NFL Handicapping Articles

NFL Preseason Betting: Handicapping the Third Game
by T.O. Whenham - 8/26/2010

The third game of the NFL Preseason is a unique beast. In my eyes it’s really the only preseason game worth playing close attention to. You can gain knowledge about team depth and backup quarterbacks in the early games, but Game 3 is when you can learn the most. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the game is fundamentally different than the two that came before it, or the game that comes after it (the fourth preseason games, by the way, are unquestionably and absolutely the stupidest sporting events on the planet).

2010 NFL Predictions: Oakland Raiders Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/26/2010

The Oakland Raiders can’t get any worse, right? Oakland finished 5-11 last season for its NFL-record seventh consecutive season with at least 11 losses, and the Raiders are 29-83 since losing to Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII.

NFL Predictions: Most Improved Offenses in 2010
by T.O. Whenham - 8/26/2010

This is an interesting time in the year in the NFL because every team thinks that they have improved significantly, and every fan base thinks that their team is going to be a pleasant surprise. Optimism runs wild. The sports media doesn’t help - when was the last time you heard a guy visit a training camp and not leave with at least a few things he’s wildly impressed with.

2010 NFL Predictions: Jacksonville Jaguars Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/20/2010

Coming off a 5-11 season in 2008, not much was expected of the Jacksonville Jaguars last season and many thought it would be the final year on the sidelines for Coach Jack Del Rio and his staff. But after starting 0-2 last season, the Jags started playing quite well – yet would also throw in an occasional stinker.

NFL Training Camps: Teams That Have Excelled or Disappointed
by T.O. Whenham - 8/20/2010

By the time NFL training camps start we have created expectations for every team in the league and how we expect them to perform. Until we see how the teams respond to the challenges of training camp, though, we are really just guessing based on what we see on paper. Every year there are a few teams that show early signs that are better than what we expect, and others that give us some reasons to be concerned early on. Here’s a look at three teams off to rough starts, and two that have been surprising so far:

2010 NFL Predictions: Tennessee Titans Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/19/2010

The Tennessee Titans were a schizophrenic bunch in 2009 after coming off a 2008 season that saw them with the best regular season record in the NFL. The team started 0-5 last season, which was bad enough, but in Week 6 things reached complete rock bottom. The Patriots won 59-0 in the snow at Foxborough in one of the most embarrassing moments in Titans/Oilers history.

2010 NFL Predictions: Cleveland Browns Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/19/2010

Don’t you just love some of these NFL fan sites? When doing a little research on this story to analyze the 2010 Cleveland Browns schedule and futures odds, I couldn’t help but chuckle when many of them had Cleveland possibly starting 2-0 – ah, preseason optimism, yet the team actually could -- but then if the Browns somehow dropped their first two Browns fans were looking at probably at least a 0-9 start.

NFL Preseason Betting Advice: Standout Players From Week 1
by T.O. Whenham - 8/19/2010

It’s a serious mistake to read too much into what happens in the NFL Preseason - especially in the first game. Starters don’t play much, and there is a lot of rust, so there are ample opportunities for a player to shine in the first game far more than he might once the games actually matter. That being said, the first game can give us a glimpse of players who are ready to do more than people are expecting of them.

NFL Predictions: Betting Odds and Picks for NFL Sack Leader Props
by Alan Matthews - 8/18/2010

Here’s one thing I can guarantee you: unfortunately for the Denver Broncos there will be a new sack champion in the NFL this season. Broncos linebacker Elvis Dumervil led the league with 17 sacks last year and got a fat new contract this offseason for doing so.

NFL Predictions: NFC West Odds and Preview with Football Betting Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 8/16/2010

Over the last three years the NFC West has posted the worst record in the league against nondivisional opponents. They are an absolutely pathetic 54-102 over the last three seasons against the rest of the league, and that is continuing what has been a clear-cut trend over the last decade. Since the league went to an eight-division format in 2002 the NFC West has gone just 168-248 against the rest of the league, posting just one winning season (2003) during that time while losing 60 percent of its games to everyone else.

NFL Predictions: Player Props Betting Picks for Wide Receivers
by Alan Matthews - 8/16/2010

We’ve already given you our look at the 2010 passing yardage leader here at Doc’s, so now let’s take a gander at the guys who catch those balls and try and project the best value bet on the player with some NFL predictions the most receiving yards in the league this season.

NFL Predictions: Player Props Betting Picks for Running Backs
by Alan Matthews - 8/16/2010

This is the third installment of our previews of NFL player props available at various books – passing yardage and receiving yardage being the first two – so today let’s look at which player might lead the NFL in rushing this season and who provides the best betting value.

NFL Predictions: Player Props Betting Picks for Quarterbacks
by Alan Matthews - 8/15/2010

We continue with our onslaught of NFL prop stories with the odds, courtesy of WagerWeb, on which quarterback will lead the NFL in passing yards this season. Now, this probably seems like an easy bet, but I want you to quickly tell yourself who led the league in passing yards last year. …. You probably said Drew Brees, and he was the NFC leader again. But Houston’s Matt Schaub led the NFL with 4,770 yards, so guys can deliver on some pretty long odds.

2010 NFL Predictions: Buffalo Bills Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/14/2010

The Buffalo Bills were the worst team in the AFC East last season and there’s simply no way they won’t be again this year. I mean, it was almost a sad offseason for this team. The Bills couldn’t get any big-name coaches to even listen to them for their head coaching job, so they settled on retread Chan Gailey. Terrell Owens also is gone – not necessarily a bad thing – and Buffalo cut its best pass rusher, Aaron Schobel, who basically said he would retire rather than play for the Bills.

Sunday-Monday NFL Preseason Game Odds and Preview
by T.O. Whenham - 8/14/2010

Most people tune in to Colts games to watch the magic of Peyton Manning. If that’s you then you probably don’t need to bother with this one. Manning has thrown a total of seven passes combined in the last three years in the first preseason game, and it’s highly unlikely he will see more than two series here. The only thing he’ll be interested in working on here is his relationship with new centers because stalwart Jeff Saturday is out for up to six weeks with knee surgery. Manning has never cared about the preseason in the past, and he’s not going to start now.

2010 NFL Predictions: Pittsburgh Steelers Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/13/2010

Obviously 2009 was a disappointment for the Pittsburgh Steelers, as the reigning Super Bowl champs’ season seemed to go off track right in Week 1 when star safety Troy Polamalu got injured. He was never the same the rest of the season the few times he did play, and the Pittsburgh defense wasn’t the same, either. The Steelers were still good against the run, but not so much against the pass, and that unit couldn’t hold a lot of fourth-quarter leads. Thus Polamalu’s return to health is a huge key this year.

Brett Favre and Minnesota Vikings Drama – Betting Impact
by T.O. Whenham - 8/12/2010

Brett Favre. We are always talking about Brett Favre. There are a bunch of reasons for that, but the biggest one is that that’s exactly what Brett Favre wants. He’s the quintessential media whore - someone for Paris Hilton to look up to. Typically I would avoid talking about a guy like that just on principle. The problem here, though, is that the situation he has created is just so compelling from a handicapping perspective.

2010 NFL Predictions: Miami Dolphins Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/12/2010

With all due respect to the players the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Buffalo Bills have added this offseason – OK, I probably shouldn’t include the Bills – there was no bigger potential addition in this division than the Dolphins trading for Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall.

2010 NFL Predictions: Washington Redskins Strength of Schedule, Futures Odds and Betting Picks
by Alan Matthews - 8/10/2010

You may have heard a thing or two about the Washington Redskins this offseason following a 2009 4-12 season and the end of the Jim Zorn era. Of course, Mike Shanahan was brought in as coach, bringing instant credibility to the franchise with his two Super Bowl rings (albeit none without John Elway).

2010 NFL Predictions: Picks for Breakout Stars
by T.O. Whenham - 8/9/2010

One of the most exciting things to watch every year in the NFL is the inevitable emergence of surprising stars. Despite all of the scouting and the endless coverage there are still players who can come from nowhere to blow the doors off of a season. Two big names jump out as ideal examples from last season. Before last year Dallas receiver Miles Austin had 18 catches for 354 yards. He was finally given a chance to shine last year, and he made the most of it - 81 catches for 1,320 yards, and more than a few jaw-dropping highlights.