Pick'em Mode

Week 8
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
136
Points Possible
0.0%
Percentage
0-0
Record
16
Pending
16
pts
Los Angeles Rams Los Angeles Rams *
@
Detroit Lions Detroit Lions
2026-09-15 Favorite
DET -13.3
Strong favorite
Pending
15
pts
Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Chargers
@
New York Jets New York Jets *
2026-09-15 Favorite
LOS -12.4
Strong favorite
Pending
14
pts
Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills *
@
Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys
2026-09-15 Favorite
DAL -12.0
Strong favorite
Pending
13
pts
Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles
@
Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns *
2026-09-15 Favorite
PHI -11.8
Strong favorite
Pending
12
pts
New England Patriots New England Patriots *
@
Denver Broncos Denver Broncos
2026-09-15 Favorite
DEN -11.2
Strong favorite
Pending
11
pts
Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers
@
Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings *
2026-09-15 Favorite
CAR -11.3
Strong favorite
Pending
10
pts
Chicago Bears Chicago Bears
@
Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons *
2026-09-15 Favorite
CHI -10.0
Strong favorite
Pending
9
pts
Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens *
@
Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs
2026-09-15 Favorite
KAN -8.6
Clear favorite
Pending
8
pts
Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts
@
Washington Commanders Washington Commanders *
2026-09-15 Favorite
IND -6.4
Moderate favorite
Pending
7
pts
Tennessee Titans Tennessee Titans
@
Houston Texans Houston Texans *
2026-09-15 Favorite
TEN -5.8
Moderate favorite
Pending
6
pts
Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals
@
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers *
2026-09-15 Favorite
CIN -5.3
Moderate favorite
Pending
5
pts
Las Vegas Raiders Las Vegas Raiders
@
New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints *
2026-09-15 Favorite
LAS -4.0
Moderate favorite
Pending
4
pts
Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals
@
New York Giants New York Giants *
2026-09-15 Model
NEW -2.7
Slight favorite
Pending
3
pts
Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars
@
San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers *
2026-09-15 Model
SAN -2.6
Slight favorite
Pending
2
pts
Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins
@
Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers *
2026-09-15 Model
PIT -2.1
Toss-up
Pending
1
pts
Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers
@
Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks *
2026-09-15 Model
SEA -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 1-16 to each pick. 1 = least confident, 16 = 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.