NFL Handicapping Articles

NFL Handicapping: Vikings a Legit Super Bowl Contender?
by T.O. Whenham - 10/11/2012

If you had asked me six weeks ago to guess which team would be in first place in the NFC North at this point in the season, I would have needed four guesses before I picked the Vikings. At least. Yet here we are on Oct. 11, and the Vikings are sitting at 4-1, have already exceeded their three wins from last year, and are tied with the Bears at the top of the division.

NFL Picks: Steelers at Titans Predictions and Betting Odds
by T.O. Whenham - 10/10/2012

Back in 2008 this would have been an epic contest. Back then the Titans were tops in the NFL at 13-3, and the Steelers were just a step behind at 12-4. Looking at these two teams on the field this year you realize just how long ago that was. The Titans have already exceeded their loss total from that season at 1-4, and at 2-2 the Steelers have been just a shadow of what they were in their best years. The problems for neither team are permanent or fatal, but both squads are in a funk — one that would really be helped out by an impressive win here.

Handicapping NFL Teams Under .500
by T.O. Whenham - 10/9/2012

Through five weeks of the NFL season there are 15 teams with records below .500. We know from past experience that being in that boat isn’t ideal at this point of the year, but it isn’t yet fatal. Teams can turn things around if they play much better. Sometimes, though, a bad start is just a clear sign of a bad team.

NFL Handicapping: Green Bay Packers Tough Start
by T.O. Whenham - 10/9/2012

Coming off one of the best seasons we have seen in years, few would have expected the Packers to stumble out of the gate like they have. Their season certainly isn’t lost or anything, but at 2-3 they are in a tougher position than they would have liked to have been through five games — probably by a wide margin.

NFL Picks: Cardinals at Rams Predictions and Betting Odds
by T.O. Whenham - 10/4/2012

When this game first popped up on the NFL schedule, my first reaction was that it would be nice to have a free Thursday evening because this game wasn’t going to be worth watching. Turns out I was wrong. This isn’t the game of the week or anything, but it is far more interesting than it could have been.

This Week in NFL Betting by the Numbers
by Ricky Dimon - 10/4/2012

You think October is for baseball? Think again. It’s been an absolutely insane NFL season so far; for players, fans, officials, wanna-be officials…everyone. And there’s no reason to think that’s about to change anytime soon. Heading into Week 5, here are some numbers to prove it:

Weekly Philadelphia Eagles Betting Picks: Week 5 vs. Steelers
by David Schwab - 10/3/2012

The Philadelphia Eagles will take the PA Turnpike west this week to battle it out with the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on Sunday afternoon in a showdown for state bragging rights. All the action is set to get underway at 1 p.m. (ET) and the game will be broadcast nationally on FOX.

NFL Betting: Recapping the First Quarter of Season
by T.O. Whenham - 10/2/2012

With the exception of Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, all teams in the NFL have now played a quarter of their NFL schedule. All have survived, some have thrived, and some probably wish they could start over again. For bettors, there have surely been some highs and some lows — hopefully more of the former.

NFL Handicapping: Any Value in Saints Futures Odds?
by Ricky Dimon - 10/2/2012

Bounty-gate was never expected to end well for the New Orleans Saints, but few could have imagined that it would have turned out like this through four weeks of the 2012 NFL season. The Saints, who went 13-3 last year and had compiled a 37-11 record over the course of the three previous regular seasons, are a shocking 0-4. Is another Super Bowl victory out of the question?

NFL Handicapping: Home Underdogs Very Profitable
by T.O. Whenham - 9/28/2012

I’ve seen a lot of talk recently about how strong underdogs have been early in this NFL season. Of most interest from a betting perspective have been the start that home underdogs have gotten off to. There has been a road favorite in 19 games through the first three weeks of the regular season. In 13 of those games the road dog has covered the spread. Even more impressively, 12 of those 13 underdogs have won outright. For moneyline bettors that means a serious payday.

NFL Handicapping: Can 0-3 Saints Save Their Season?
by T.O. Whenham - 9/28/2012

What a mess. The New Orleans Saints came into this season with high expectations. The NFC is very deep, but the Saints were seen by many as a very legitimate Super Bowl contender — an elite squad. Just three games into the season, though, the season is spinning out of control, and it’s on the verge of being lost.

NFL Handicapping: Ditch the Assumptions
by T.O. Whenham - 9/27/2012

Most sports bettors are lazy. They get an idea about a team or player’s performance and they stick with it — even if it isn’t particularly accurate any more. Getting stuck on assumptions and outdated opinions is a problem when you are having an argument, but when you are using those assumptions to base your betting decisions on it can be downright expensive.

Handicapping Rough Starts for NFL Teams
by T.O. Whenham - 9/26/2012

Teams don’t want to start out 1-2 in the NFL, but this year it seems like that is the “cool” record. Nearly half of the league — 15 of the 32 teams — have started out at this mark. That’s more than we would expect. Some teams at 1-2 are on the road to futility, while others are going to be headed for the playoffs once they get back on track.

NFL Picks: Browns at Ravens Betting Predictions and Football Odds
by T.O. Whenham - 9/26/2012

The first edition of the Modell Bowl this year has some added significance — it’s the first one played since Art Modell died earlier this month. Most Cleveland fans probably won’t miss him. Unfortunately, the fans in Cleveland haven’t had much to cheer for since Modell left town, and this year so far has been more of the same. Cleveland is one of only two teams in the league that hasn’t won a game yet.

NFL Betting: Handicapping Jay Cutler and the Bears
by T.O. Whenham - 9/20/2012

Jay Cutler is... unique. He’s far from the best quarterback in the league (with Jason Campbell as his backup I don’t even think he’s the best QB on his team), but the league would unquestionably be less interesting if he wasn’t in it. Of course, I can say that because I have no emotional attachment to the Bears whatsoever, and I rarely feel the need to bet on them.

NFL Handicapping: Are Arizona Cardinals a Contender?
by T.O. Whenham - 9/20/2012

If you tell me that you predicted that the Cardinals would be at 2-0 at this point in the season, and that one of those wins would be at New England, then even though I probably don’t know you I am going to call you a liar. You would have to be a really committed Arizona fan or a pill popper to have seen this one coming. Yet, there are only six unbeaten teams remaining, and one of them is based in Phoenix. Truly bizarre.

NFL Picks: Giants at Panthers Odds and Betting Predictions
by T.O. Whenham - 9/19/2012

This game should be a lot more than it is. You have the defending Super Bowl Champion playing last season’s Rookie of the Year -- one of the most exciting players in the league in years. It should be a thrilling game, and a great way to start the third week of the NFL season.

Weekly Philadelphia Eagles Betting Picks: Week 3 vs. Cardinals
by David Schwab - 9/19/2012

The Philadelphia Eagles renew an old division rivalry this Sunday afternoon when they travel to University of Phoenix Stadium to square off against the Arizona Cardinals. The game is scheduled to kick off at 4:05 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on FOX. This betting preview is part of an ongoing series that started with Game 1 of the preseason where I take an in-depth look at each and every Eagles game this year and offer a free NFL pick using Doc’s Sports Unit Betting System.

NFL Betting: Are Washington Redskins a Super Bowl Contender?
by T.O. Whenham - 9/13/2012

I have now had four days to digest what I saw on opening Sunday of the NFL season in New Orleans when the Redskins manhandled the Saints, but it still doesn’t make any sense. The story of the game heading in was pretty much universally shared. New Orleans was an elite team coming off a tough season that had galvanized them, and they were ready to prove they were among the class of the NFC. Washington had an exciting young QB, but he was still a raw rookie and he had a shocking shortage of depth around him, so it was likely to take time for him to find his wings.

NFL Week 2 Quarterback Performance Special Props and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 9/13/2012

Bovada has always been great about releasing some NFL player/team special props each week of the season, and there are several out for Week 2. Here is a look at the ones involving a few quarterbacks because, let’s face it, the NFL is a quarterback league. That is what the public likes to bet on.