The bittersweet passing of Labor Day comes with the excitement of NFL Week 1 and all the financial upside that comes over the course of the next four months.
Football season marks the pinnacle of the gambling calendar not only for all the action placed through FanDuel and DraftKings, but the friendly competition it fosters in your community.
One of those pastimes is confidence pools. Each week, you select your winner for every game on the slate and assign them a points system. For 16 games, you assign your most confident selection 16 points and your least confident with one point.
So if you think a game is a coin toss, it gets fewer points while lopsided matchups get more.
The person with the most points at the end of the season wins the pool.
We’ll publish our strategy ahead of each week and keep a running tab on our point total.
16 points: Chargers over Cardinals
Justin Herbert is in his prime and the Chargers are expected to take the next step as Super Bowl contenders this season, priced at 16/1. The team is healthy and Mike McDaniel steps in as the new offensive coordinator to add creativity. The Cardinals’ pitiful defense will plague them all season even if they begin grooming some talented young offensive weapons.
At SoFi, count on a few explosive plays from Herbert to seal this one.
15 points: Jaguars over Browns
The Jaguars are on the heels of a 13-4 season — their second-highest win total in franchise history. That was largely thanks to Liam Coen’s indelible impact on the team, eliciting a franchise record in total points while the defense was impervious to the run.
They get the plagued Browns, who are starting Deshaun Watson after nearly two years since his last game, at home.
14 points: Lions over Saints
Don’t ever doubt a Dan Campbell team when it comes to being prepared. The Lions are actually healthy and the race to the rushing and receiving title begins for Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown. We’ll see what Tyler Shough is actually made of after his late-season run came against all teams under .500.
13 points: Rams over 49ers
It’s the Rams’ season to lose, and a primetime rivalry game to open the season should set the precedent.
Aaron Donald is back to join forces with Myles Garrett while the most rhythmic quarterback-receiver tandem in the league that is Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua will hit the ground running. The 49ers will bounce back from an unlucky season now at full health, but not until bowing to the Rams first.
12 points: Bears over Panthers
Everyone is looking at Caleb Williams to post gaudy numbers in 2026. He proved himself as Mr. Clutch last year and has an established rapport with his receivers. This could be a high scoring game on Carolina’s turf, but Ben Johnson should still prevail over a young and upcoming Panthers team that tripped into a playoff spot last season.
11 points: Bills over Texans
It’s a lot of points for a matchup with a 1.5-point spread, but then again, we’re talking about Josh Allen. The sedulous MVP favorite will have his work cut out for him against a tough Houston defense, but James Cook is hot off a rushing title with a new top target in DJ Moore to bring on the explosive plays.
Betting on the NFL?
10 points: Cowboys over Giants
Jaxson Dart finally has his No. 1 target in Malik Nabers and Cam Skattebo is back, but I expect there to still be a learning curve. The Cowboys offense will continue humming in 2026 as Dak Prescott feeds the top receiving duo in the NFL between CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
In a division rivalry game on “Sunday Night Football” between two teams desperate for a turnaround season, Dallas’ experience makes the safer play in what could be a possession battle.
9 points: Steelers over Falcons
I’d still prefer the reuniting of Mike McCarthy and a geriatric Aaron Rodgers over a depleted Atlanta pass rush and Tua Tagovailoa. Atlanta has the higher upside, but I’m not confident in this team to grind out an opening road win in a transitionary state.
8 points: Vikings over Packers
This game is essentially a pick’em and I’m taking Minnesota for the better skill.
Kyler Murray can only go up working with Kevin O’Connell and that benefits Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Micah Parsons begins the year on injured reserve for Green Bay along with a banged up offensive line.
7 points: Bengals over Buccaneers
Enough is enough. Barring another Joe Burrow injury, the Bengals are primed to carve their way back to the playoffs for the first time in three years and a statement win in Tampa Bay is where it starts.
6 points: Patriots over Seahawks
Welcome A.J. Brown.
It’s been a long offseason for Mike Vrabel and the Patriots since falling to the Seahawks in the Super Bowl seven months ago. Seattle’s defense remains elite, but this comes down to a big showing from Drake Maye. They call it a Super Bowl hangover for a reason and Seattle is going to want to hit the snooze button on a midweek prime time game.
5 points: Commanders over Eagles
Gone is A.J. Brown.
The NFC East is still expected to run through the Eagles this season despite Philly running out of gas in the playoffs last year. The Commanders had a disgraceful 2025 after making a run to the NFC Championship the year prior and I expect a bounceback from Jayden Daniels and a much healthier squad that had some offseason holes filled.
4 points: Colts over Ravens
It’s the first game without John Harbaugh on the sidelines for Baltimore in 20 years. After missing the playoffs last year, the betting market is too high on Baltimore. The Colts were ultimately smoke and mirrors last season, though they showed the offensive potency to compete with anyone early.
Even though fading Lamar Jackson is a risk, there’s enough upset potential in Indianapolis.
3 points: Broncos over Chiefs
Are the Chiefs really done? I suppose we’ll find out, but until then, I’m taking an elite Denver defense and Bo Nix to go toe-to-toe with Mahomes as the latter returns from a long-term injury.
Catch up on The Post’s NFL betting previews and predictions for the 2026 season
2 points: Jets over Titans
How dare I back the Jets? As consistently poor as they are, early wins have never been rare — especially against a lost franchise testing young players such as the Titans. Garrett Wilson, Breece Hall and a new offensive coordinator in Frank Reich to help them is enough for me to back them in an ugly matchup.
1 point: Raiders over Dolphins
Just yuck. At least Klint Kubiak can effect change in Vegas and Fernando Mendoza begins studying under a veteran presence in Kirk Cousins. As for the Dolphins, they purged their veterans all offseason and make a convincing case for the worst team this season.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and college football for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that reflect market value while tracking trends to mitigate risk.
