NFL Handicapping Articles

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.

NFL Week 16 Special Props Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/19/2013

I led last week's Bovada special props story on Kirk Cousins, and I will again this week because the former Michigan State star paid off in a huge way in his first start of the season. Cousins, with Robert Griffin III deactivated (and that mess just getting worse in Washington with RGII now speaking out), was 29-of-45 for 381 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.

NFC East Weekly NFL Betting Picks: Week 16
by Dave Schwab - 12/18/2013

The NFC East reverted to its early-season form last Sunday with all four teams taking a hit in the loss column. This means that 8-6 Philadelphia still holds a one-game lead over 7-7 Dallas at the top of the division with two games to play. New York has now lost its last two games, and Washington’s losing streak has reached six games. I went with Seattle over the Giants by 7.5 points as my ‘pick of the week’ and cashed in on the 3-Unit play. This raised my year-to-date record on my picks to 11-3 and my earnings to +$3,300 on a $100-per-unit wager.

NFL Totals Betting: Week 16 Over and Under Predictions
by Dave Schwab - 12/18/2013

High-scoring games have been the norm in the NFL as the regular season winds down, with the total going “over” in 10 of 16 games for the second week in a row. After posting a costly 0-3 mark in Week 14, I bounced back with a clean sweep in my three picks last Sunday to improve to 25-19-1 heading into Week 16’s matchups.

NFL Betting and Handicapping: Scouting the Week Ahead
by Alan Matthews - 12/17/2013

Wow, Week 15 of the NFL season was a lot like a late-season Saturday in college football season, with upsets galore shaking up the playoff races. Let's face it, the NFL may have better players than college, but NCAA games are usually a lot more exciting.

NFL Handicapping: Tight Division Races
by Trevor Whenham - 12/17/2013

With just two weeks left in the NFL season, we certainly can’t complain about a lack of drama in the playoff race. The wild cards are basically down to three teams for two spots in both leagues, and that has certainly been interesting in the past. There are five divisions, though, that still have the potential to come down to the last game of the season. That’s one of the things that makes the NFL so great. Here’s a look at how each of the five races break down, and what betting implications they could have:

NFL Week 15 Special Props Odds and Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 12/13/2013

The big story of the week in the NFL was dead-man walking Mike Shanahan deciding to deactivate Robert Griffin III, the same guy who cost the Redskins three first-round picks (one a swap) and a second, for the rest of the season and start backup Kirk Cousins. Shanahan says it's just to assure that RGIII doesn't get hurt and will be fully healthy for offseason activities and into next season (even son Kyle, the team's offensive coordinator, said he was disappointed by the move and had no say in the move).

Week 15 NFL Betting Line Movement: Oddsmaker Explains Moves
by CarbonSports - 12/13/2013

At this point in the year, the AFC looks like a three-team conference with Denver, New England and Kansas City, in that order, at the top of the heap. If Week 15 NFL betting line movement has shown us anything, it’s that the NFC is a much different picture. The following four games have experienced some eye-catching alterations in the past 48 hours. These are all games worth jumping on early if you like the favorites, and I’ll tell you exactly why.