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
Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Chargers *
@
Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers
2026-09-15 Favorite
PIT -13.7
Strong favorite
Pending
7
pts
Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers
@
Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals *
2026-09-15 Favorite
CAR -13.2
Strong favorite
Pending
6
pts
New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints *
@
Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons
2026-09-15 Favorite
ATL -12.8
Strong favorite
Pending
5
pts
Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers *
@
Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks
2026-09-15 Favorite
SEA -10.8
Strong favorite
Pending
4
pts
Tennessee Titans Tennessee Titans *
@
Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens
2026-09-15 Favorite
BAL -9.4
Clear favorite
Pending
3
pts
Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills *
@
Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars
2026-09-15 Favorite
JAC -5.6
Moderate favorite
Pending
2
pts
Houston Texans Houston Texans *
@
Las Vegas Raiders Las Vegas Raiders
2026-09-15 Favorite
LAS -3.9
Slight favorite
Pending
1
pts
New England Patriots New England Patriots *
@
Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins
2026-09-15 Favorite
MIA -3.7
Slight 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.