NFL Handicapping Articles

Will the Real Odell Beckham Jr. Please Stand Up?
by Mike Davis - 10/6/2016

Have you ever had the dream where you are standing in front of your high school classroom completely naked? Everything is there for the world to see and you are scurrying to cover it up. It's something that has happened to many of us during REM sleep; it's happening to Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. in real life.

Monday Night Football Picks: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers Odds & Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 10/6/2016

I was right where it counted but wrong in one respect on last week's Monday Night Football game between the Giants and Vikings in Minneapolis. I hit on giving the Giants the 5 points and going "under" the total of 43.5 in the Vikings' 24-10 win. But I also thought we would have our first competitive, single-digit game on Monday nights this season and I obviously missed on that one. Could we finally have a dramatic ending this week when Tampa Bay visits NFC South rival Carolina? Really depends on whom the Carolina quarterback is. More on that in a minute.

Free NFL Picks: Philadelphia Eagles at Detroit Lions Odds and Expert Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 10/4/2016

The Minnesota Vikings and the Philadelphia Eagles as the NFC's only two unbeaten teams entering Week 5? Sure, I had that! Not. I almost hope those teams do reach the postseason and play each other because they are going to be intertwined all year in the wake of the Eagles sending starting quarterback Sam Bradford to Minnesota after Teddy Bridgewater's late training camp injury.

Free NFL Picks: Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers Odds and Expert Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 10/4/2016

I'm not sure if such a prop existed before the season -- although I'm sure you could have requested it from some books -- but hopefully you didn't plop down any significant money on the Arizona Cardinals playing the Carolina Panthers in an NFC Championship Game rematch this January.

NFL Betting Predictions: Week 5 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 10/3/2016

Not sure if you have heard the news, but arguably New England's best player on one side of the ball will return from his four-game suspension this week when the Patriots visit the Cleveland Browns. Of course I'm talking about defensive end Rob Ninkovich. He was suspended after testing positive for a banned substance. Ninkovich had played 116 consecutive games (including playoffs) for the Patriots since signing with the team as a free agent on Aug. 2, 2009. Ninkovich had 52 tackles and 6.5 sacks last year.

NFL Odds: Week 4 Line Movements & Last-Minute News
by Alan Matthews - 9/30/2016

That "new-thinking" Cleveland Browns front office that includes a former MLB "Moneyball" executive isn't off to a good start. Maybe the team's trade of the No. 2 overall pick in this year's draft for a haul of draft picks from the Eagles will work out in the long run. But for now, it looks like a mega-bust with how good Carson Wentz has been in Philly.

NFL Totals Betting Picks: Week 4 Over and Under Odds and Expert Predictions
by Victor Ryan - 9/30/2016

The first three-plus weeks of the NFL season has seen the "over" cash at a profitable 55.1 percent. This is above the historical norm, and note Week 4 opened Thursday night with an easy "under" cover. As for the rest of the Week 4 slate, three games have had the total moved by more than a point as of Friday morning. Lions-Bears (48) opened at 46; Seahawks-Jets (40) has moved from 41.5; and Broncos-Bucs (43) has fallen from 44.5.

Basic Strategy Teasers: Best Week 4 NFL Betting Options
by Chris Vasile - 9/30/2016

How beautiful is the Basic Strategy Teaser? Each one of my three selections last week were able to cover the adjusted spread, despite going 0-3 against the Las Vegas line. Green Bay was able to hold off a late rally from Detroit for a 34-27 win as 7.5-point favorites. Tennessee should have had a better fate, but penalties cost them a chance to win the game outright. They failed to cover the +1.5 mark, but getting those six extra points assured that the Titans were a winner.

NFL Betting and Wagering Advice: Biggest Mismatches Week 4
by Victor Ryan - 9/29/2016

An 0-4 start in the NFL is a virtual death sentence. Each year at this time, the stat is brought out that since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970, only one team went winless the opening month and still reached the playoffs. That was the 1992 Chargers under coach Bobby Ross.

Free NFL Picks: Oakland Raiders at Baltimore Ravens Odds and Expert Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 9/28/2016

I didn't expect Denver to repeat in the AFC West this season but also wasn't expecting QB Trevor Siemian to play as well as he has at quarterback. And with that defense as good as ever, you'd have to call the Broncos the team to beat out there again, and they lead the Raiders and Chiefs by a game. Incidentally, with a pretty easy schedule for a while, the Broncos could well be unbeaten when they visit Oakland in Week 9.

Free NFL Picks: Miami Dolphins at Cincinnati Bengals Odds and Expert Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 9/27/2016

If you are looking for this Thursday night's game on CBS or Twitter, you won't find it. The NFL Network keeps a few Thursday game to itself each year to boost the value of that channel, and this week's game between the Dolphins and Bengals is only on the NFL Network.

NFL Betting Trends for Help with Pro Football Wagering
by Victor Ryan - 9/27/2016

After three weeks of the NFL season, there are still four teams with perfect records against the spread. This group includes defending Super Bowl champion Broncos, upstart Eagles, Vikings and Patriots. Conversely, just one team remains winless against the spread entering Week 4. The scuffling Bears fell to 0-3 ATS after losing in Dallas 31-17 as a 6.5-point road underdog. Bettors know all streaks come to an end at some point; will this be the week? Chicago is installed as a 3.5-point home 'dawg against the Lions this week.

NFL Betting Predictions: Week 4 Opening Line Report and Picks
by Alan Matthews - 9/26/2016

I'm not saying that Jacksonville head coach Gus Bradley will be fired after this week's game if the Jaguars lose to Indianapolis in London .... but, yeah, Bradley will be fired after this week's game if the Jaguars lose to Indianapolis in London.

NFL Totals Betting Picks: Week 3 Over and Under Odds and Expert Predictions
by Victor Ryan - 9/24/2016

The start of the NFL season has seen the "over" cashing in the majority of matchups. In the maiden voyage of this space last week, the NFL total picks went 2-2 yet still produced a unit of profit. How is this possible, you ask? Doc's unit system. Last week's 5-unit best bet waltzed to victory when Titans-Lions finished 16-15-a full 17 points below the posted total-to put us in the black.

NFL Odds: Week 3 Line Movements & Last-Minute News
by Alan Matthews - 9/23/2016

I touched on the chances of 0-2 and 2-0 teams historically making the playoffs in my Opening Line Report on Monday, but now I have actual props from Bovada to use for those unbeaten teams. The site gives an "over/under" of 1.5 for the eight teams that started 0-2 making the playoffs, with the under a big -250 favorite. And I'd go under there as I'm not sure any will except maybe the Colts or Jaguars.

Basic Strategy Teasers: Best Week 2 NFL Betting Options
by Chris Vasile - 9/22/2016

Week 3 of the NFL season is already upon us, and to say that the season has started off in a rather peculiar fashion would be an understatement. Two of the preseason Super Bowl favorites are sputtering along on offense (Seattle and Green Bay), the New England Patriots are 2-0 without the services of Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, The Washington Redskins are already experiencing locker room turmoil, and Carson Wentz just might be the real deal.

Free NFL picks: Detroit Lions at Green Bay Packers Odds and Expert Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 9/21/2016

These Sunday marquee games have been good to me thus far as I've been right on the spread in the Giants over the Cowboys in Week 1 and the Steelers over the Bengals in Week 2. So I'll stick with an intradivision matchup this week as Detroit visits NFL rival Green Bay in the Packers' home opener.

NFL Betting and Wagering Advice: Biggest Mismatches Week 3
by Victor Ryan - 9/21/2016

Digging into the NFL Week 3 slate, one finds a handful lopsided matchups. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones taking on the league's worst pass-defense, anyone? That's the case when the Falcons travel to the Bayou to take on the Saints as a 3-point underdog Monday night.

Free NFL Picks: Houston Texans at New England Patriots Odds and Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 9/20/2016

While he wouldn't admit it publicly because he admits nothing publicly, if you had told New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick that his team would be 3-1 when Tom Brady returned from his four-game suspension in Week 5 at Cleveland, I think Belichick would have been happy with that result as would most Patriots fans.

NFL Betting Trends for Help with Pro Football Wagering
by Victor Ryan - 9/20/2016

Taking the points has been a profitable proposition through the first two weeks of the NFL season. Following another winning week, underdogs improved to 19-13 (59.4 percent) overall against the number. The pendulum figures to swing the other way eventually, but so far favorites have had a tough time covering.