Pick'em Mode

Week 2
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
2026 Season
← Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 →
Full Predictions
16
pts
Denver Broncos Denver Broncos *
@
New England Patriots New England Patriots
2026-09-15 Favorite
NEW -12.0
Strong favorite
Pending
15
pts
Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Chargers *
@
Los Angeles Rams Los Angeles Rams
2026-09-15 Favorite
LOS -10.5
Strong favorite
Pending
14
pts
Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars
@
New York Giants New York Giants *
2026-09-15 Favorite
JAC -10.3
Strong favorite
Pending
13
pts
Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers
@
Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns *
2026-09-15 Favorite
CAR -10.1
Strong favorite
Pending
12
pts
Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills
@
New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints *
2026-09-15 Favorite
BUF -9.3
Clear favorite
Pending
11
pts
Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers *
@
Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles
2026-09-15 Favorite
PHI -8.1
Clear favorite
Pending
10
pts
Chicago Bears Chicago Bears *
@
Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings
2026-09-15 Favorite
MIN -8.1
Clear favorite
Pending
9
pts
Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers *
@
San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers
2026-09-15 Favorite
SAN -6.3
Moderate favorite
Pending
8
pts
Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins
@
Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals *
2026-09-15 Favorite
MIA -6.4
Moderate favorite
Pending
7
pts
Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs *
@
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2026-09-15 Favorite
TAM -5.9
Moderate favorite
Pending
6
pts
New York Jets New York Jets *
@
Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals
2026-09-15 Favorite
CIN -5.8
Moderate favorite
Pending
5
pts
Washington Commanders Washington Commanders *
@
Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts
2026-09-15 Favorite
IND -4.3
Moderate favorite
Pending
4
pts
Tennessee Titans Tennessee Titans *
@
Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons
2026-09-15 Model
TEN -2.6
Slight favorite
Pending
3
pts
Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks
@
Las Vegas Raiders Las Vegas Raiders *
2026-09-15 Model
LAS -2.0
Toss-up
Pending
2
pts
Detroit Lions Detroit Lions *
@
Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys
2026-09-15 Model
DET -1.0
Toss-up
Pending
1
pts
Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens *
@
Houston Texans Houston Texans
2026-09-15 Model
BAL -0.3
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.