NFL Handicapping Articles

2016 Arizona Cardinals Home Schedule Odds and Picks with Win Total Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 7/13/2016

The Arizona Cardinals didn't have to do much this offseason coming off a 13-3 regular-season record and spot in the NFC Championship Game, which unfortunately ended in an ugly loss and again brought up questions about whether Carson Palmer is a big-game quarterback. The answer right now is: no.

2016 Minnesota Vikings Home Schedule Odds and Picks with Win Total Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 7/12/2016

No team has played in a Super Bowl when its home stadium hosted it. Might the first time be on Feb. 4, 2018? I mention this because the Vikings are a young up-and-coming team that won the NFC North Division in 2015 for the first time since 2009 and could be a top NFC threat in 2017.

NFL Odds: Analyzing Carolina Panthers 2016 Home Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/11/2016

You simply can't do any better at home than the Carolina Panthers did in 2015. Led by NFL MVP Cam Newton, the Panthers were 8-0 at Bank of America Stadium, the only team in the league to go unbeaten at home on the way to an NFL-best 15-1 record. That got the Panthers home-field advantage through the NFC playoffs and they impressively beat Seattle and Arizona to reach the second Super Bowl in franchise history.

NFL Odds: Analyzing Washington Redskins' 2016 Home Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/8/2016

Welcome to my first of 32 stories previewing the home schedules of every NFL team -- I finished the road slates earlier this week. Thus by the time I complete the home versions, we should be just a couple of weeks from the regular season. Of all the division winners in the NFL last year, I'd have to say Washington was the most surprising, just ahead of Minnesota. After all, Washington was last in the NFC East in 2014 with a 4-12 record and everyone was calling for Coach Jay Gruden's head after the one season.

NFL Odds: Analyzing San Francisco 49ers' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/4/2016

Has it been 31 teams already? This is my final team-by-team road schedules preview for the coming season, and I'll start anew with the home versions on Thursday of this week. I was dead-on right about the 49ers last season. I thought they would really stink after firing one of the best football coaches on the planet, Jim Harbaugh, and replacing him with the rather anonymous Jim Tomsula. Plus, no team lost more talent to retirement last offseason than San Francisco did.

NFL Odds: Analyzing San Diego Chargers' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 7/1/2016

My first thoughts off the top of my head regarding the San Diego Chargers last year: Philip Rivers is still one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL, but his offensive line was an absolute joke; I was so wrong on picking running back Melvin Gordon as my 2015 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in the preseason; that defense was really bad.

NFL Odds: Analyzing Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/30/2016

So let's say you are a head coach who goes 2-14 with an obviously bad team in your first season, but it allows you to take a franchise quarterback in the next NFL Draft. Then you improve by four wins the next season behind that quarterback, who has the best rookie season in franchise history and nearly wins NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

NFL Odds: Analyzing Tennessee Titans' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/29/2016

You will see those "will any team go 0-16 props" every year at sportsbooks, and I never recommend betting on that. But you often can find a "who will have the No. 1 pick in the next year's draft" prop. Last year, I loved the Tennessee Titans on that as I felt they had the worst talent level -- outside of rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota -- in the NFL.

NFL Odds: Analyzing Chicago Bears' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/27/2016

The Chicago Bears might have been the worst-coached team in the NFL two years ago under Marc Trestman. Simply by upgrading in the coaching staff following that season, you had to figure the Bears would be better last year.

NFL Odds: Analyzing Cleveland Browns' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/24/2016

I'll just say up front that I try to be a glass half-full kind of guy. But I'm not going to have anything positive to say about the 2016 Cleveland Browns; at least the city has the Cavaliers and Indians. The Browns essentially have an expansion team roster -- but at least there's a ton of draft picks coming so perhaps they might be good in a few years if the Browns can finally find a quarterback. I am curious to see if the "Moneyball" strategy works in the NFL.

NFL Odds: Analyzing Dallas Cowboys' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/23/2016

If I'm being honest, I liked the Dallas Cowboys back in the 1970s when they were truly America's (and God's, they liked to say) Team. The Cowboys were the good guys with the cool stars on their helmets. And they were always a contender.

NFL Odds: Analyzing Miami Dolphins' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/22/2016

I am happy to admit when I'm wrong, but I'll chirp a bit when right. On last season's "First NFL Coach to be Fired Prop," I was all over Miami's Joe Philbin. The Fins had never finished with a winning record under the former Packers offensive coordinator, blowing a couple of chances late in the year for a playoff spot.

NFL Odds: Analyzing Los Angeles Rams' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/20/2016

Here's my question: Would the Rams redo the Nick Foles-Sam Bradford trade from last offseason with Philadelphia? Frankly, it didn't much work out for either team, but Foles was definitely worse than Bradford (Rams did also get a second-round pick). And as usual in recent years, quarterback play was the reason the Rams again underachieved in 2015 despite a very good defense.

NFL Odds: Analyzing Oakland Raiders' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/17/2016

The Oakland Raiders were the Cleveland Browns of the West Coast. I say were instead of are because while the Browns appear to have the least amount of talent in the NFL this season and are a lock -- I'm not supposed to use that word at Doc's, but it's a fact -- to finish with another losing record, the Raiders finally seem to have their act together, and might be the "it" sleeper team in the AFC in 2016.

NFL Odds: Analyzing New Orleans Saints' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/16/2016

Yep, I was wrong on the New Orleans Saints last year as I predicted they would win the NFC South Division. It's not so much that I thought the Saints were all that good and certainly not a Super Bowl contender. But I did think the South was going to be pretty lousy and that Carolina would take a huge step back after losing top receiver Kelvin Benjamin to a season-ending injury in last summer's training camp. Plus, the Saints never had back-to-back losing records under Coach Sean Payton.

NFL Odds: Analyzing Jacksonville Jaguars' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/15/2016

If I had $1.6 billion lying around or whatever, I think I might make an offer on the Jacksonville Jaguars because this is a franchise I believe is definitely on the rise. It's going to finally be a contender in the AFC South again in 2016 and eventually this will be the team that moves to London, which will only add value. I've been to Jacksonville several times, and there's no need for an NFL franchise there (or another Super Bowl). The Tampa Bay Bucs and Atlanta Falcons both aren't that far away.

NFL Odds: Analyzing Detroit Lions' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/13/2016

I am from Michigan so I know a lot of Detroit Lions fans. I only mention this because sometimes winning can be a bad thing. How's that? The Lions lost their first five games last season and seven of their first eight heading into their bye week. The season was over. Might as well tank and try to get the No. 1 pick in the draft and finish last in the NFC North and get a last-place schedule -- so said most Lions fans. During that bye, the team fired GM Martin Mayhew and president Tom Lewand.

NFL Odds: Analyzing Baltimore Ravens' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/10/2016

A few national experts I respect greatly picked the Baltimore Ravens to make last season's Super Bowl. I didn't agree with them, but it wouldn't have shocked me. Instead, the Ravens plummeted to a 5-11 record, their first losing season under Coach John Harbaugh and worst record since 2007. I am not sure I've seen a potential Super Bowl contender have worse luck, both in terms of close losses and injuries, than what happened to Baltimore last year.

NFL Odds: Analyzing New York Giants' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/9/2016

If the New York Giants could have simply won a few close games last year, they might have won the really mediocre NFC East Division and former head coach Tom Coughlin might still have his job. But close games killed this team all year and it finished 6-10.

NFL Odds: Analyzing Buffalo Bills' 2016 Road Schedule
by Alan Matthews - 6/8/2016

The Toronto Blue Jays ended the longest active playoff drought in Major League Baseball in 2015. The neighboring Buffalo Bills, who used to play one game a season in Toronto, weren't able to stop the NFL's longest drought (last postseason trip was in 1999) as they finished with an 8-8 record and third in the AFC East -- although I can make the argument that the Bills were the second-best team in the division because they swept the Dolphins and the Jets.