NFL Handicapping Articles

NFL Betting Predictions: Week 1 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Gary Patrick Garry - 9/7/2021

Every Monday during the NFL season, I am going to provide a look at the opening lines with an emphasis on the games that stand out to me. The odds for Week 1 were originally posted back in May after the NFL released the 2021 schedules. We have been able to follow them for a while now. And even though there have been some significant personnel moves, the lines have stayed surprisingly consistent.

First NFL Coach to be Fired Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Devon Rymarchuk - 9/7/2021

It is turning into one of NFL fans and sports betters favorite prop bets each and every year. That’s right, you got it, “which NFL coach will be relieved of his duty first in the 2021/2022 season?”. With the volatility of NFL head coaches being at an all-time high, before each season odds are released for the first coach to be fired heading in the upcoming season. Over the past five seasons, an average of 2.2 head coaches have been fired per year, making this prop bet all the more exciting.

NFL Betting: Turnover Disparity Often Good Indicator of Team Regression or Ascension
by Robert Ferringo - 8/26/2021

“That’s why they play with a funny-shaped ball.” When I first started out as a football handicapper, I had a client that would e-mail me every few weeks to chat about this or that. He’d celebrate big weekends. He’d try to boost my confidence after bad ones. And when I was particularly frustrated by a bad beat or a brutal loss, his response was always the same: “That’s why they play with a funny-shaped ball.”

NFL New 17th Game: What Bettors Should Know
by Jeremy Martin - 8/25/2021

NFL Week 18. That’s something I thought I’d never hear in my lifetime. However, it’s a reality now as this offseason the NFL owners approved an extra game for each team starting this season. The move was made, according to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, to “enhance the quality of the NFL experience for our fans” and to give the NFL the ability to “grow our game around the world”. But who are we kidding? The change was made to line the owners’ pockets with more revenue from TV contracts and ticket sales.

BetMGM Releases Betting Lines for 256 NFL Games
by Dave Schwab - 7/27/2021

It was not all that long ago when avid NFL bettors had to wait for the preseason games to end before betting lines were posted for the regular season’s Week 1 matchups. That started to change a few years back when many of the offshore sportsbooks would post Week 1 lines following the official release of the NFL regular season schedule.

AFC Championship Game Betting Picks: Best Props Bills at Chiefs
by Chris Vasile - 1/22/2021

When the Bills take on the Chiefs in Sunday’s AFC Championship game, it will mark the fourth ever meeting between the two franchises in postseason history. The Bills own a 2-1 record in those matchups, with the Chiefs only win coming in the AFL Championship back in 1967. As a franchise, this game will mark the sixth time the Bills will compete in the AFC Championship Game and they hold a 4-1 record. I’m sure we all know that those four wins were followed up by Super Bowl losses from the 1990 to 1993 seasons. As for the Chiefs, this will be their fourth trip to the AFC title game, and they own a 1-2 record all time.

NFC Championship Game Betting Predictions: Best Props Buccaneers at Packers
by Chris Vasile - 1/22/2021

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to Lambeau Field to take on the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in the NFC Championship Game, it will be just the second meeting between the teams in the postseason, with the Packers getting the upper hand in the 1997 Divisional Round. From an individual franchise perspective, this will be just the Bucs’ fourth trip to the NFC Championship Game, and they hold a record of 1-2 in those games with the lone win coming in their Super Bowl-winning season in 2002.

NFL Divisional Round Betting Picks: Best Props Browns at Chiefs
by Chris Vasile - 1/15/2021

When the Cleveland Browns travel Kansas City to take on the Patrick Mahomes-led Chiefs, it’ll mark the first-ever meeting between the two franchises in postseason play. By now, I’m sure we all know how the Browns earned the right to play in this contest, so I won’t go into too much detail on that. I will say is that the Browns might have momentum and some swag that could boost the team up another notch and perhaps put a real scare into the Chiefs. As for the Chiefs, they had the bye-week last week courtesy of finishing first in the AFC, and we all know how good Andy Reid’s teams are coming off a bye.

NFL Divisional Round Betting Predictions: Best Props Buccaneers at Saints
by Chris Vasile - 1/15/2021

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers travel to New Orleans to take on Drew Brees and the Saints, it’ll mark the first-ever meeting between the two franchises in the postseason. If we are talking about the regular season, the Bucs and Saints first met in 1957, with the Bucs scoring a 33-17 win. However, the Saints own the season series having won 37 of 58 head-to-head matchups, including both games this season by scores of 34-23 and 38-3, respectively.

NFL Divisional Round Betting Picks: Best Props for Ravens at Bills
by Chris Vasile - 1/14/2021

When the Bills take on the Ravens in Saturday’s Divisional Round game, it will mark the first time that these two franchises have competed against one another in postseason play. For the Bills, they are coming off a thrilling win against a game Colts team that gave them everything they could handle and were within a completed Hail Mary from pulling off the upset. The Bills failed to cover in that contest as 7.5-point underdogs, while the total flew over the number.

NFL Divisional Round Betting Predictions: Best Props Rams at Packers
by Chris Vasile - 1/14/2021

When the Los Angeles Rams take on the Green Bay Packers on Divisional Round Saturday, it will mark the third meeting between the teams in the postseason, with two meetings coming as the Los Angeles Rams and one coming as the St. Louis Rams (2001). These two teams come into this contest in different fashions as the Packers are rested courtesy of a bye week thanks to winning the NFC. The Rams backed into the playoffs with a Week 17 win against a Kyler Murray-less Cardinals.

NFL Wild Card Betting Picks: Best Prop Bets Ravens at Titans
by Chris Vasile - 1/8/2021

When the Baltimore Ravens travel to Tennessee on Saturday to take on the Titans in Sunday’s first Wild-Card game, it’ll mark a rematch from last year’s playoffs when the Titans knocked off the Ravens in the Divisional Round. The Ravens were 14-2 and one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl before the Titans manufactured a masterclass in how to slow down Lamar Jackson.

NFL Wild Card Betting Picks: Best Prop Bets Bears at Saints
by Chris Vasile - 1/8/2021

When the Chicago Bears travel to New Orleans to take on Drew Brees and the Saints, it’ll mark just the third-ever meeting between the two franchises in the postseason. The Bears got the better of the Saints in both meetings, first in a 1990 Wild-Card game and then in the NFC Championship Game in 2006, and then they lost to the Colts in the Super Bowl. This year, it’s the Saints who are heavily favorite and expected to make a deep playoff run one last time for their franchise quarterback.

NFL Wild Card Betting Picks: Best Prop Bets Browns at Steelers
by Chris Vasile - 1/8/2021

When the Cleveland Browns travel to Pittsburgh to take on the Steelers, this will be the third meeting of the season and one of two Wild-Card matchups that feature division rivals (Seattle/LA is the other one). By now I’m sure we’ve all heard about how the Browns snapped their 17-year playoff drought by beating the Steelers in Week 17. That game should be taken with a grain of salt, however, as the Steelers had already clinched a spot in the playoffs and were playing for very little while starting their backup quarterback.

NFL Wild Card Betting Picks: Best Prop Bets Colts at Bills
by Chris Vasile - 1/7/2021

When the Bills take on the Colts in Saturday’s Wild-Card game, it will mark the first time that these two franchises have competed in postseason play. For the Bills, they won the AFC East division for the first time since 1995. And to say it wasn’t well deserved would be an understatement. The Bills scored the most points in the NFL this season and rank inside the top five in all major offensive categories except for rushing (20th).

NFL Wild Card Betting Picks: Best Prop Bets Buccaneers at Football Team
by Chris Vasile - 1/7/2021

When the Buccaneers take on the Football Team on Saturday night in the final Wild-Card game of the day, it’ll mark the third postseason meeting between the two franchises. The two teams split the previous meetings, with the Bucs winning 14-13 in 1999 and the Redskins returning the favor in 2005. This year, these two teams come into this game in very different fashions. The Bucs nearly won the AFC South as they posted a record of 11-5 and have one of the top offenses in the league. The Football Team backed into the NFC East division title with a record of 7-9 because their division was terrible.

NFL Wild Card Betting Picks: Best Prop Bets Rams at Seahawks
by Chris Vasile - 1/7/2021

When the Los Angeles Rams take on the Seattle Seahawks on Wild-Card Saturday it will mark the third meeting between the teams this season and will be one of two wild-card matchups that feature division rivals. These two teams come into this contest in different fashions as the Seahawks are riding a four-game winning streak and won the division at 12-4. The Rams backed into the playoffs with a Week 17 win against a Kyler Murray-less Cardinals – a game in which John Wolford got the start under center.

NFL Betting Predictions: Week 17 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Jason Radowitz - 12/28/2020

By now you’ve heard about Dwayne Hasksins being released by the Washington Football team a week after being in a strip club with no mask on. He violated team and league policies and lost his captaincy while doing so. But because Alex Smith was inactive and couldn’t start, the Washington Football Team made an exception and let him start and play over the weekend against the Panthers.

NFL Betting Predictions: Week 16 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Jason Radowitz - 12/21/2020

We’re not used to hearing this or seeing this, but the New England Patriots will not be in the postseason after former quarterback Tom Brady left the team for a new start in Tampa Bay. It’s time to rebuild the Patriots. It’s honestly pretty amazing that the Patriots won some games this season. When you look up and down the roster, you can compare the roster to a Jets or Jaguars team.

NFL Betting Predictions: Week 15 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Jason Radowitz - 12/14/2020

On Sunday, the Eagles started Jalen Hurts over Carson Wentz. It was a move that had to be done. The Eagles needed some kind of spark for their offense after having just three wins going into Week 14. The Eagles might have their quarterback. Hurts committed to Alabama and started there until Tua Tagovailoa took over. Then he moved onto Oklahoma, where he was a Heisman finalist. He’s had doubters throughout his career, but the Eagles gave him a chance when they drafted him 53rd overall.