NFL Handicapping Articles

Top Props of the Week: 2013 NFL Futures Odds to make Playoffs
by Dave Schwab - 8/13/2013

To get you ready for the 2013 NFL season, Bovada has recently released its prop bet odds for a number of different categories. This time around, Top Props is going to take a closer look at the current odds for a few team’s chances to make it into the playoffs this season.

Money Management No. 1 Key To Successful NFL Betting
by Sports Betting Professor - 8/13/2013

As we near the kickoff of another exciting NFL season, I wanted to talk about one concept that I feel is important to master if you want to have successful betting campaign. It has to do with your mental approach to the whole idea of betting on football.

NFL Handicapping: Does a Sophomore Slump Await Second-Year Quarterbacks?
by Ricky Dimon - 8/12/2013

For receivers, the trend is to make their breakouts in year three of their careers. Running backs are generally expected to excel right away before wearing down sooner rather than later, depending on their workloads. For quarterbacks…who the heck knows?

NFL Betting Success: How to Win in Preseason
by Jason Sharpe - 8/9/2013

Most folks betting NFL Preseason football use the same type of approach. They will tell you to find out what the quarterback rotations are for each team, which star players are going to play, who is going to sit out, what the coaches ATS records are, etc…. Though those are good strategies to use, the problem with doing things this way is that you are doing the exact same thing that the other bettors are doing, and doing things the same as others won’t give you an edge over the linesmakers in the long run.

2013 Minnesota Vikings Predictions and NFL Futures Odds
by Alan Matthews - 8/9/2013

I was about to write that no team overachieved more last season than the Minnesota Vikings, but I guess that title has to go to Andrew Luck's Indianapolis Colts. So let's say the Vikings were the biggest overachievers in the NFC by finishing 10-6 -- a year after a 3-13 mark - and reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2009.

Ranking the NFL Divisions
by Robert Ferringo - 8/7/2013

I am a firm believer in the concept of relative divisional strength. The idea is that when trying to break down a matchup between two seemingly equal teams you should give greater weight to the club from the better division. And that considering a team’s division – and also their conference – can create a framework from which a bettor can gauge line value.

NFC South Predictions and Futures Odds with Betting Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 8/5/2013

The NFC South may be the most competitive division in football this year. Besides the NFC North, the South is the only group in the NFL where I wouldn’t be surprised if any of the four participants rose up and won the division.

AFC South Predictions and Futures Odds with Betting Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 8/2/2013

The first thing you do when handicapping a team is look at the coach and the quarterback. That gives you a baseline of the franchise and is a determinant as to how good that team should be. With that in mind, let’s do a quick rundown on what the AFC South is packing.

NFC North Predictions and Futures Odds with Betting Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 8/2/2013

The NFC North was the best division in football in 2012. Teams in the North combined to go 23-17 against the rest of the league last year. Those 23 wins were tied with the NFC West for the most in the NFL, but the North was the only division to produce three teams with 10 or more wins.

AFC West Predictions and Futures Odds with Betting Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 8/1/2013

I don’t know what it is about the West Coast, but football doesn’t exactly flourish there. The NFC West had been the worst division in football over the past decade. They are attempting a revival. But in the meantime the AFC West has taken up a post as the league’s outhouse.

AFC North Predictions and Futures Odds with Betting Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 8/1/2013

Three of the four divisions in the AFC are all but decided before a single game has been played. Miami might threaten embattled New England. But no one seriously thinks they will overtake them. The same can be said for Indianapolis in the South; they could put up a good fight, but it would be a massive upset if Houston didn’t win a third straight division title.

NFL Handicapping: Key Free Agent Signings
by Trevor Whenham - 8/1/2013

There are few things in sports that are more overhyped and overanalyzed than free agency in the NFL is. For every player that has a huge impact, there are five that just don’t amount to much — and wind up getting cut before the contract ends. While some contracts don’t make much sense from the outset, there are some that have the potential to be very impactful for their teams, and, more significantly, can be important for bettors.

Tips for Betting Preseason NFL Games
by Trevor Whenham - 7/31/2013

I have a clear and firm rule when it comes to how to bet on the NFL preseason — I just don’t do it. There are exceptions, though — and some people just don’t want to miss out on betting on any kind of football after the endless offseason. If a bettor is analytical and patient then there is indeed value to be found in the four games before the regular season starts.

NFL Futures Betting: Possible 2014 Super Bowl Matchups
by George Monroy - 7/30/2013

The NFL season is set to begin in a few short weeks. And while most bettors are focusing their attention on Week 1 and the multitude of storylines that are swarming around the beginning of the season, now might be a good time to start thinking about the Super Bowl. Yes, I know the season has not even begun yet and this year’s Tebowmania is still in its infancy stages, but wagering on possible 2014 Super Bowl matchups now can provide the best amount of value we will see all season.

Top Handicapping Storylines for NFL Training Camps
by Trevor Whenham - 7/26/2013

It seems hard to believe, but NFL training camps are already underway across the country. That means we are just days away from the often painfully pointless preseason schedule and not much more than a month away from the games that matter. As the preseason gets underway, there will be endless storylines to follow. Most won’t be particularly significant, but some will be very useful for bettors.

NFC West Predictions and Futures Odds with Betting Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 7/25/2013

The NFC West is being touted as one of the best divisions in football heading into the 2013 season. San Francisco and Seattle are on the short list of favorites to win the Super Bowl. St. Louis is harnessing the Power of the Moustache as Jeff Fisher lays track. And even perennial doormat Arizona, armed with a new coach and quarterback, feels that it is ready to compete in the top conference.

NFL Handicapping: Don’t Believe the Hype
by Trevor Whenham - 7/25/2013

The biggest problem casual bettors and the media have when it comes to the NFL is the amount of free time they have. With months between the end of one season and the start of the next they can’t help but speculate and create hype. Stories that sound good become majorly overblown, and teams that are promising and full of potential are suddenly transformed into unstoppable forces of nature.

NFC East Predictions and Futures Odds with Betting Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 7/23/2013

Remember when the NFC East was the Land of Punishment? Remember when these teams were among the toughest, most physical in the entire NFL; when yards were earned with kitten’s blood and baby’s tears, and there was absolutely no backing down between these rugged rivals?

AFC East Predictions and Futures Odds with Betting Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 7/23/2013

So what did I miss? The AFC East had quite the offseason. The Bills made a surprise move to grab a new head coach and are starting their 83rd rebuild in the last 10 years. (The Flutie Curse lives!) The Jets spent the last few months continuing their traveling circus. Miami was a major player in free agency, with several big signings, not at all looking like a desperate attempt to stay relevant in South Beach.

NFL Handicapping: Quarterbacks That Will Exceed or Disappoint Expectations
by Trevor Whenham - 7/23/2013

As we get ready for the next NFL season, here’s a look at three quarterbacks poised to exceed the expectations the betting public seems to have for them as well as three who are good candidates to fall short of the faith in them: