NFL Power Rankings Week 4
by Robert Ferringo - 9/24/2024

Don’t let Monday Night Football’s two high-scoring results fool you. Scoring is still way down in NFL games this year. Through three weeks, the ‘under’ has gone 29-19 in all NFL games. Over the last two weeks, the ‘under’ is 22-10 (68.8 percent), and I don’t expect to see an eruption of scoring across the league any time soon. There are plenty of analysts that have tried to break down why scoring is down across the NFL. The proliferation of the Shanahan Offense – which is more about efficiency than big plays – and the comeback of the Cover-2 defense with two deep safeties are two major league-wide trends that have depressed scoring. Pathetic quarterback play (due to lack of proper development) is another culprit.

NFL Power Rankings Week 3
by Robert Ferringo - 9/17/2024

I’m going to continue to do this every year. I’m not going to do it as of way of patting myself on the back or showing how smart I am. I’m going to keep bringing this topic up until enough people see it and slowly but surely the general public consensus on NFL rookie quarterbacks changes. I have been talking about it for a decade, and I wrote about this very issue last season. Bottom line: starting a rookie quarterback is a terrible idea.

NFL Power Rankings Week 2
by Robert Ferringo - 9/10/2024

The satisfaction of a full weekend’s worth of NFL action, from the season-opening thriller between the Ravens and Chiefs, through a full Sunday of adrenaline, to the Monday night beatdown, was like a visit from an old friend. The true joy of last weekend was in the familiarity. Getting together with friends. Hanging out with your football-interested kids. Talking about your bets. Talking about your fantasy teams. Complaining about too many penalties. Complaining about (or begging for) Taylor Swift shots. Listening to friends second-guess offensive and defensive play-calls. Drinking. Snacking. Laughing.

2024 NFL Win Total Betting Advice
by Robert Ferringo - 7/16/2024

The genius of the NFL’s communist structure is that it breeds annual optimism. Right now it’s the summer; players, coaches, fans and bettors are all mesmerized by the intoxicating aura of possibility. Everyone has a chance. Everyone thinks this year could be something special.

Best Bets for the Worst NFL Teams for the Coming Season
by Robert Ferringo - 7/12/2024

Summer is the time of unbridled optimism in the NFL. Every team and its fan base have the confidence of achievable goals for the upcoming season. The cold, cruel reality of fall and winter haven’t yet crushed the souls of players, coaches, fans or bettors.

Football Championship Futures Often Not Sound Wagers
by Robert Ferringo - 7/12/2024

When people find out what I do the usually ask me one of two questions: Who is going to win the Super Bowl or who is going to win the national championship. My answer is always the same: I’m not a fortune teller and I can’t see the future, so I’m not sure.

2024 March Madness Bracket Predictions: Midwest Region
by Robert Ferringo - 3/21/2024

Sure, there will be some upsets and general insanity throughout the Midwest Region. It’s the NCAA Tournament, after all, and a bit of craziness is to be expected. But when you scan through this part of the bracket it really seems like the most likely to yield a fairly chalky, favorite-laden Elite Eight matchup before sending one of the top seeds to the Final Four.

2024 March Madness Bracket Predictions: West Region
by Robert Ferringo - 3/20/2024

Does defense really win championships? We’re going to find out in the West Region of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. The West boasts four of the highest scoring offenses in college basketball. Alabama (90.8), Arizona (89.5), North Carolina (81.6) and Baylor (81.6) all among the Top 25 in the country in points per game.

2024 Pac-12 Tournament Predictions with Betting Odds and Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 3/13/2024

This is The End. The Pac-12 has been crushed under the cold, cruel weight of The Market and is preparing to be ripped to shreds by the claws of Capitalism. A year from now, this league will no longer exist, with shards being absorbed by the Big 12 and Big Ten. Meaning that this will be the final Pac-12 Tournament ever.

2024 Mountain West Tournament Predictions with Betting Odds and Picks
by Robert Ferringo - 3/13/2024

That’s right, boys and girls, it is that time of the year again. Time to play one of my favorite games: “How Badly Is The Mountain West Gonna Get Screwed?”. It is an annual rite of passage for the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee to absolutely screw the Mountain West and short them the at-large bids that they deserve. It happens every year. The only question is just how egregiously the selection committee will screw the Mountain West in favor of sending mediocre teams from marquee conferences to The Big Dance.

Chiefs Looking at Potential Dynasty in Super Bowl 58
by Robert Ferringo - 2/9/2024

Nihilism is in right now, dear readers, and the only way out is through. So on the eve of a game that may end up as the paragon of American sports spectacle in this century the only rational choice seems to be to embrace The Darkness and use it as fuel, a spiritual heroin. Eat, drink and be merry, folks, for tomorrow we die. At least.

Super Bowl Wagering Advice: Block out the Noise, and Ignore the Spread!
by Robert Ferringo - 2/7/2024

Every year just about everyone I know shoots me a text or an e-mail in the two weeks leading up to the Super Bowl with the same question: “Who is going to win?” With rare exception my answer is usually the same: “How the hell should I know? I’m not a fortuneteller!” Super Bowl handicapping is a completely different animal than handicapping during the regular season. Reports have suggested that as much as $23 billion will be wagered on this year’s game, and everyone looks at this as the Go Big Betting Moment of the year.

Chicago Bears: Easy Decision for Justin Fields vs. Caleb Williams
by Robert Ferringo - 1/11/2024

The biggest story in the NFL right now is, obviously, the unfolding playoff drama and the question of who will win the Super Bowl. But the minute that the first piece of confetti hits the turf at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Super Bowl Sunday, it will mark the official beginning of the NFL offseason. And for the second year in a row, all eyes will be on the Chicago Bears at the top of the NFL draft.

NFL Power Rankings Week 18
by Robert Ferringo - 1/3/2024

So, last week I warned you against getting conned into betting on NFL teams that were in “must-win” situations. Cleveland, San Francisco, Jacksonville and Houston all came through with games that they absolutely had to have. However, the Cowboys, Rams, Colts, Eagles, Bucs, Falcons, Bills and Bengals all flopped against the spread in games that they absolutely had to have for one reason or another.

NFL Power Rankings Week 17
by Robert Ferringo - 12/26/2023

We are still in the throes of the holiday season for one more exhausting, family-oriented week, so I am going to keep this short and sweet. My advice over the next two weeks is this: good teams don’t put themselves in must-win situations. One of the primary aspects that bettors and handicappers consider when wagering on any team in any sport is motivation. “What are these guys playing for and how hard are they going to play?”

NFL Power Rankings Week 16
by Robert Ferringo - 12/19/2023

The only certainty in the NFL is constant change. Nowhere is this truism better reflected than the yearly turnover of NFL playoff teams. Dating back over the last 30 years, an average of five teams that make the playoffs one season do not make it back the next year. Usually, about half of the playoff teams don’t return. And that number is rarely, if ever, below one-third.

NFL Power Rankings Week 15
by Robert Ferringo - 12/12/2023

Instead of using this space for my normal insightful-yet-entertaining introduction, I thought I would do some house cleaning. OK, so Doc’s clients know that all of our handicappers release their football plays at 6 p.m. EST every Thursday and that covers games through to the following Wednesday, with college football and the NFL included in one package.

NFL Power Rankings Week 14
by Robert Ferringo - 12/5/2023

And here comes the weather. NFL offenses have done a great job of tripping over their own d!#ks all season long. The current average of 43.4 points per game would make this year the lowest scoring season of the last 14 years, and it has been absolutely brutal to watch.

NFL Power Rankings Week 13
by Robert Ferringo - 11/28/2023

Take that, sportsbooks. In the Eternal Struggle between The Bettors and The Books, there are rarely decisive blows struck either way. Most of the time sports wagering and this bettor/book battle is a grind, a slow, mathematical slog for supremacy over the long term.

NFL Power Rankings Week 12
by Robert Ferringo - 11/21/2023

It’s Thanksgiving Week, which is the busiest gambling week of the season. As such, I’m going to keep this short and sweet. Also, this week we will be releasing our football picks at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 22 to accommodate the Thanksgiving holiday. Happy Thanksgiving to each of you and your loved ones and good luck this week!