NFL Handicapping Articles

2012-13 NFL Rookie of the Year Predictions
by By Alan Matthews - 8/16/2012

Last season was a bit tough to predict the NFL Offensive and Defensive Rookies of the Year because the lockout robbed all rookies of OTAs, etc. In fact, because it wasn’t clear if the 2011 season would even start on time I wrote the Offensive and Defensive Rookie of the Year stories in May last year.

NFL Handicapping: Most Improved Team Units
by T.O. Whenham - 8/16/2012

There are some teams in the NFL that are expected to be much better because they have made dramatic changes -- Peyton Manning to Denver or Mario Williams to Buffalo are the two most obvious ones this year. Often times, though, teams can make a dramatic improvement while doing much less-publicized, dramatic things to improve areas of major concern.

Peyton Manning 2012 NFL Props and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/15/2012

Certainly one of the biggest storylines heading into the 2012 NFL season is the return of future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning to the playing field. Of course, Manning missed all of last season, the first time in his NFL career he didn’t start a game. Prior to missing the 2011 opener against Houston, Manning, the top pick in the 1998 draft, had started 208 consecutive regular-season games and 227 straight games if you include playoffs.

NFL Preseason Handicapping: Common Betting Mistakes
by T.O. Whenham - 8/15/2012

I hate the NFL Preseason. It is, for too many reasons to count, painfully pointless. For bettors who read too much into the games it can also be seriously misleading and, ultimately, very damaging to their bankroll. There are a lot of ways to make handicapping mistakes watching the preseason. Here are three big ones:

How NFL Replacement Officials Will Affect Handicapping and Betting
by T.O. Whenham - 8/15/2012

The NFL seems incapable lately of starting a season without labor issues. Last year it was the players, and this year it is the officials. NFL officials are without a contract, and replacement officials have taken their place in preseason action as the work action has escalated. The betting public is obviously sensitive to NFL labor issues in the first place, so this story is definitely a concern. Given that these replacement officials are far from comparable replacements — Division I officials have pledged not to moonlight, so the league had to scrape the bottom of the barrels to find these guys. That means it’s sure to be a bigger story as time goes along, too.

NFL Preseason Quarterback Rankings
by Robert Ferringo - 8/9/2012

When would Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers find themselves on the bottom of a list ranking NFL quarterbacks? When we’re talking about NFL Preseason betting, of course! One of the most important factors to consider when betting on the NFL preseason is the quarterback rotations.

2012 Oakland Raiders Predictions
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 8/8/2012

The Oakland Raiders reached Super Bowl XXXVII. That was following the 2002 season. They have not had a winning season since. Bill Callahan coached that Super Bowl bound team. Since then Oakland has seen Head Coaches Norv Turner, Art Shell, Lane Kiffin, Tom Cable and Hue Jackson come and go. The 2001 NFL MVP Rich Gannon quarterbacked that Super Bowl-bound team. Since then Oakland has used Kerry Collins, Aaron Brooks, Marques Tuiasosopo, Josh McCown, Daunte Culpepper, JaMarcus Russell, Andrew Walter, Bruce Gradkowski and Jason Campbell as starting quarterbacks.

Weekly Philadelphia Eagles Betting Picks: Preseason Week 1 vs. Steelers
by David Schwab - 8/7/2012

The first full week of the NFL Preseason kicks off this Thursday night. As part of ongoing weekly series written especially for Doc’s Sports Service on the importance of specialization when it comes to wagering on professional football, the following is a preview of my focus team this season, the Philadelphia Eagles. I will provide weekly picks (using Doc’s unit system for money management) for every Eagles game through the preseason all the way to the playoffs and Super Bowl, if they were to make it that far. Their first preseason game is against Pittsburgh this Thursday at Lincoln Financial Field. It is slated to get underway at 7:30 p.m. EST and will be broadcast locally.

2012 San Diego Chargers Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 8/3/2012

Whenever a sportsbook releases a prop on the first NFL head coach to be fired in 2012, I will be utterly shocked if San Diego’s Norv Turner isn’t the favorite. Has any team done less with more talent the past four years than San Diego? The Bolts were 8-8 in 2008 a year after reaching the AFC title game (they did still win the weak AFC West that year).

2012 New York Giants Predictions and NFC East Betting Odds
by Nolan Sinclair of Strike Point Sports - 8/1/2012

The New York Giants postseason run last season was something to behold. It was miraculous. It was surreal. It was unbelievable. At least, it would have been all of those things if we hadn’t seen the same movie just five years ago!

2012 NFL Quarterback Props Odds with Betting Predictions
by David Schwab - 8/1/2012

The start of the 2012 NFL Preseason is just days away with the annual Hall of Fame Game this Sunday in Canton, Ohio, so it is time to get your game face on when it comes to wagering on the sport. One of the best ways to p to speed before the actual start of the regular season games the first week of September is to put your NFL handicapping skills to the test on some 2012 player props.

2012 New England Patriots Predictions and Odds to Win Super Bowl
by Nolan Sinclair of Strike Point Sports - 7/31/2012

Most people experience dйjа vu through a random experience. Maybe it’s a place they visit, or a conversation they have, or a specific setting or situation they find themselves in. It is usually somewhat ambiguous and pretty harmless. But for the New England Patriots, dйjа vu can be equated to a kick square in the face.

Utilizing Specialization to Wager on the NFL
by David Schwab - 7/31/2012

The start of another NFL season is right around the corner, so now is the time to be formulating a betting strategy that is designed to provide a profitable return on all your wagering activities from this Sunday’s Hall of Fame Game all the way through Super Bowl XLVII.

2012 Chicago Bears Predictions and Odds to Win Super Bowl
by Robert Ferringo - 7/28/2012

The start of NFL training camp is one of the most optimistic times on the sports betting calendar. Every professional football player is dreaming of a career year and eventual Super Bowl glory while every football bettor is conjuring up images of that perfect season with no bad beats and windfall profits.

2012 Pittsburgh Steelers Predictions and Odds to Win Super Bowl
by Robert Ferringo - 7/28/2012

Not many franchises can go 12-4 in a season and feel like they left money on the table. But when you are the Pittsburgh Steelers you only measure success by one thing: championships. The Steelers went 12-4 last season but can’t help feeling like they underachieved just a bit in their quest to make back-to-back Super Bowls.

2012 Washington Redskins Predictions and Odds to Win NFC East
by T.O. Whenham - 7/28/2012

The Redskins have ranged from generally disappointing to just plain bad for years now. Owner Daniel Snyder has way more money than good sense, though, so he is never less than totally willing to make a splashy gamble to get things on track.

2012 New York Jets Predictions and Odds to Win Super Bowl
by Aaron Smith - 7/28/2012

Should we really be surprised that the New York Jets have had plenty of drama during the offseason? Since Rex Ryan has come here, this team has been in the news for all kinds of reasons. The New York Jets are a beat writers dream with a coach who is constantly chirping, and players who are more than a little arrogant about their team’s chances.

2012 Cincinnati Bengals Predictions and Odds to Win AFC North
by Aaron Smith - 7/28/2012

For just the third time since 1990, the Cincinnati Bengals made it to the NFL Playoffs last year. The Bengals lost, 31-10, to the Houston Texans in their playoff opener, but the season was still a major success. Before the season, the Bengals were expected to be one of the worst teams in the NFL. The team snuck up on a lot of people in 2011, and they did it with some solid young talent.

2012 Miami Dolphins Predictions and AFC East Betting Odds
by T.O. Whenham - 7/28/2012

Joe Philbin was a very good offensive coordinator in Green Bay — a big reason why Aaron Rodgers is the player he is. Now, at age 51, he has his chance to be a head coach for the first time. He has a lot less to work with here than he did in Wisconsin, so if he manages to make this team respectable early in his tenure then we’ll really know that he has a magic touch.

2012 Tennessee Titans Predictions and Super Bowl Betting Odds
by T.O. Whenham - 7/28/2012

A lot of teams that we have previewed either have one clear starting quarterback and questions around the backup or no starting choice that is particularly attractive. The Titans are in the luxurious position of having two guys who are likely capable of making a little noise under center. They are at opposite ends of their career as well to add some intrigue to the race.