Pick'em Mode

Week 20
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
36
Points Possible
0.0%
Percentage
0-0
Record
8
Pending
8
pts
Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs
@
Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks *
2026-09-15 Favorite
KAN -13.9
Strong favorite
Pending
7
pts
Tennessee Titans Tennessee Titans *
@
Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings
2026-09-15 Favorite
MIN -13.1
Strong favorite
Pending
6
pts
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers
@
Washington Commanders Washington Commanders *
2026-09-15 Favorite
TAM -13.2
Strong favorite
Pending
5
pts
Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Chargers *
@
Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys
2026-09-15 Favorite
DAL -12.2
Strong favorite
Pending
4
pts
Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills
@
Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers *
2026-09-15 Favorite
BUF -9.8
Clear favorite
Pending
3
pts
Los Angeles Rams Los Angeles Rams *
@
Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals
2026-09-15 Favorite
ARI -7.9
Clear favorite
Pending
2
pts
New England Patriots New England Patriots
@
Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns *
2026-09-15 Favorite
NEW -7.4
Clear favorite
Pending
1
pts
Denver Broncos Denver Broncos *
@
Chicago Bears Chicago Bears
2026-09-15 Favorite
CHI -6.1
Moderate favorite
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 1-8 to each pick. 1 = least confident, 8 = 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.