NFL Betting Analysis: Using Power Rankings To Handicap Your Picks
Posted by Eric Williams on Saturday,December 10, 2016 9:50, EDT in
Whether you’re an avid NFL gaming enthusiast or more of a casual one that only takes interest in the ‘big’ games, then you should know that there’s more than one way to skin a cat!
You see, while many gridiron gamers like to use a plethora of ATS and O/U trends as the major foundation for their wagering selections, there’s another great way to handicap your pro football picks – by using the league’s weekly power rankings, preferably from a source that you hold in high regard.
You see, while ATS and O/U trends are one of the oldest methods of making sports wagers, simple NFL power rankings generally tell you which teams are simply ‘better’ than others or which teams are playing better or worse than their respective opponents on any given week. For some perspective, let’s take a look at this week’s NFL power rankings and how they could come into play in a handful of this weekend’s matchups.
NFL Betting Analysis: Using Power Rankings To Handicap Your Picks
No. 17 Arizona at No. 16 Miami
The weekly power rankings have the Arizona Cardinals at No. 17 and Miami at No. 16 – and I believe they’re very close to where they should be, although I have Arizona getting the road upset this weekend mostly because they have the better defense and more experienced team.
No. 15 Minnesota at No. 30 Jacksonville
The NFL power rankings say the Vikings are, by far, the better team in this matchup and I believe NFL gaming enthusiasts will see this fact play out perfectly as the Vikings pound the snot out of beleaguered Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles en route to the easy win and ATS cover.
No. 5 Pittsburgh at No. 18 Buffalo
While the Bills are playing at home in this Week 14 matchup, the NFL power rankings say the Pittsburgh Steelers are the better team and I wholeheartedly agree, which is why I’ve urged NFL betting enthusiasts to back Ben Roethlisberger and company in this matchup.
No. 13 Washington at No. 20 Philadelphia
The Washington redskins have struggled recently, but the NFL power rankings say they are the better team over an equally struggling Philadelphia Eagles team and I agree. Forget the ATS and O/U trends surrounding this matchup, Washington is better and will win outright.
No. 21 San Diego at No. 23 Carolina
While the NFL power rankings say the San Diego Chargers are just slightly better than Carolina, again, I agree which is why I have the Bolts as one of my top Week 14 upset picks. The Chargers are downright explosive offensively and Carolina looks like they’ve lost all hope at this late juncture.
So, you see, each week’s NFL power rankings can be a great tool to help you in your weekly decision-making, particularly with your straight up picks, but also with your ATS and O/U wagers. Simply put, make sure you use them in conjunction with your tried and true methods.
