NFL Handicapping Articles

NFL Betting: Saints Soaring And Scoring
by T.O. Whenham - 9/24/2009

You don't have to dig very hard to find impressive statistics to show the strength of the New Orleans offense. The team has become the first since 2001 to open the season with 40 or more points in their first two games. No team has scored more than the 93 they have tallied in their first two games since 1968. It goes on and on.

NFL Betting: Five Potential Turnaround Teams
by T.O. Whenham - 9/24/2009

Jumping to conclusions can be even more dangerous after two weeks because the public assumes that they are seeing trends, and that the teams really are what they have seen so far. Here's a look at five teams that can be quite reasonably assumed to be better than they have appeared so far this year. Because of the starts they have had the public should start to turn against them - at least relative to the support they normally get. That can create real opportunities for value seekers with a long term view.

Free NFL Props Predictions - Week 3
by Jay Horne - 9/24/2009

However, we will quickly turn our focus to this week’s earliest betting lines and try and jump on some of the side action before they are no longer available with hopes to have another advantageous week against the books. Call this the “Yes Week” based on the predictions:

Ferringo Report On NFL Week 2
by Robert Ferringo - 9/22/2009

Below is the Ferringo Report, which are my random and nonsensical ramblings about last week’s action. I didn’t break down all of the games this week (there were three two that I don’t mention in here) but all of this should just give you a little bit of an idea of some of the things I noticed while either watching the games in real time or breaking down the tape on Monday.

Monday Night Football Preview - Colts at Dolphins
by Matt Severance - 9/21/2009

Since the NFL went to a 12-team playoff format back in 1990, only 22 teams (13.7 percent) have reached the postseason after starting 0-2. Only 10 (6.3 percent) have won their division. But an 0-2 hole sure seems likely for Miami if it doesn’t play better than last week’s 19-7 road loss to Atlanta. Miami, which set an NFL record (matched by the Giants) with just 13 giveaways last year, turned the ball over four times last week, which lead to 10 Falcons points.

NFL Handicapping: Situations Where Alternate Lines Could Give an Edge
by T.O. Whenham - 9/18/2009

For most bettors, alternate NFL lines are viewed as the domain of crackpots. Lots of bettors don't even know that they exist, and if they do they don't see any good reason why you would bet them. The fact is, though, that in many situations, the alternate lines offer you a chance to get much more value from your bets than the regular NFL points spreads and money lines ever offer the casual bettor.

The Ferringo NFL Report
by Robert Ferringo - 9/18/2009

Well boys and girls, the Ferringo Report is back by popular demand. I will have my weekly nonsensical ravings and rants in this space for your viewing pleasure. Week 1 is in the books and, with few exception, things went pretty smoothly and according to script. Don’t worry though: that will change soon enough.

Rams Could Match Lions Record for Futility
by T.O. Whenham - 9/16/2009

The story we kept hearing coming into this season was that new coach Steve Spagnuolo had overhauled the attitude in St. Louis and had the team moving in the right direction. The story I am more interested in concerning the team after their brutal opening shutout to the Seahawks is whether the Rams can win a game at all.

How Major Defensive Injuries Will Affect Steelers-Bears Game
by Nicholas Tolomeo - 9/15/2009

Entering Soldier Field Sunday afternoon you have two teams notorious for vicious defenses but both missing the leaders of those defensive units. While it may seem like a similar situation, the reality is entirely different. The Bears’ 31-year old middle linebacker, six-time pro bowler and former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Brian Urlacher is out for the season with a dislocated wrist.

NFL Handicapping: What McNabb Injury Means for Eagles Bettors
by T.O. Whenham - 9/15/2009

With one ill-conceived and totally unnecessary scramble by Donovan McNabb the Eagles found themselves with a gigantic headache - one that could linger for weeks. Up 31-10 against a painfully inept Carolina team, McNabb left the pocket to scramble three yards for a touchdown. As he entered the endzone a clean hit left him writhing on the ground in pain, grabbing his back.

New NFL Coaches: Bad Results ATS
by T.O. Whenham - 9/15/2009

As has become the norm in professional sports these days there are a whole lot of new faces roaming the sidelines as head coaches this season. Eight head coaches made their debut with their teams this weekend, and six of them were coaching their first game. That's fully a quarter of the league that made a change.

Five NFL Week 1 Dissapointments
by T.O. Whenham - 9/15/2009

We can spend all offseason analyzing the rosters and transactions a team makes, and how they play in the preseason, but we can't know for sure what a team has to offer until we see them play when the games matter. That means that how a team plays can often be significantly worse than we expect them to be. That was certainly the case this year, with several teams with high hopes posting disappointing performances.

Cowboys Need Big Game Against Giants on Sunday
by Larry Fiske - 9/14/2009

Here's the good news for the Dallas Cowboys - they dodged a bullet in Florida and won a game that they should have won, keeping pace, at least temporarily, with Philly and the Giants in the NFC East. They open their brand-new stadium Sunday night against the Giants (Dallas gives three points on the NFL line with an over/under of 44) in a game in which television ratings will be through the roof, or at least as high as the new scoreboard.

NFL Handicapping: Time to Panic for Bears Bettors?
by Matt Severance - 9/14/2009

I hate the clichй of a “must-win” game, but I would argue that’s exactly what the Chicago Bears are facing this Sunday in their home opener against the Steelers – Pittsburgh is a three-point favorite on Bodog.

AFC East: Season Win Totals Predictions
by Dave Busk - 9/11/2009

New England gets Tom Brady back after he was lost for the season in the first game in 2008. As a result of that injury the Patriots missed the postseason for the first time in five years. I like their chances in 2009 mainly because of a weak division. New England just looks much better then the Jets and Buffalo -- two teams that I think will struggle.

Worst NFL Teams Against the Spread
by T.O. Whenham - 9/10/2009

If you are like most typical NFL bettors then you probably don't really care how a team performs on the field. It's at the betting window (real or virtual) that really counts. Teams can have a pretty lousy season in terms of wins but be heroes against the spread. Others can be good, but not as good as people expected, and not good enough to cover spreads consistently.

NFL Handicapping: Effect of Three Fired Coordinators
by T.O. Whenham - 9/10/2009

There is total lunacy going on in the NFL. Among the golden rules of the league was that coordinators simply did not get fired in the weeks before the season. Coordinators have so much responsibility for what a team does on the field that it makes little sense to disrupt a team by making a change like that.

NFL Handicapping: Potential Turnaround Teams
by T.O. Whenham - 9/10/2009

The one thing we can be certain is going to happen every year in the NFL is that one or more teams is going to totally turn their season around - going from the cellar one year to full respectability the next year. Last year was a particularly strong year for the turnaround with Miami, Baltimore, and Atlanta all climbing into the playoffs from the depths of despair.

AFC South: Season Win Totals Predictions
by Dave Busk - 9/10/2009

The Colts have won 12 or more games in each of the last six years. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but beyond that they have some question marks as they replaced both the offensive and defensive coordinators and promoted Jim Caldwell to head coach. While I don’t think their defense is anything special this team and its schedule is just flat out weak.

NFL Handicapping: Easiest and Toughest Schedules
by T.O. Whenham - 9/8/2009

As we get ready to handicap the NFL season there are so many different aspects we have to deal with - quarterback play, offensive line, defensive line, running game, secondary depth and on and on and on. One of the most important is the team's schedule. The importance of the schedule in the NFL can't be overstated - it is much easier for a team to beat a weak team than a strong one, obviously. That means that assessing a team's schedule is very important.