Pick'em Mode
Week 20Optimized Hybrid
Uses XGBoost model predictions for close games, Vegas favorites for lopsided matchups. Backtested 2018-2024: 73.8% of max points.
7
Points Earned
10
Points Possible
70.0%
Percentage
3-1
Record
0
Pending
| Pts | Matchup | Spread | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |
 HOU
@
 KC
|
HOU -9.5
Clear favorite
|
Correct
+4 pts
14 - 23
|
| 3 |
 WAS
@
 DET
|
WAS -8.5
Clear favorite
|
Wrong
+0 pts
45 - 31
|
| 2 |
 LA
@
 PHI
|
LA -7.0
Clear favorite
|
Correct
+2 pts
22 - 28
|
| 1 |
 BAL
@
 BUF
|
BUF -1.5
Toss-up
|
Correct
+1 pts
25 - 27
|
How Pick'em Scoring Works
- Pick the Winner: For each game, pick which team will win straight-up (no spread).
- Rank by Confidence: Assign confidence rankings 1-4 to each pick.
1= least confident,4= most confident. - Earn Points: If your pick is correct, you earn points equal to your confidence ranking.
- Strategy: This page uses the Optimized Hybrid strategy:
- Close games (spread < 3 pts): Trust the XGBoost model predictions
- Lopsided games (spread ≥ 3 pts): Trust the Vegas favorite
- Backtest Result: This hybrid strategy scores ~73.8% of maximum possible points over 7 years (2018-2024), outperforming "always favorite" by +1.3 percentage points.