week 1 lines and the schedule are already out, let’s take a closer look at the AFC and make a few predictions for how each team will end up this season.

Who Will Draft Johnny Manziel? NFL Odds with Predictions
by George Monroy - 4/16/2014

Former-Texas A&M quarterback and media lightening rod Johnny Manziel may be the most polarizing player in the 2014 NFL Draft class. There are groups of experts, scouts and fans that believe the quarterback can be a star in the NFL, while others believe Manziel is too small and not athletic enough to be a player of impact. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner, however, is starting to build a head of steam as the draft approaches in a few weeks.

2014 Kansas City Chiefs Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by Darin Zank - 4/16/2014

After going 2-14 in 2012, the Kansas City Chiefs rebounded to make the playoffs in their first season under new head coach Andy Reid. But really, how good was KC? The Chiefs started 9-0 last season then lost six of their last eight games. And that playoff loss at Indy, blowing a 28-point lead, must have left a terrible taste over the offseason.

NFL Futures: Pre-Schedule & Draft Super Bowl Odds Update
by Alan Matthews - 4/16/2014

We are about to enter probably the three most exciting weeks of the NFL offseason: the release of the schedule and the draft, so it's a good time to take an updated look at some 2014 NFL futures odds as they could change a bit after those two events (certainly win totals can be affected).

2014 San Diego Chargers Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by Darin Zank - 4/15/2014

The San Diego Chargers won their last four games last season to unexpectedly make the playoffs in their first go-around under new head coach Mike McCoy. They then won a road playoff game at Cincinnati, before falling at rival Denver in the divisional round.

2014 Oakland Raiders Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by Darin Zank - 4/10/2014

A dozen years ago the Oakland Raiders played in the Super Bowl; they haven't been back to the playoffs since. Last year Oakland won just four games for the second season in a row under head coach Dennis Allen. But the Raiders have made as much noise over this offseason as any other team in the league, bringing in, among others, QB Matt Schaub, RB Maurice Jones-Drew, WR James Jones, DE Justin Tuck and CB Carlos Rogers.

2014 Detroit Lions Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by Aaron Smith - 4/9/2014

Detroit was one of the biggest disappointments in the 2013 NFL season. After five years with the team, Jim Schwartz was fired at the end of last year. Schwartz did lead the team to the playoffs in 2010, but the past two seasons have been big disappointments. The Lions have turned to Jim Caldwell to take over as coach.

2014 Minnesota Vikings Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by Aaron Smith - 4/9/2014

Minnesota has the best running back in the NFL in Adrian Peterson, but that hasn’t been enough for this team to be consistently competitive in the last few years. The Vikings defense has turned into one of the worst in the NFL, and they badly needed a change at the top.

2014 Buffalo Bills Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by George Monroy - 4/8/2014

The Buffalo Bills made a few solid roster moves during the offseason after losing safety Jairus Byrd to New Orleans, but they did nothing that, on paper at least, would drastically improve the team heading into next season. Buffalo is receiving the third-worst AFC Championship odds at +4000, according to Sportsbook.ag, and is probably destined for another 6-10 or 7-9 type of season.

2014 Miami Dolphins Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by George Monroy - 4/8/2014

The Miami Dolphins have finally gained some distance from last season’s bullying scandal that showed just how dysfunctional and out-of-sync the team really is. The Dolphins managed to finish the year with an 8-8 overall record and 4-4 splits both at home and on the road. The team was in the mix for the final wild card spot heading into the last few weeks of the season and could have ended up in the postseason if not for two horrible losses to close out 2013.

2014 Green Bay Packers Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by Aaron Smith - 4/8/2014

The Green Bay Packers managed to sneak into the playoffs last year, but the 2013 season didn’t really go as planned for Green Bay. Aaron Rodgers was injured for much of the year, and without Rodgers this team isn’t even close to the same. The Packers took their lumps when Rodgers was out, but with a healthy franchise quarterback under center this is still a team that is one of the best in the NFL.

2014 Chicago Bears Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by Aaron Smith - 4/8/2014

The Chicago Bears finished 8-8 last year and narrowly missed making it to the playoffs. The way the Bears missed out on the playoffs was excruciating. Chicago led by a point with less than 40 seconds left in the game against Green Bay in the final game of the season. Aaron Rodgers connected with Randall Cobb on a fourth-down conversion that put the Packers over the top at Soldier Field in the regular season finale. It’s no doubt that left a bad taste in the mouth of the Bears players as well as their large fan base.

2014 New York Jets Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by George Monroy - 4/4/2014

If there is one thing the New York Jets know how to do, it’s create quarterback drama. Only days after releasing the perpetually-underachieving Mark Sanchez, New York, who had finally seemed to rid itself of its toxic quarterback situation, signed the always drama-filled Michael Vick to a one-year, $5 million deal. Vick will now compete with second-year and starting-quarterback Geno Smith in what will probably turn into another media circus in New York—particularly if the starting quarterback, whomever that may be, begins to struggle.

2014 Denver Broncos Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by Darin Zank - 4/4/2014

The Denver Broncos rode a record-setting offense all the way to the Super Bowl last season; unfortunately, they ran into the best defense in the league, and in a chilling reminder of Super Bowls past for many older Broncos fans, got blown out.

2014 New England Patriots Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by George Monroy - 4/4/2014

The New England Patriots always seem to be on the right side of the free agent market even when it seems like they might have lost a key player or two. For the second straight year the Denver Broncos poached an essential player from the Patriots’ roster when they signed defensive-stopper Aqib Talib to a six-year, $57 million deal. New England, however, immediately bounced back with a huge free agency signing of its own when the team nabbed Darrelle Revis after he was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

2014 Cincinnati Bengals Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by George Monroy - 4/4/2014

The Cincinnati Bengals suffered their third consecutive first-round playoff loss last season, and they may be destined to be one of those teams that are very good but not a legitimate threat to ever win a Super Bowl or even go deep into the playoffs. That idea is why Cincinnati’s decision to essentially sit on its mountain of salary cap space this offseason was so disappointing for fans of the team.

2014 Washington Redskins Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by Aaron Smith - 4/4/2014

After winning the NFC East in 2012, the Redskins had a questionable outlook entering 2013 due to Robert Griffin III’s health. Even those who were most pessimistic about the Redskins in 2013 didn’t envision this team being as bad as they were. Washington completely fell apart and finished 3-13 last year.

2014 Baltimore Ravens Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by George Monroy - 4/4/2014

The Baltimore Ravens may have given away their chance to chase a second straight Super Bowl win by signing quarterback Joe Flacco to a massive contact last offseason. The team, however, finished 2013 with a solid 8-8 record, nearly made the playoffs and carried $6.97 million dollars in salary cap room into the free-agent market this offseason.

2014 New York Giants Opponents and Schedule Highlights
by Aaron Smith - 4/3/2014

It’s been feast or famine for the New York Giants over the past few years. The Giants have won the Super Bowl in two of the last seven years, but they have only been to the playoffs in three of the last seven years. It’s strange for a team that has won the Super Bowl twice in that short of a span to have missed the playoffs altogether the majority of the time.