NFL betting

If you watched Super Bowl 51, you were probably as astounded as everyone else when the Atlanta Falcons managed to throw away a 28-3 lead over the New England Patriots.  At one point, ESPN’s win probability machine gave the Falcons a 99.6% chance of defeating the Patriots.  That didn’t happen, however; the game went into overtime (the first in Super Bowl history), and the Patriots won, making most online bookmakers rubbing their hands.

If you follow NFL betting at all, you almost certainly watched as the Atlanta Falcons went down in flames on Sunday 5th February 2017 in what had to be one of the most devastating defeats in the history of the game.  Since then, punters and fans have been reeling with shock, still trying to piece together some understanding of what happened.

While handicapping NFL football teams, you need to be able to handicap the individual players.  You have no way of knowing whether a team has a strong defense unless you know whether each of the defenders is strong in turn.  That is why you need to know the traits and abilities which make for a good defensive lineman.  In Part 1, we discussed some of these qualities: size, speed, toughness, and strength, particularly in the arms and hands.  Now let’s talk about a few more important traits!

When you are handicapping NFL football teams, you need to be able to handicap individual players.  While a team may be more than the sum of its parts (the gestalt principle applies), each of those parts needs to function for the whole to be effective.  An NFL team needs a strong defense to do well on the field, especially when they get to the playoffs.  Here are some of the important qualities to look for in a good defensive lineman.

A Super Bowl 50 Case Study: Is The Best Defence Really a Good Offence?

There is an old maxim which is applied to many areas of life, particularly warfare, business, and sports, and that is this: “The best defence is a good offence.”  This adage is liberally applied when analysing association football, NFL, and basketball teams (among others).  Many punters will automatically back teams that have displayed offensive strategies and strengths, and will shy away from more defensive teams.

A Super Bowl Case Study on The Surprising Role of Emotion (and Flukes) in Sports

Have you been following NFL football?  Did you watch the Super Bowl 50?  If so, you may have been shocked that the Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers.  Most people had their money on the Panthers, and many believed they would take a huge lead on the Broncos right from the start of the game.

If you were following NFL this year leading up to the Super Bowl 50, you know that there is a lot of hype which builds up over the course of the season.  Everyone has an opinion to express—whether it is the sharps in Las Vegas, reporters at news agencies, or sports fans and the betting public.  That is true with any sport, but this year’s Super Bowl provides us with a particularly good c

Right now Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning is 39 years old, and probably in his last year as a professional NFL football player.  But did you know that many athletes continue on in their sports for long after that?  The oldest NFL player ever was George Blanda, who retired when he was nearly 49.  The oldest association football player is Kazuyoshi Miura, who is still playing today at 48 years of age.

If you follow any professional sport, you know that most of the players are going to be up to their mid-30s or younger.  It is comparatively rare (though not entirely uncommon) to see a player continue into his late 30s, or even into his 40s.  Still, there have been more than 40 professional NFL footballers who have continued to play into their 40s as well as more than a few association football players who have done the same. 

Anyone who follows sports knows that most players are young.  That is true no matter what sport you follow, whether we are talking about football, NFL, basketball, baseball, or anything else.  Not only that, but when you do see older players still on the field, they are often greeted with a fair amount of derision.  That is true even when they are playing well.  And when they play badly, their age is the first thing to blame.