Pick'em Mode

Week 22
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
Denver Broncos Denver Broncos *
@
Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers
2026-09-15 Favorite
CAR -9.6
Clear favorite
Pending
7
pts
Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills
@
Detroit Lions Detroit Lions *
2026-09-15 Favorite
BUF -8.4
Clear favorite
Pending
6
pts
Tennessee Titans Tennessee Titans *
@
New York Giants New York Giants
2026-09-15 Favorite
NEW -6.8
Moderate favorite
Pending
5
pts
Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs *
@
Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals
2026-09-15 Favorite
CIN -6.6
Moderate favorite
Pending
4
pts
Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars *
@
New England Patriots New England Patriots
2026-09-15 Favorite
NEW -4.1
Moderate favorite
Pending
3
pts
New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints
@
Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens *
2026-09-15 Model
BAL -2.2
Toss-up
Pending
2
pts
San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers *
@
Las Vegas Raiders Las Vegas Raiders
2026-09-15 Model
SAN -2.3
Toss-up
Pending
1
pts
Los Angeles Rams Los Angeles Rams *
@
Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts
2026-09-15 Model
LOS -0.5
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 1-8 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.