Another Season and Another NFL Pool Win, 2022 SafePicks

SafePicks returns for yet another football season, 2022 makes this our 19th year! AND BOOM! Just like that! We enjoyed a decent NFL Week 3 last week (2022) as we know our SafePicks subscribing members did as well! Here is the proof of just another NFL weekly pool win for us, it’s the same NFL pool we have been in for years, one that’s enjoyed among other elite ‘cappers in our business. Big win. And it’s still early in the 2022 NFL season. Let’s win a few more! Last year we hit 3 weekly wins, with huge ROI and we went 179-92 SU for the year. Onto NFL Week 4. Let’s go! 🙂

Dallas Cowboys at New Orleans Saints, NFL Week 4 – SafePicks (2019) NFL Prediction

By Bo Jamison, for SafePicks.com.  Sept. 26, 11:44AM EST

A sweet NFC prime time showdown will take place for this coming SNF matchup, (Sunday Night Football).  When the schedule was made, many had this game circled on their calendars, no doubt.  This would have easily been the game of the week!  With the Saints missing Drew Brees at quarterback though, only a little of that prime time limelight-shine has dulled – this still should be a GOOD prime time game.   Make no mistake, the Saints and Cowboys are gearing up for this marquee showdown at the Superdome, a game that features New Orleans as a 2.5-point home underdog.

Amazingly, the New Orleans Saints are 7-1 ATS in their last eight home games against the Cowboys, which is such a glaring stat.  The Saints are also an impressive 16-3 SU in their last 19 home games overall, under coach Sean Payton.  However, as we know, those stats are a result of having Drew Brees commanding the post under center.  We’ll be the first to tell you, the Cowboys are slowly shaping up to be a formidable Super Bowl contender, but the cupcake teams they have beaten already, (Giants, Redskins and Dolphins) are nothing to get too excited about at this early juncture.  So the Saints should prove to be the real first true test for the Cowboys, on the road.  The Cowboys will also go up against “arguably” one of the league’s best coaching minds in Sean Payton.

America’s Team opened around a field-goal favorite for this prime time game, and the early plays narrowed that spread as low as -2.5 at some select sport books.  If you can get Dallas under a field goal like we did, it would be a lock-in because it should be a good bet. The books have already seen a large amount of public play on the Cowboys and predict the most popular team in football to draw lopsided money versus a Saints team playing without their star QB.

Although we ALL know “on any given Sunday” anything can and will happen – the Saints need only maintain & mitigate their division positioning (a.k.a. “hang on”) until their star in Brees returns.  Also, not to look ahead, but the Saints face their division rival Buccaneers for a critical NFC South showdown next week.

We would love to back the great story that is the Saints and the comeback of Saints backup quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, (who was minutes away from a leg amputation in the summer of 2016).   As much as we always root for the feel-good stories, we cannot bet with emotions.  Tempting for some.  Even though QB backup Bridgewater was solid in a win at Seattle this past Sunday, this spread will likely creep to Dallas -3.5 by game time.  Low spread, possibly a tight game… and Brees is expected to lead the pregame chant for a raucous 75,000+ crowd at the Superdome.  Still, we are backing the Cowboys -2.5 to win this one.  Good luck.

SafePicks LTD Record: 3722 – 1544
SafePicks NFL Week 3 (last week): 45 – 15 (across the board)

SafePicks has been serving winning NFL Predictions since 2003.  Success does pay – even 16 years later.  No nonsense.  No fluff.  No bull.  Ad free.  Just NFL predictions and free NFL picks, get free NFL picks here.

NFC 2015 NFL Football Season Predictions, Division Winners

Here we go again, here is our NFC 2015 NFL season predictions, (best case scenario vs. worst case scenario format) for every team. We are on the NFC.  After piling through a ton of NFL off season assessments and after analyzing our comprehensive (782 page) NFL 32-team preseason book, we believe the following is a solid forecast on how things should settle, give or take a game (NFC):

NFL Prediction – NFC EAST (Final seeding: 1. Eagles  2. Cowboys  3. NY Giants  4. Redskins)

NFC EAST
1. Philadelphia
Best Case Scenario: Head coach Chip Kelly is poised to have this team vie for a deep post season run thanks to off season acquisitions. This could very well be an 11-win team when all is said and done. This team looks solid on both defense and offense and if QB Sam Bradford proves to be the vital missing component to the Eagles offense, look for this team to go places in 2015 as division champs and beyond but…
Worst Case Scenario: Sam Bradford could very well be a failure on arrival and offseason acquisitions do not pan out for Chip Kelly in another failed year.

2. Dallas
Best Case Scenario: All the weapons are in place in both the offensive and defensive side of the ball. We do project a postseason run for the ‘Boys, a potential deep one at that. This will be a 9-win WildCard team, but…
Worst Case Scenario: Early in the offseason, QB Tony Romo predicted the Cowboys to make it to the Super Bowl and coupled with the Greg Hardy acquisition, bad luck karma may be in store. This Cowboys team may end up being a .500 team led by an equally over rated coach in Jason Garrett.

3. NY Giants
Best Case Scenario: QB Eli Manning needs to have an improved season and solidify himself as the bonafide NY Giants starter for seasons to come. The NY Giants could potentially make a strong playoff run and if not, a “mathematical” WildCard berth is not out of the question with 8-wins.
Worst Case Scenario: The injury bug returns to claim another 20 something players, (last season – 22 injuries). The defense remains inconsistent and coach Tom Coughlin is finally fired after a dismal 4 or 5-win campaign.

4. Washington
Best Case Scenario: A playoff berth seems to be a bit of a stretch, but a couple of moral victory outcomes (if those even exist) may help this team in the form of a 5 or 6-win season.
Worst Case Scenario: The quarterback position continues to be a disaster and the Redskins continue to remain the division’s cellar dweller with loads of work to do in 2016.

NFL Prediction – NFC WEST (Final Seeding 1. Cardinals  2. Seahawks  3. Rams  4. 49ers)

NFC West
1. Arizona
Best Case Scenario: The Cardinals avoid injuries and become a legit threat to contend for deep postseason play and attain 10 or 11-wins for their efforts.  Heck, Bruce Arians may be #1 in coach-of-the-year balloting too, but..
Worst Case Scenario: The Cardinals fail to get it together with QB Carson Palmer sub standard play and injuries decimate this team to give them a .500 season.

2. Seattle
Best Case Scenario: The Seahawks are poised to make another deep postseason run as last year’s gaffe in the final seconds of the Super Bowl is but a memory. With the addition of TE Jimmy Graham, the Seahawks should be a Top 5 offense in both rushing and passing the ball. This is an 10-win team here but…
Worst Case Scenario: Seattle’s defense and offense will be only as good as the healthy personnel that support it and injuries could come to plague team. If head coach Pete Carroll did not learn from prior play-calling mistakes, then play calling with be this team’s undoing for a postseason early exit.

3. St. Louis
Best Case Scenario: The Rams have an improved season led by a formidable defense and a capable QB in Nick Foles which helps them to finally crack post season contention in a WildCard capacity. We certainly could see this team getting 8 wins this season, especially as a Dark Horse sleeper team, but…
Worst Case Scenario: The Rams under-perform and fail to make the postseason thanks to a miserable campaign ending with 9-losses or more.

4. San Francisco
Best Case Scenario: Enter new head coach Jim Tomsula to take over for ousted Jim Harbaugh and the Niners should have what it takes to make post season. This is an 8-win mathematical WildCard team at best and coach Tomsula would be so deserving (an awesome good guy) but…
Worst Case Scenario: The Niners continue to rebuild with a valiant first year under Tomsula.

NFL Prediction – NFC NORTH (Final Seeding: 1. Packers  2. Lions  3. Vikings  4. Bears)

NFC North
1. Green Bay
Best Case Scenario: This is an 11-win team, even with the absence of WR Jordy Nelson. If the Packers could add ferocity to their 2015 campaign, this could be a Super Bowl finalist but…
Worst Case Scenario: They need to get over the lingering sting of last season’s playoff loss to the Seahawks and not fall prey to the injury bug or this is an 8 or 9-win team at best.

2. Detroit
Best Case Scenario: Detroit has what it takes to be a formidable scoring team thanks to one of the best offenses in the NFL. We believe this is a 9-win team and the Lions clinch another postseason spot but…
Worst Case Scenario: The departure of key defensive personnel may put this team in the hole early and with a hole to deep to get out from.. and the Lions fall to the NFC North’s basement.

3. Minnesota
Best Case Scenario: See our post on Adrian Peterson. With an improved defense and a Norv Turner offense, Teddy Bridgewater has all the offensive weapons to make the Vikings a viable contender and potentially an 8-win mathematical WildCard team but…
Worst Case Scenario: Peterson is a bust and Bridgewater is over rated leading the under-performing Vikings to a failed regular season effort.

4. Chicago
Best Case Scenario: QB Jay Cutler is back with an new supporting cast to give the Bears a worthy offensive air and ground attack. Coach John Fox is no stranger to postseason contention, and the Bears should get in with an 8-win campaign but…
Worst Case Scenario: A total top to bottom rebuild is required as the Bears finish with a 5 or 6-win effort and look to 2016.

Prediction – NFC SOUTH (Final Seeding: 1. Saints  2. Buccaneers  3. Panthers  4. Falcons

NFC South
1. New Orleans
Best Case Scenario: QB Drew Brees and Head Coach Sean Payton still have lots of fuel in the tank as a tandem. If the defense improves (as planned) and the offense continues to be tops, then this is a division winning team with 10-wins but…
Worst Case Scenario: All the changes in the offense and a defense that has not improved – makes this a team that will be lucky if they secure a WildCard berth with 9-wins or less.

2. Tampa Bay:
Best Case Scenario: All eyes are on new QB Jameis Winston who has a capable supporting cast to throw to and if the defense could hold the fort then this should be a .500 (or better) sleeper team with 8 wins or more, but…
Worst Case Scenario: This could be a work in progress for the new quarterback and the defense for which a .500 season could be in order and a further rebuild in 2016.

3. Carolina
Best Case Scenario: The Panthers are a viable post season contender, although the loss of WR Kelvin Benjamin does not help. QB Cam Newton has plenty of weapons to work with while the Panthers should have a formidable defense to stay in division contention all season long with an 8-win record but…
Worst Case Scenario: The Panthers inability to make offseason improvements might be their undoing in a failed postseason bid.

4. Atlanta
Best Case Scenario: A positive change on the defensive end with the arrival of new head coach Dan Quinn. Although many pundits have Atlanta winning the division, we have them looking at a .500 season and a possible WildCard entry but…
Worst Case Scenario: This team is theoretically in rebuilding mode and could be cementing the building blocks towards an even better 2016 season.

See you at SafePicks.com!

Adrian Peterson 2015 NFL Prediction, NFL Fantasy Football Prediction, Making A Case To Avoid AP?

We fired up and ready to go!  Yes, another NFL season is in our midst as we wind down another NFL offseason and preseason football.  Although our private NFL Fantasy league already drafted at the beginning of the month, NFL Fantasy football is all the rage these days!  With that, comes the Adrian Peterson bandwagon that everyone seems to be piling on to, as of late.  His past is but a memory, although his off-the-field issues still seem to lurk in the news.

But here we go, our SafePicks.com 2015 NFL prediction: Adrian Peterson will have a less-than-stellar season, one that may be poisoned and/or shortened with injury.  So if you plan to draft Adrian Peterson, especially if you have the first pick in your NFL Fantasy league, do so with caution.  Having had the pleasure of the first pick in our NFL Fantasy league draft, we avoided him with pleasure. Guess we’ll see if we were right to do so… soon enough.

Before some of you seethe or even scold us for our bold prediction here, although we may not the be-all-end-all authority in NFL Fantasy football, we do know a thing or two on the subject.  As background, SafePicks.com finished FIRST last season in our NFL Fantasy League, we came second the season before, and we finished top three in the last five of six seasons. So, we will do what we do, (making successful NFL predictions and NFL Fantasy predictions) and we will go out on a limb as we have, (win or lose) making such a bold prediction about Adrian Peterson.  That’s what we do, we make successful NFL predictions.  It’s a case of buyer beware. Why?  For several reasons.

First off, AP has a huge chip on the shoulder.  He is a man on a mission now that he’s back on the field.  But sometimes such an overly determined mindset does not ultimately bode well for performance and stat sheets, based on our research, and even history itself.  We’ve seen players try to do too much before and it did not serve them well in the long run, in terms of success and/or in health.  There is nothing worse than over-thinking it in NFL football especially in your all-out quest with something to prove.  In AP’s case, his mission will be to out-perform and then welcome the post-game media – only to field questions about his mired personal past.  Just you wait and see, Adrian Peterson will be trying to bite his tongue in those post game pressers which will only fuel his restless mental state.  Oh sure, AP is going to ‘give it’ and give it good in the heat of such self-imposed pressure.  But that mentality could potentially be his undoing.  When we make successful NFL predictions and we make many, this would be classified as the psychological angle ‎we use in our assessment of a game or player.

Then, secondly, if you believe in Poker gods, Golf gods, and even Football gods (don’t laugh), then the luck factor is a funny & unpredictable type of thing. Think on it, the gods of poker and golf have already made examples of a few big names, (Woods, Ivey, etc. just to name a few – for their own fall-from-grace reasons).  In fact, Tiger Woods is arguably a great example of what happens when you tempt fate and success, outside the game.  In that same vein, could one wonder if those Football gods plan to make an example of AP given his well documented personal issues?  With that to ponder, we find it absolutely stunning that he’s garnering so much fantasy football attention, going off as number one in so many mock drafts, NFL fantasy (Tier 1) ranking polls, and the like.  ‎Heck, even NFL.com has him top-ranking, how ironic is that by the way?  Everybody is jumping on the AP bandwagon!

Will Adrian Peterson put up some numbers?  Absolutely!  Will the same AP have some breakout games?  Certainly.  But will Peterson have the year (for the ages) that a majority of fantasy players are banking on?  We don’t believe so.  In this great sport we call NFL football, let’s not put the proverbial cart before the horse.  The killer, in the world of NFL predictions, is gut feeling or assumption.  Both are avid mothers of evil when making NFL predictions, so we believe.  AP is AP, no question.  But the jury is still out on Adrian Peterson, for a couple of more weeks only.  Then the world will see how wrong (or right) we may be.  Not long now.   As instinct would have it, we’re supposed to forget the off-the-field stuff and go all-in on Adrian Peterson.  Right?  But SafePicks.com cannot do such a thing, win or lose.  He’s a 30 year old back, drafted in the first round of the 2007 draft, (just like Marshawn Lynch).  For both, this is their ninth year.  Make no mistake though, Adrian Peterson was on track to becoming the best back ever to ‎run with the ball.  Then, a torn ACL, news of a child’s death, and then later, child abuse charges came and all of this put a dent on his chances of reigning supreme on the ground.  With a full year off, he is back and more determined than ever to make a point.  But tread carefully, proceed with caution.  Whether it be Lynch or another, there are better choices for our NFL Fantasy league dollars!  Good luck from SafePicks.com!

(If you want to enjoy success, there are more NFL Predictions, simply visit SafePicks.com – a bold many are there and waiting for you!)

2014 NFL Predictions By Division And NFL Playoff Predictions

Another season of NFL football approaches and SafePicks.com is fired up for what promises to be yet another “highly successful” year of NFL and NCAAF picks & predictions. Serving the global NFL betting community for over a decade, SafePicks.com NFL Handicapping is proud to deliver eleven “very successful” years of picks and predictions as we head into our 12th year!  With about three weeks to go before the 2014 NFL Regular Season kicks off, let’s get right into our 2014 NFL Predictions by division and NFL playoff predictions.

Last year, in Vegas, the top four teams to win the Super Bowl were San Francisco, Denver, New England and Seattle. All four teams‎ made it to their conference championship. It was a great season of NFL playoffs last season as SafePicks.com went an astounding what??  That’s right, SafePicks.com went 9-2 ATS in the NFL Playoffs, our users cashed in big time!  Anyway, this year, those very same teams mentioned above have the lowest odds of winning the Super Bowl.  Albeit so, we are looking at the Packers and Saints to make some legitimate noise in the NFC this year.  We also have “chalked” some potential surprise sleeper teams this year, checkout the site for more details.  Of course though, the Seahawks are the favorites in Vegas, and remain darlings of the wagering public.  But repeating has been a difficult thing to do in this ever-tough NFL.

Let’s see where we’re leaning this coming NFL season, predicting AFC and NFC division winners for 2014 (oh and we get bold in the AFC):

National Football Conference (NFC) –
2014 NFL Predictions: Final Division ‎Finishes and NFC Playoffs

NFC East Prediction
1. Philadelphia:  Great offseason in Philly. If quarterback Nick Foles can stay the course and the defense improves, then this could be a 10-win team.
2. NY Giants:  Several offseason changes, but they have a long way to go yet and quarterback Eli Manning could arguably be on the decline.
3. Washington:  This team is in re-group mode and will be hard pressed to break the .500 mark.
4. Dallas:  Quarterback Tony Romo is recovering from yet another surgery (back) and 100% or not, he cannot do it all on his own. One day Jerry Jones will wake up to such a plague of a reality and relinquish his GM duties, plain and simple. This team will need lots of luck to break. 500 this season.

‎NFC South Prediction
1. New Orleans:  The Saints offense needs no introduction, but look out for their re-vamped & upgraded defense coming off 4th best in the league last season. Potential to champion the NFC.
2. Tampa Bay:  This team might surprise under coach Lovie Smith’s direction. In fact, this is a ‎possible sleeper team here. Be warned.
3. Atlanta:  Talented team, but won’t be enough to get the job done deep into the playoffs. Possible 9-win team though.
4. Carolina:  Defensively talented, but offensively weakened thanks to offseason alterations. This might be a tough year for the Panthers coming off a great season.

NFC North Prediction
1. Green Bay:  We have both Chicago and Green Bay tied for top spot in this division, but the Packers have the edge when it comes to tie-breaking the final finish.
2. Chicago:  This team will be better in 2014 and they should give the Packers a run for their money. This is another sleeper team to be weary of in our books.
3. Detroit:  Coach Jim Caldwell‎ will have his hands full this season, but could very well be the answer the Lions need from a “long-term” perspective.
4. Minnesota:  This team is still a couple of years away from the big dance, but the addition of talented head coach Mike Zimmer will help… almost instantly.

NFC West Prediction
1. Seattle:  Granted, this team changed a little in the offseason, but it is still hard to go against them here, until proven otherwise, they are the defending champions.
2. San Francisco:  A few player losses have taken place along with some pending contract issues, it will be hard for these Niners to stay in division contention.
3. Arizona:  The defense is good. Carson Palmer is capable of leading Arizona.  But can they get past the other two beasts, (Seahawks and Niners)?
4. St. Louis:  Make no mistake, the Rams are making great progress and will pull off a few wins, even maybe an upset or two. ‎ But that’s about all.

NFC Division Winners:  Philadelphia, New Orleans, Green Bay, Seattle

NFC Wild Card Teams:  San Francisco and Tampa Bay

NFC Championship Game:  New Orleans vs. Seattle

 

American Football Conference (AFC) –
2014 NFL Predictions:  Final Division ‎Finishes and AFC Playoffs

AFC East Prediction
1. New England:  The Pats need no introduction and will remain division owners as long as the duo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick remain in place.
2. Buffalo:  This could potentially be the year for Buffalo fans, but success will depend upon quarterback EJ Manuel’s progress though.  Potential sleeper team.
3. NY Jets:  Rex Ryan will try to squeeze the most out of this capable group – in what will be a make-or-break year for Rex.  It will be a tough run though.
4. Miami:  The chalk tells us that there is not enough talent nor depth on this roster to consistently ‎compete, let alone making a (“must make”) playoff run.

AFC North Predicition
1. Cincinnati:  New contract for quarterback Andy Dalton, new season, new coordinators, and finally a potential playoff game win, then beyond?  Let’s see.
2. Cleveland:  Whoever gets the call to hold the quarterback reigns, (we prefer Hoyer over Manziel) this should be a better team overall.
3. Baltimore:  With a lot of new faces, the turnover effect from last season should settle in…. this team will potentially digress this season.
4. Pittsburgh‎:  This team has the potential to steal a few wins under Ben Roethlisberger at quarterback, but that’s about all.  There’s nothing telling us otherwise.

AFC South Prediction
‎1. Indianapolis:  With a fairly veteran roster and quarterback Andrew Luck, the road to the division title will still go through Indy, this could be a one-horse race – all the way.
2. Tennessee:  The Titans will be a better team this season under coach Ken Wisenhunt, let’s see if quarterback Locker can improve his play though.  Decent offseason.
3. Jacksonville:  Believe it or not, this could very well be a .500 team this season, and quarterback Blake Bortles (remember his name) could fit in quite well for the Jags offense.
4. Houston:  The way things are going for Houston, we would not be surprised if they are closer to the 2-14 team of last year than they are to the 12-4 team of yesteryear.

AFC West Prediction
1. Denver:  We have quarterback Peyton Manning, along with a re-vamped defense, and this team should be well on their way to punching another Super Bowl ticket.
2. ‎San Diego:  Coming off a playoff victory, the faster Chargers should be primed for a good season led by quarterback Philip Rivers.
3. Kansas City:  Coach Andy Reid’s second season, limited offseason changes, and a far more difficult schedule. They are good enough to make a playoff push, but it will harder this year.
4. Oakland‎:  An overhaul took place in Oakland this offseason with acquiring a more veteran team led by ousted quarterback Matt Schaub. It will be a rebuild season in Oakland though, at best.

AFC Division Winners:  New England, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Denver

AFC Wild Card Teams:  San Diego and Buffalo

AFC Championship Game:  Denver vs. Cincinnati

Hope to see you at SafePicks.com!

Expert NFL Fantasy Football Strategies, Tips, Advice And More, By SafePicks

For Beginners Or Pros: NFL Fantasy Football Strategies, Tips, Advice, & More By SafePicks.com

For those dipping into NFL Fantasy Football for the first time, there is no need to panic!   NFL Fantasy Football is easy to learn, and whether you are an NFL Fantasy beginner or pro:  there is lots of information out there on the Web to help even the most timid NFL Fantasy player.  We have many users who contact SafePicks.com, or they even contact me directly, asking if we have any tips or tricks or even advice when it comes to NFL Fantasy Football.  The answer is yes.   At SafePicks.com, we have had great past success with NFL Fantasy Football in the last few years, both in NFL Fantasy regular season and in the playoffs.  See our 2013 NFL Fantasy Football Rankings Article Here for more details on our past NFL Fantasy success.  So, we decided to put together this hopefully helpful piece, which is a write-up of SafePicks.com’s expert NFL Fantasy strategies, tips, advice and more for all of you to enjoy (and we really hope: use as an informative tool).

Read It All!  >>

2013 NFL Fantasy Football Tips, Picks, Rankings And More..

2013 NFL Fantasy Football Tips, Picks, Rankings and More… By SafePicks.com

We’re about two months away from the 2013 NFL football season!  Bring it on!  Because we’re freaking fired up and ready for kick off of the 2013 NFL football season now!   We’re also edging closer to another awesome season of NFL fantasy football!   You just got to love NFL fantasy football!   Heck yeah, we do!!   Although, by no means are we the authority for NFL fantasy football, no.  But I think we know a thing or two about it?  Okay, you see, I can tell you in the last five years, we at SafePicks.com have participated in NFL fantasy football leagues often.  In fact, our team has been ‘good enough’ to finish in the top four in each of those five years:  finishing as champions twice, second twice, and third once.  Then, in the last four NFL fantasy playoffs we participated in, we finished 1st place twice, then 2nd twice!
Read It All!  >>

Top 10 Hot Seats – Picks For The 2013 NFL Football Season

Yes, it’s that 2013 NFL Hot Seat time of year, let’s look at the NFL’s 32 teams, from players to general managers, and then decide who enters the 2013 NFL season sitting on that proverbial hot seat.  As we here at SafePicks.com continue to go through our mountain of NFL offseason homework, in advance of the 2013 NFL football season, we believe we have a good stranglehold on this year’s cold-like scenario of NFL hot seats.  Mind you, only time will tell in which seats get truly that hot.  After all, winning is the best remedy in the NFL.  We’re ranking these from 1st (hottest seat) to 10th (still a hot seat, but not as hot as the 1st spot though).   Read It All!  >>

2013 NFL Football (Conference) Picks & 2013 Super Bowl Predictions

Yes, the SafePicks.com NFL experts have delivered highly successful NFL Super Bowl predictions (winners) in the past… so let’s delve into our future NFL conference and Super Bowl predictions for the 2013-2014 NFL football season!  This will be our final release, effective 06/19/2013 (i.e. no changes).  You can also view the final page at our site:  SafePicks SafeBits.
Read It All!  >>