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Over the past few years, we have given the subscribers of Footballguys.com the Staff Confidence Pool Challenge, where numerous staffers try and pick the winners each week with a confidence ranking, and Jeff Pasquino’s “For The Win” column where Jeff attempts to pick each and every NFL game against the Las Vegas spread. Both of these have been very popular features, so this year Footballguys is proud to bring you the combination of the two. The Footballguys.com Staff Against the Spread Pool Challenge. Multiple staff members (16) will pick the winner of each NFL game against the Las Vegas line. As a tie-breaker, the person who is closest to the total points scored on the last Monday Night game will be the winner. Winners will be announced from week to week and the best overall record will be crowned Against the Spread Champion. Picks and ranks are due on Wednesday, so any late-breaking news may not be reflected in the choices.
Note that the links above are for 2012 articles. Please see the Week 17 2013 Page at Footballguys.com for the 2013 Week 17 updates.
LAST WEEK'S RESULTS
Here are the results from last week:
Road Team: | MIA | IND | MIN | DEN | NO | TEN | DAL | CLE | TB | NYG | AZ | PIT | OAK | NE | CHI | ATL | |||
Home Team: | BUF | KC | CIN | HOU | CAR | JAX | WAS | NYJ | STL | DET | SEA | GB | SD | BAL | PHI | SF | |||
Favorite: | MIA | KC | CIN | DEN | CAR | TEN | DAL | NYJ | STL | DET | SEA | GB | SD | BAL | PHI | SF | |||
Point Spread: | -2.5 | -6.5 | -7.5 | -10.5 | -3.5 | -5.5 | -3.5 | -2.5 | -5.5 | -9.5 | -10.5 | -2.5 | -10.5 | -2.5 | -3.5 | -12.5 | |||
Staffer | The Picks | MNF | LW | Year | |||||||||||||||
Maurile Tremblay | BUF | IND | MIN | HOU | CAR | JAX | WAS | NYJ | STL | DET | AZ | PIT | OAK | NE | PHI | ATL | 41 | 12 | 118 |
Steve Holloway | MIA | IND | MIN | DEN | CAR | JAX | DAL | NYJ | STL | NYG | AZ | GB | SD | NE | PHI | ATL | 39 | 12 | 124 |
Dave Larkin | MIA | IND | CIN | DEN | NO | JAX | WAS | NYJ | STL | DET | SEA | PIT | SD | NE | PHI | ATL | 38 | 12 | 120 |
James Brimacombe | MIA | IND | CIN | DEN | NO | JAX | WAS | NYJ | STL | DET | AZ | GB | SD | NE | CHI | ATL | 45 | 11 | 115 |
Adam Harstad | MIA | IND | CIN | DEN | NO | JAX | WAS | NYJ | TB | NYG | AZ | GB | OAK | NE | PHI | SF | 52 | 10 | 120 |
Ryan Hester | BUF | IND | MIN | HOU | NO | JAX | WAS | NYJ | STL | DET | AZ | GB | SD | BAL | CHI | ATL | 42 | 9 | 122 |
Andy Hicks | MIA | KC | MIN | DEN | NO | JAX | DAL | CLE | STL | NYG | SEA | PIT | SD | BAL | PHI | ATL | 51 | 8 | 130 |
Greg Russell | MIA | KC | CIN | DEN | NO | JAX | DAL | CLE | STL | NYG | SEA | GB | SD | NE | CHI | ATL | 49 | 8 | 105 |
Jason Wood | MIA | KC | MIN | DEN | NO | JAX | DAL | CLE | STL | NYG | SEA | PIT | OAK | NE | PHI | SF | 61 | 7 | 116 |
Matt Bitonti | MIA | KC | CIN | DEN | CAR | JAX | DAL | NYJ | STL | DET | AZ | GB | OAK | BAL | CHI | SF | 45 | 7 | 120 |
Will Grant | MIA | KC | CIN | DEN | CAR | JAX | WAS | CLE | STL | DET | SEA | GB | SD | BAL | CHI | SF | 50 | 7 | 109 |
Jeff Pasquino | MIA | KC | CIN | DEN | CAR | JAX | WAS | CLE | STL | DET | SEA | GB | OAK | BAL | CHI | SF | 50 | 6 | 115 |
Aaron Rudnicki | MIA | KC | MIN | DEN | NO | JAX | WAS | CLE | STL | NYG | SEA | GB | OAK | BAL | CHI | ATL | 43 | 6 | 118 |
Mark Wimer | MIA | KC | CIN | DEN | NO | JAX | DAL | NYJ | TB | DET | SEA | GB | OAK | NE | PHI | SF | 51 | 6 | 114 |
Heath Cummings | MIA | IND | CIN | HOU | NO | TEN | DAL | CLE | STL | DET | AZ | GB | OAK | BAL | PHI | SF | 41 | 5 | 120 |
Jeff Haseley | BUF | KC | MIN | HOU | CAR | JAX | DAL | CLE | STL | DET | SEA | GB | OAK | BAL | CHI | SF | 41 | 4 | 113 |
It was another great performance by the Footballguys’ staff for 2013, as five staff members picked 10 or more of the 16 Week 16 contests correctly against the spread. Maurile Tremblay, Steve Holloway and Dave Larkin led the way with 12 correct selections, and Maurile won the tiebreaker with the highest Monday Night Football total of the three staffers. James Brimacombe was one pick behind, while Adam Harstad rounded out the top five for the week with 10 correct picks. Overall the staff had a solid week yet again in Week 16, going 130-126 overall despite some bad misses like the Dolphins over the Bills, which cost the group 13 incorrect selections while the Packers loss to the Steelers gave the group 12 more red marks. The staff nailed three games with 10 or more correct picks, led by the Jaguars close loss to Tennessee (15 correct) followed by the Rams victory over the Buccaneers, good for 14 correct picks. As a whole, the staff had a solid week, finishing above .500 by two picks (130-126), equating to a 50.8% winning percentage.
For the season, three members of the 16-man group now have a winning record (more than 120 correct) – Andy Hicks (130), Steve Holloway (124) and Ryan Hester (122). Four others are dead even with 120 picks, but it looks like Mr. Hicks is running away with this year’s title for the group. Not a bad performance overall, but the group is still below .500 as a collective, with a total record of 1,879-1,961 (48.9%).
In summary, here are the weekly winners for the first 16 weeks of the regular season:
- Maurile Tremblay (3) – Weeks 4, 12 and 16
- Andy Hicks (2) – Weeks 1 and 15
- Steven Holloway (2) – Weeks 2 and 8
- Jason Wood (2) – Weeks 6 and 13
- Ryan Hester (2) – Weeks 9 and 11
- Jeff Haseley (2) – Weeks 10 and 14
- Matt Bitonti (1) – Week 3
- William Grant (1) – Week 5
- James Brimacombe (1) – Week 7
THIS WEEK'S PICKS
Here are the picks for this week:
Road Team: | CAR | DET | WAS | BAL | CLE | HOU | NYJ | JAX | DEN | KC | SF | STL | TB | GB | BUF | PHI | |
Home Team: | ATL | MIN | NYG | CIN | PIT | TEN | MIA | IND | OAK | SD | AZ | SEA | NO | CHI | NE | DAL | |
Favorite: | CAR | MIN | NYG | CIN | PIT | TEN | MIA | IND | DEN | SD | SF | SEA | NO | CHI | NE | PHI | |
Point Spread: | -7.5 | -3.5 | -3.5 | -6.5 | -7.5 | -7.5 | -6.5 | -11.5 | -12.5 | -10.5 | -3.5 | -10.5 | -12.5 | -2.5 | -9.5 | -7.5 | |
Staffer | The Picks | MNF | |||||||||||||||
Jeff Pasquino | CAR | DET | WAS | BAL | PIT | TEN | NYJ | JAX | DEN | SD | AZ | SEA | NO | GB | NE | PHI | 54 |
Aaron Rudnicki | ATL | DET | WAS | CIN | CLE | HOU | MIA | JAX | DEN | KC | SF | SEA | NO | GB | NE | DAL | 51 |
Adam Harstad | CAR | DET | WAS | CIN | PIT | TEN | MIA | IND | DEN | SD | AZ | STL | TB | CHI | BUF | PHI | 52 |
Andy Hicks | ATL | DET | WAS | BAL | CLE | HOU | NYJ | JAX | DEN | KC | AZ | STL | TB | CHI | NE | DAL | 58 |
Dave Larkin | ATL | DET | WAS | CIN | PIT | HOU | NYJ | JAX | DEN | KC | AZ | STL | NO | GB | NE | PHI | 48 |
Greg Russell | ATL | DET | WAS | BAL | PIT | HOU | MIA | JAX | DEN | KC | AZ | STL | NO | GB | BUF | PHI | 46 |
Heath Cummings | ATL | MIN | NYG | BAL | PIT | HOU | NYJ | IND | DEN | SD | SF | STL | NO | CHI | NE | PHI | 52 |
James Brimacombe | CAR | DET | WAS | CIN | PIT | HOU | MIA | IND | DEN | SD | AZ | STL | NO | CHI | NE | PHI | 55 |
Jason Wood | CAR | DET | WAS | CIN | PIT | TEN | MIA | IND | DEN | SD | SF | SEA | TB | GB | NE | PHI | 54 |
Jeff Haseley | ATL | DET | WAS | CIN | PIT | TEN | NYJ | IND | DEN | SD | AZ | STL | NO | GB | BUF | DAL | 47 |
Mark Wimer | CAR | DET | NYG | CIN | PIT | TEN | MIA | JAX | DEN | SD | AZ | SEA | NO | GB | NE | DAL | 90 |
Matt Bitonti | ATL | DET | NYG | CIN | CLE | HOU | NYJ | JAX | OAK | SD | SF | STL | TB | CHI | BUF | PHI | 64 |
Maurile Tremblay | ATL | DET | WAS | BAL | CLE | HOU | MIA | JAX | OAK | KC | SF | STL | NO | CHI | BUF | PHI | 51 |
Ryan Hester | ATL | MIN | WAS | BAL | CLE | HOU | MIA | IND | OAK | SD | AZ | STL | NO | GB | NE | DAL | 47 |
Steve Holloway | CAR | MIN | NYG | BAL | PIT | TEN | MIA | JAX | OAK | KC | AZ | STL | TB | GB | BUF | PHI | 60 |
Will Grant | CAR | DET | NYG | BAL | PIT | TEN | NYJ | JAX | DEN | KC | AZ | SEA | NO | GB | NE | PHI | 55 |
CONSENSUS WINNERS
This week we have some consensus picks amongst the group, led by 13 picks for the Lions over Minnesota and 12 more for Denver to cover a big (12.5) number at Oakland. Six teams (Pittsburgh, Washington, Arizona, New Orleans, St. Louis and Philadelphia) were picked 11 times, while three others (Jacksonville, Green Bay and New England) received 10 selections. Only one game split the staff right down the middle (Baltimore vs. Cincinnati), but this week is still a tricky one to end the year. It should be very interesting to see how it plays out.
ODDS AND ENDS
This is the final week of the regular season, so you would think this would start to get easier, but the picks are due by Wednesday night. Most of the staff would agree that picking this weekend's games on Wednesday night is very difficult because you don't have much information about injuries and practice. If your league allows you to pick the later games separate from the rest, take advantage of it and make your Sunday and Monday picks as close to the weekend as possible.
A reminder that these picks are against the Las Vegas lines – so getting above 50% is respectable, above 53% gets you into the “profitable zone” (accounting for the Las Vegas house odds of taking 10% of every losing wager) – and anything above 60% is outstanding. That may sound easy enough, but it is much, much harder that it might seem.
Good luck this weekend!