Pick'em Mode

Week 19
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
Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals
@
New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints *
2026-09-15 Favorite
ARI -13.6
Strong favorite
Pending
7
pts
Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals *
@
Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens
2026-09-15 Favorite
BAL -11.0
Strong favorite
Pending
6
pts
Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins *
@
Denver Broncos Denver Broncos
2026-09-15 Favorite
DEN -9.5
Clear favorite
Pending
5
pts
Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons *
@
Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars
2026-09-15 Favorite
JAC -8.8
Clear favorite
Pending
4
pts
Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts
@
Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs *
2026-09-15 Favorite
IND -8.5
Clear favorite
Pending
3
pts
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers *
@
Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers
2026-09-15 Favorite
GRE -7.4
Clear favorite
Pending
2
pts
Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks
@
Houston Texans Houston Texans *
2026-09-15 Favorite
SEA -4.2
Moderate favorite
Pending
1
pts
Las Vegas Raiders Las Vegas Raiders
@
Tennessee Titans Tennessee Titans *
2026-09-15 Model
TEN -1.1
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.