Pick'em Mode

Week 14
Optimized Hybrid
Uses XGBoost model predictions for close games, Vegas favorites for lopsided matchups. Backtested 2018-2024: 73.8% of max points.
0
Points Earned
136
Points Possible
0.0%
Percentage
0-0
Record
16
Pending
16
pts
Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons *
@
Houston Texans Houston Texans
2026-09-15 Favorite
HOU -13.4
Strong favorite
Pending
15
pts
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers
@
Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles *
2026-09-15 Favorite
TAM -12.5
Strong favorite
Pending
14
pts
Los Angeles Rams Los Angeles Rams
@
New England Patriots New England Patriots *
2026-09-15 Favorite
LOS -12.5
Strong favorite
Pending
13
pts
Tennessee Titans Tennessee Titans *
@
Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars
2026-09-15 Favorite
JAC -11.6
Strong favorite
Pending
12
pts
Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals *
@
Washington Commanders Washington Commanders
2026-09-15 Favorite
WAS -11.5
Strong favorite
Pending
11
pts
Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns *
@
Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers
2026-09-15 Favorite
PIT -11.1
Strong favorite
Pending
10
pts
Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts
@
Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks *
2026-09-15 Favorite
IND -10.3
Strong favorite
Pending
9
pts
San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers *
@
Chicago Bears Chicago Bears
2026-09-15 Favorite
CHI -7.5
Clear favorite
Pending
8
pts
Denver Broncos Denver Broncos *
@
Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers
2026-09-15 Favorite
CAR -6.4
Moderate favorite
Pending
7
pts
Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs *
@
Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers
2026-09-15 Favorite
GRE -6.0
Moderate favorite
Pending
6
pts
Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys
@
New York Jets New York Jets *
2026-09-15 Favorite
DAL -3.3
Slight favorite
Pending
5
pts
Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Chargers *
@
New York Giants New York Giants
2026-09-15 Favorite
NEW -3.0
Slight favorite
Pending
4
pts
Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings
@
Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins *
2026-09-15 Model
MIA -1.9
Toss-up
Pending
3
pts
Las Vegas Raiders Las Vegas Raiders
@
Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills *
2026-09-15 Model
BUF -1.8
Toss-up
Pending
2
pts
New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints
@
Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals *
2026-09-15 Model
CIN -1.6
Toss-up
Pending
1
pts
Detroit Lions Detroit Lions
@
Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens *
2026-09-15 Model
BAL -0.2
Toss-up
Pending

How Pick'em Scoring Works

  1. Pick the Winner: For each game, pick which team will win straight-up (no spread).
  2. Rank by Confidence: Assign confidence rankings 1-16 to each pick. 1 = least confident, 16 = most confident.
  3. Earn Points: If your pick is correct, you earn points equal to your confidence ranking.
  4. 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
  5. 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.