Pick'em Mode

Week 18
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
Houston Texans Houston Texans
@
New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints *
2026-09-15 Favorite
HOU -13.8
Strong favorite
Pending
15
pts
Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars *
@
Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings
2026-09-15 Favorite
MIN -13.5
Strong favorite
Pending
14
pts
Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens *
@
San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers
2026-09-15 Favorite
SAN -13.5
Strong favorite
Pending
13
pts
Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles *
@
Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins
2026-09-15 Favorite
MIA -12.7
Strong favorite
Pending
12
pts
Las Vegas Raiders Las Vegas Raiders *
@
Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers
2026-09-15 Favorite
PIT -11.8
Strong favorite
Pending
11
pts
Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns
@
Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts *
2026-09-15 Favorite
CLE -10.7
Strong favorite
Pending
10
pts
New York Jets New York Jets *
@
Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills
2026-09-15 Favorite
BUF -9.1
Clear favorite
Pending
9
pts
New England Patriots New England Patriots
@
Washington Commanders Washington Commanders *
2026-09-15 Favorite
NEW -9.4
Clear favorite
Pending
8
pts
Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks
@
Tennessee Titans Tennessee Titans *
2026-09-15 Favorite
SEA -8.8
Clear favorite
Pending
7
pts
Los Angeles Rams Los Angeles Rams *
@
Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons
2026-09-15 Favorite
ATL -7.3
Clear favorite
Pending
6
pts
Denver Broncos Denver Broncos
@
Detroit Lions Detroit Lions *
2026-09-15 Favorite
DEN -7.1
Clear favorite
Pending
5
pts
Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals *
@
New York Giants New York Giants
2026-09-15 Favorite
NEW -4.9
Moderate favorite
Pending
4
pts
Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers *
@
Chicago Bears Chicago Bears
2026-09-15 Model
CAR -2.2
Toss-up
Pending
3
pts
Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals
@
Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers *
2026-09-15 Model
GRE -1.5
Toss-up
Pending
2
pts
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers *
@
Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs
2026-09-15 Model
TAM -1.3
Toss-up
Pending
1
pts
Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys
@
Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Chargers *
2026-09-15 Model
LOS -0.6
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.