Average Joe Contest
The picks have been tabulated and now we await the results in the Edge Boost/VSiN Average Joe Contest. The deadline of Saturday at 10 a.m. ET has come and gone and that means the opportunity to see what “the public” has decided on for Week 8 in the NFL. This contest does include both college football and NFL picks, but there isn’t enough lead time to talk about CFB. We can, however, look at the NFL Picks Week 8 edition of the contest and see what was popular and what wasn’t.
The NFL regular season reaches its midpoint next week, but it’s not too late for you to join in on the fun of the Edge Boost/VSiN Average Joe Contest. Weekly and quarterly prizes are available, so there is a chance to win each and every week. Sure, the overall prizes for the full season aren’t an option, but the weekly prize is nothing to sneeze at with $500 to the winner.
In fact, if you already have an Edge Boost account, that $500 weekly prize will turn into $1,000. That’s double the fun if you sign up with the promo code VSiN. After all, the prizes are deposited into an Edge Boost account anyway, so you might as well be proactive and put the “boost” in Edge Boost by signing up in the event that you win a week (or maybe more!). See the Average Joe Contest Rules to give it some thought.
NFL Picks Week 8
We had some more parity in the picks this week. So much so that only one NFL ATS selection had more than 72% of the picks on that particular game. Last week, we had a 95% pick that won on Cleveland and an 80% pick that won on Seattle. In fact, it was the best week of the season for consensus plays across college football and the NFL in the Average Joe Contest. Will it continue this week?
Getting a survey of what “Average Joes” are thinking on the NFL is always intriguing. Of course, you can also do that with our DraftKings NFL Betting Splits and Circa NFL Betting Splits, but we’re here to look at what contest players are thinking.
Here are the three most popular ATS Picks for Week 8:
Falcons (87%) -7.5 vs. Dolphins
For the second straight week, the “Joes” are fading the Dolphins. It’s hard to argue with that stance, given that a really bad Browns team crushed Miami by 25 points last week. To play devil’s advocate, the Sunshine Staters had no desire to play in the rainy, windy slop that Mother Nature brought down on Cleveland last week.
Many felt like the losing coach of last week’s game would be told to hit the bricks. As it turns out, neither coach was fired. Perhaps that fed into the popularity of this pick, as the Dolphins do get to play indoors this week, but against a superior opponent. To that end, we’ll see if Atlanta has more M.B.P.’s this week (Most Ballin-ist Players) than Miami. (Props to you if you get this reference)
Of the 462 picks on Dolphins-Falcons, 402 are on the Falcons.
Ravens (72%) -6.5 vs. Bears
Well, timing is everything, as they say. A couple hours and change after the Average Joe Contest picks deadline, Adam Schefter was the bearer of bad news for Baltimore backers, as Lamar Jackson will not play in Sunday’s game against Daaaaa Bears. Bill Swerski and the Superfans have to be thrilled. Well, the ones who are still alive, anyway. (RIP Chris Farley and George Wendt)
Average Joe Contestants are not thrilled. The line dropped like it was hot with Snooooooooooooop Huntley now at QB and the Ravens around -2 or -1.5 as of about 1:30 p.m. ET. And before you start blowing up our social media accounts asking for voids and refunds, I will refer you to Circa Sports Director of Operations Jeff Benson and his favorite response to refunds.
Of the 591 picks on Bears-Ravens, 426 are on the Ravens.
Bengals (71%) -6.5 vs. Jets
As a Browns fan, I’ve always had a good chuckle when I see somebody use JETS as an acronym for Just End The Season. I laugh to keep from crying because I know that pain. But, it probably is true about the Jets this season. Take, for example, being nearly a touchdown underdog to Joe Flacco and a defense that resembles a broken prophylactic.
Aaron Glenn seems to be more over his head than Muggsy Bogues in the paint and QB Justin Fields is questionable after being thrown under a bus by owner Woody Johnson, whose name seems like a good pseudonym for somebody working in adult films. In other words, things are going great for the Jets!
Average Joe Contestants are hoping for more of the same, as there were 514 picks on this game and 363 are on the Bengals.
Here are the three most popular totals of the week:
Last week, I said that I would buy a beer for the seven people who had the fortitude to take the Under in the Buccaneers-Lions game. That offer still stands because not only did they go against the grain, but actually had an easy winner. The ultimate fade the public move worked. Kudos to y’all.
Cowboys/Broncos Over 51 (88%)
This week’s most lopsided total is on a team that also appeared last week and that’s the Dallas Cowboys. The game against the Commanders flew Over the total, as Dallas scored 44 points and didn’t need a lot of help from Washington to soar Over 54.
We’ll see if Dallas needs more help this week from Denver. The Broncos are quietly second in the NFL in yards per play allowed. The Cowboys are loudly 31st in the NFL in yards per play allowed. The Cowboys have scored on 52% of their offensive possessions, while the Broncos have scored on just 35% of theirs. But, the Dallas defense may very well be the cure for an ailing offense.
Of the 304 picks on this game, the Over got 269 of them.
49ers/Texans Under 41.5 (87%)
A popular pick by percentage, but not exactly volume, the 49ers and Texans are expected to have a good, old-fashioned rock fight. Opponents have only scored on 22.4% of their possessions against Houston, so Beavis and Butt-Head probably had a higher scoring rate than teams have against this tenacious Texans D. San Francisco ranks sixth in that department at 33.8%.
Points could very well be at a premium in that respect, especially since neither passing offense has been particularly potent and the 49ers are even 31st in the NFL in yards per carry on the season with just 3.3.
The total got 147 selections in this game and 128 were on the Under.
Bills/Panthers Over 46 (83%)
Mr. Hailee Steinfeld is coming off of the bye and so Average Joe Contestants feel like the Bills are going to get back on track offensively. Josh Allen has thrown four interceptions in the last three games and just had a really ugly performance against the Falcons with 180 yards on just 15-of-26 passing. Allen was sacked 14 times all of last season in 17 games, but has already been sacked 12 times this season in six games.
It also seems as though there is some excitement about Andy Dalton over Bryce Young. Dalton is kind of a YOLO QB in the sense that he’s just going to sling it and whatever happens happens, whether that’s a pick-six or an explosive play. He certainly has talent around him at wide receiver and Rico Dowdle’s been running the rock well.
The Panthers have the second-lowest Pressure% per Pro-Football-Reference and I have to think that’s reason for optimism with Allen. Of the 132 picks on the total here, 110 of them are on the Over.
See all of the pick counts, including college football, on the Average Joe Contest Betting Splits page.
