NFL Handicapping Articles

NFL Preseason Totals Predictions for Week 2
by Robert Ferringo - 8/18/2009

A fellow handicapper at Doc’s Sports sent me the following e-mail late Monday night: “They must have gotten burned with some overs last week, they are really bumping up the totals.” The “They” in that sentence refers to our common mortal enemy: the sportsbooks. When I did my initial scan of the football odds for NFL Preseason Week 2 I did notice that the totals seemed high.

Brett Favre Saga Continues
by T.O. Whenham - 8/18/2009

Call me naive, but I honestly thought that the Brett Favre saga was over. For a while, anyway. I was certain that he would flirt with a comeback again next year, and I even thought that a team or two would try to convince him back six weeks or so into the season if things were going badly, but I really didn't see him ending his retirement after just three weeks.

NFL Handicapping: Jay Cutler Will Be Bears Bust
by Robert Ferringo - 8/17/2009

Four years ago I was writing on this very site that Dante Culpepper was the most overrated quarterback in the NFL. As you might expect, this statement was met with a waterfall of vitriol and was nearly as popular as Rick Pitino at a Birther’s rally. After all, Culpepper had been to multiple Pro Bowls and was coming off a year in which he threw for 4,700 yards. He was the man, right? Well, not to me.

Dave Busk: Thoughts on the Eagles and Vick
by Dave Busk - 8/14/2009

Signing Michael Vick was a very controversial decision made by the Philadelphia Eagles, but someone in the NFL was going to take this chance. According to an ESPN poll, close to 70 percent of the country thought this was a good move by the Eagles, but that is a much different than that of most of the tough Philly fans who were blindsided by this announcement on Thursday night during the Patriots/Eagles preseason game.

Handicapping NFL Strength of Schedule
by Matt Severance - 8/10/2009

So much does NFL strength of schedule really matter when deciding to place those futures bets down on a certain team? Before I answer that, let me first give you statistical analysis, and maybe the correct response will present itself.

Football Betting Money Management Tips
by T.O. Whenham - 8/7/2009

You've probably heard it a hundred times, but that's only because it's true - good money management is the single biggest factor in long term betting success. You can't win a bet if you can't afford to make it, and if you bet too much on games you're eventually going to go broke. There are a million different places to read about the basics of money management, so I will leave that to you. While you are thinking about how you will manage your money, though, there are some basic central questions you need to ask yourself. Here are six:

NFL Handicapping: Unheralded Players
by Robert Ferringo - 8/7/2009

Brett Favre mows his lawn and it’s front-page news. Chad Johnson changes his name and he ends up just chewing up airtime. Terrell Owens doesn’t do something crazy and there are op-eds discussing his mental state. Well, Favre isn’t playing this year. Johnson is a good receiver for a team that’s won about five games per year the last two seasons. And Owens had nearly as many dropped passes (10) last year as his quarterback had touchdowns (11).

Four Key NFL Training Camp Storylines
by T.O. Whenham - 8/6/2009

Instead of focusing on individual players and out-of-context first hand reports from training camps what we can do now to evaluate storylines that are going to make a big impact on how the season turns out. Once those storylines are in place we can then start to apply what we see and hear to them and change the storylines as we need to. This will give you a framework for making your betting decisions - especially early in the season. Here are a look at four key storylines I see emerging as training camps get under way:

Tips For Winning Your NFL Office Pool
by T.O. Whenham - 8/6/2009

A large percentage of people in the U.S. participate in some sort of office pool or pool with their friends, and it's a great way to make the already interesting NFL even more exciting. Winning the pool usually provides a good boost to your wallet, but that pales in comparison to all of the bragging rights that you get. Winning your pool requires a great deal of luck, but you can help to create some of that luck for yourself by developing a good strategy that will help lead you to a win.

Ben Roethlisberger Distraction Not Impacting Odds
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 7/31/2009

At Harvey’s Casino in Lake Tahoe, Nevada a bettor can walk in and lay money down on the Pittsburgh Steelers to win a second consecutive Super Bowl. But something that allegedly happened across the street at Harrah’s in Tahoe that might have you thinking twice about taking the +650 odds at Harvey’s set for the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger.

Weighing In On The Cutler-Orton Debate
by T.O. Whenham - 7/30/2009

One of the biggest debates heading into the 2009-10 NFL season is whether the Denver Broncos made the right move by trading away their Pro Bowl quarterback, Jay Cutler. Only time will tell for sure, but it certainly seems like a risky move. It's also a deal that puts Kyle Orton in a very difficult decision - through no fault of his own his every move will be dissected and compared to the man he is replacing.

NFL Preseason Betting Do's And Don't's
by T.O. Whenham - 7/30/2009

The preseason is the time when NFL players and teams try to get tuned up for a long, grueling season. The season is obviously far less physical for sports bettors, but it can be just as grueling - especially if you aren't prepared for it. Just like players and teams need to get into game shape before they can compete at their best, bettors need to use the preseason to get ready to win as much as they possibly can. To help you do that, here are some Do's and Don't's for the NFL preseason:

Las Vegas Football Futures
by Josh Nagel - 7/25/2009

A football futures bet can feel like a long-term lottery ticket. Whether you are simply betting your favorite team, or have put in extensive handicapping to determine the club you think has a chance at winning it all, a futures bet comes with a season’s worth of action and anticipation.

The Two-Point Conversion Can Make Or Break A Team's Chances
by Greg Davis - 10/3/2005

The 1984 Orange Bowl still sticks out in my memory as one of the greatest games I've ever seen. As a 13 year-old kid I watched intently as No. 4 Miami, an overwhelming underdog, stormed out to a big lead over the juggernaut Nebraska Cornhuskers. After trailing 31-17 midway through the fourth quarter, the Cornhuskers rallied with two touchdowns to pull within one, 31-30.