Pick'em Mode
Week 21Optimized 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
Cincinnati Bengals *
Atlanta Falcons
ATL -9.3
Clear favorite
Pending
7
pts
New Orleans Saints *
Minnesota Vikings
MIN -9.2
Clear favorite
Pending
6
pts
Los Angeles Rams *
Kansas City Chiefs
KAN -8.6
Clear favorite
Pending
5
pts
Miami Dolphins
Tennessee Titans *
MIA -8.2
Clear favorite
Pending
4
pts
Las Vegas Raiders
Arizona Cardinals *
LAS -8.0
Clear favorite
Pending
3
pts
Houston Texans
Jacksonville Jaguars *
HOU -6.9
Moderate favorite
Pending
2
pts
Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland Browns *
BAL -4.9
Moderate favorite
Pending
1
pts
Washington Commanders *
Pittsburgh Steelers
WAS -0.6
Toss-up
Pending
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 1-8 to each pick.
1= least confident,8= 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.