Over/Under Plays for the 2010 NFL Season

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

Predicting something that is so consistently unpredictable as the NFL season can be a hard task. So many factors can alter the long road of an NFL team.

Injuries, inconsistency, suspensions, and unmotivated players are just some of these road blocks that can give a good team a bad record. That is what makes predicting these totals hard. 2010 NFL over/under totals.

To help me with these totals I’ve come up with a system. A system can bring consistency to an inconsistent world. All I do is put in the information, and the system spits out the answer.

I’ve weighted this technique based on 12 factors, which all have their own multipliers depending on importance to a win or loss. Confused? Here’s an example.

All categories are weighted depending on importance to a NFL game

Quarterback Play       x3

Downfield Threat       x1

Running Game           x3

Offensive Line            x2

Underneath Receivers        x1

Defensive Line           x3

Linebackers                x1

Secondary          x2

Scheme             x2

Pass Rush                   x2

Strength of Schedule          x3  

Undervalued              x2

Now, we give each category a value worth 1-5. This is where the skill comes in. Just because a team ranked in the top 10 last year doesn’t mean you should give them a 4-5 rating.

You have to look at all the variables that go into an off season. Has the team had key subtractions? Additions? Are they getting old? Has the coaching scheme changed?

Once you assign a value to each category, your spreadsheet just needs to be totaled. Here’s an example of the system I did on the Detroit Lions. 

                            Notes

Quarterback Play              x3    3            Stafford progressed at end of last season       

Downfield Threat              x1    5            C. Johnson is top 3 Wr’s in the league

Running Game                  x3    2.5        Lions ran ball well before they trailed in 2nd half

Offensive Line                    x2    2.5        Rob Sims will improve this unit

Underneath Receivers     x1    4            Petitgrew, Sheffler, Burleson, Best, Smith are quality

Defensive Line                  x3    4             Suh, Williams are team’s biggest additions

Linebackers            x1    2             Peterson is only proven player

Secondary               x2    2             Delmas is a 2010 pro bowl candidate

Scheme                   x2    3.5          Schwartz is key

Pass Rush                          x2    3             Cliff Avril will shine with new d-line

Strength of Schedule      x3    2              NFC North is tough division, but still play Rams and Bucs

Undervalued          x3    5              Same old team? I say no.

Total                      82

Adding up all the totals, we get a score of 82. Now we have to calculate if this score has good enough value to make a bet on.

The over/under for the Lions as provided by the Las Vegas Hilton is 5. The reason that I like taking the over of the low totals is that the ceiling is so much higher. When you bet a team to go over 10.5 wins, your ceiling is 5.5. A team with a over/under of 5, has a ceiling of 11.

Here’s a chart that shows the point totals needed to make a certain over/under play. Scores are based on previous seasons.

Over/Under Win Totals     Minimum Number of Points

5                   70               

6                            76

7                   82

8                   88

9                           97

10                        105

11                        112

As you can see the Lions went over the minimum score of 80, with an 82. Considering the ceiling that the Lions have (paragraph above), this would be a safe bet. Other teams that are products of this syetm are included below.

Carolina Panthers: 7.5 Wins 

Minimum # Points: 90

Carolina not only boasts a stellar running attack and offensive line, but they also have a favorable schedule in 2010. The Rams, Browns, Seahawks, and division rival Buccaneers all struggled against the run.

Combine that with how much they will be undervalued (thanks to Jake Delhommes' 18 to 8 interception/touchdown ratio), and you got a safe bet. The Panthers still finished over the total last year (8-8) even with all those turnovers. 

Points: 88

Pick: Over

St. Louis Rams: 5 Wins 

Minimum # Points: 70

St. Louis hasn't improved much on a roster that only produced one win. They have built for the future by drafting Sam Bradford, but he won't start right away.

The defense is still vulnerable in most every area, especially in the secondary. The only thing going their way this year is a weak schedule against the NFC West. 

Points: 64

Pick: Under

Chicago Bears: 8 Wins

Minimum # Points: 88

Chicago has made some loud additions, but that usually doesn't turn into wins. They have holes along the offensive and defensive line. They have no downfield threat. They can't run the ball. Their schedule is also very tough playing Green Bay and Minnesota twice.

Points: 76

Pick: Under

Detroit Lions: 5 Wins

Minimum # of Points :70

Detroit has seen a turn around like no other team in the NFL. They now boast a defensive line that will dominate with the additions of Suh, Corey Williams, and Kyle Vanden Bosch. Add that to under valued third year player Cliff Avril, and you've got a team that is exteremly under valued.

They bosast one of the best downfield threats in the game with Calvin Johnson. A young, strong armed quarterback, and a offensive line that will improve with the 10 ranked guard Rob Sims. 

Points: 82

Pick: Over