How to Get Better at Predicting NFL Winners

There's a lot to consider when it comes to predicting the winner of any match, but luckily. there are a few things you can do to improve your prediction skills and hopefully come out on top. 

This write-up should serve as a quick guide you can use to improve your mobile betting skills and hopefully give yourself an edge over the competition. Thanks to the ease of downloading or going through mobile betting sites and apps, you can watch the game from the comfort of your couch or at your favorite bar and still make predictions and wagers on the go about who will win. Keep some tips from this guide in mind, and you'll make better predictions from either your mobile device or sportsbook in no time.

Research, Research, Research

It should be obvious, but research is the number one thing to remember here. You wouldn't just go into a test blind, would you? Okay, regardless of how you would have prepared for a test in school, consider doing the bare minimum here and giving the players and teams in a match a quick read-through before making your prediction. Look at their performance in recent matches as well as head-to-head matches during the season or years prior. Consider any changes the teams might have made to their lineups or playstyle. 

The NFL's Next Gen Stats proves just how much data is out there, with hundreds of points being generated after just a single play. It can be daunting at first, with all of the information available on teams and players. The important thing to remember is that you'll retain some of this information. Each time, you'll remember a little more, and soon enough, you'll find yourself not needing to look at a player's history because you already have it memorized in your head. It helps to scan through for a refresher quickly and to see if there are any recent updates you might not be aware of, such as an injury or perhaps a performance change, but over time, you'll see yourself committing all of this to memory. 

Watch Every Game or Recaps

Another thing that helps with research is to watch every game. This can be hard with so many games a season, but ESPN and other sites offer recaps that you can use to quickly get a grasp on what happened during the match. As you digest this information, you'll slowly build up knowledge of how the season is going for certain players and teams. This all helps you become better at predicting outcomes as you build and build your knowledge of the NFL and current trends. Remember, if you can't catch every game, catch the recaps or read through the summaries and highlight the parts that feel important to you. Think about who seemed to perform well, who didn't, and if there is anything new to add to your prediction model that you have in your head.

Look to Experts for Other Angles

Light-hearted bets between friends where you predict the winners, daily fantasy football, and sports betting are huge in the NFL. Because of this, there are plenty of experts (and non-experts) throwing their opinions out there, giving people such as yourself a better understanding of the field and who's dominating who. 

Still, don't take their word for gospel, as they may have a flawed view of the NFL and current rankings. Looking to experts should only serve to give you insight and make you think deeper about the league in general. If you see someone claiming that the Bears are going to win, but you're certain they'll lose, look at their reasons why. Is there something you haven't considered? Are they overestimating the quarterback's skill? Maybe Caleb Williams isn't doing as well as you planned after his first draft? These are all great questions to ask yourself when faced with an opinion or prediction that contradicts your own. 

Learn from your Mistakes

This is something thousands of fans of the NFL fail to do. There is so much to be gained from a mistake—almost as much as making an accurate prediction. Don't toss your mistakes aside and cough it up to bad luck. Instead, sit down and analyze where you went wrong. Did a player perform way better than you expected? Or did someone underperform? Was there a last-minute switch? Perhaps someone got injured during the match? A failed prediction can show the holes in your thinking and where you need to focus next time. 

On a similar note, reanalyze your wins. Was your prediction accurate? Did the players perform similarly to how you imagined? It's important to look at mistakes and victories because until you figure out why you're making accurate or inaccurate predictions, you'll continue to fumble the bag from week to week, making the same mistakes without ever knowing why.

Wrap-up

Predicting who is going to win an NFL matchup can be difficult, but with a few tips, you might just improve your game. You should always be researching teams and players before making a prediction or bet. With the internet available right at your fingertips, thanks to mobile devices, there's no excuse not to do a little reading before putting your money where your mouth is. Likewise, there's no reason not to miss a game thanks to recaps that can quickly turn an entire match into a few minutes. Outside of games, look to experts to either confirm your own reasoning or give you a new perspective to verify and consider.