Pick'em Mode

Week 9
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
Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys *
@
Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers
2026-09-15 Favorite
GRE -13.9
Strong favorite
Pending
15
pts
New England Patriots New England Patriots
@
Indianapolis Colts Indianapolis Colts *
2026-09-15 Favorite
NEW -13.4
Strong favorite
Pending
14
pts
Baltimore Ravens Baltimore Ravens *
@
Chicago Bears Chicago Bears
2026-09-15 Favorite
CHI -12.8
Strong favorite
Pending
13
pts
Los Angeles Chargers Los Angeles Chargers
@
Cincinnati Bengals Cincinnati Bengals *
2026-09-15 Favorite
LOS -12.8
Strong favorite
Pending
12
pts
Cleveland Browns Cleveland Browns
@
Minnesota Vikings Minnesota Vikings *
2026-09-15 Favorite
CLE -12.7
Strong favorite
Pending
11
pts
Detroit Lions Detroit Lions *
@
Pittsburgh Steelers Pittsburgh Steelers
2026-09-15 Favorite
PIT -11.9
Strong favorite
Pending
10
pts
New Orleans Saints New Orleans Saints
@
Jacksonville Jaguars Jacksonville Jaguars *
2026-09-15 Favorite
NEW -12.0
Strong favorite
Pending
9
pts
Buffalo Bills Buffalo Bills
@
New York Giants New York Giants *
2026-09-15 Favorite
BUF -11.6
Strong favorite
Pending
8
pts
Los Angeles Rams Los Angeles Rams
@
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Tampa Bay Buccaneers *
2026-09-15 Favorite
LOS -9.1
Clear favorite
Pending
7
pts
Washington Commanders Washington Commanders
@
New York Jets New York Jets *
2026-09-15 Favorite
WAS -6.8
Moderate favorite
Pending
6
pts
Carolina Panthers Carolina Panthers
@
Las Vegas Raiders Las Vegas Raiders *
2026-09-15 Favorite
CAR -6.7
Moderate favorite
Pending
5
pts
Kansas City Chiefs Kansas City Chiefs
@
Houston Texans Houston Texans *
2026-09-15 Favorite
KAN -5.8
Moderate favorite
Pending
4
pts
Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons *
@
Seattle Seahawks Seattle Seahawks
2026-09-15 Favorite
SEA -5.0
Moderate favorite
Pending
3
pts
Miami Dolphins Miami Dolphins
@
San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers *
2026-09-15 Favorite
MIA -3.3
Slight favorite
Pending
2
pts
Denver Broncos Denver Broncos *
@
Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles
2026-09-15 Model
DEN -2.4
Toss-up
Pending
1
pts
Tennessee Titans Tennessee Titans *
@
Arizona Cardinals Arizona Cardinals
2026-09-15 Model
TEN -0.9
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.