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PrintNote: This is an outdated version of our Survivor Pool Strategy Guide. For the MOST RECENT version, click here.
Well, we didn’t really plan on making this a weekly feature when we did the first Survivor Pool Strategy Guide back in mid-August. But we’ve been skilled lucky enough to still be alive after three weeks, and the feedback has been so positive that we’ll keep going.*
*Just as long as you don’t assassin us when we inevitably lose.
Anyway, all we’re doing is using Cantor Gaming’s point spreads for every regular-season game, tweaking them based on year-to-date performance after every week to come up with new projected point spreads, and then attempting to have at least a touchdown favorite each week while choosing the most optimal route through the season.
Week 1 pick: Lions over Rams (win, but barely)
Week 2 pick: Bengals over Browns (win)
Week 3 pick: Bears over Rams (win)
Below, you’ll find the updated week-by-week list of every team projected to be favored by at least a touchdown (or, later in the season, 6 points). As with any Survivor Pool Strategy Guide, the same disclaimer still applies.
Disclaimer: Survivor pools are wildly random, and upsets happen all the time in the NFL. That’s what makes them so fun. The following is merely an attempt to most optimally plan for survivor pools, NOT a foolproof strategy by any means.
A few notes:
- The bolded games are the selections for each particular week.
- Games in red represent a change from the most recent edition of this strategy guide.
- In weeks where more than one game is bolded, both teams are an option, but the one with the asterisk is the most optimal.
- Notice that we saved some of the worse teams on the list (Chiefs, Chargers, Bills, etc.) for the final few weeks. If you’re still alive by then, you won’t have the greatest teams to choose from, but at least those teams are projected to be significant favorites.
* * *
Already used: Lions, Bengals, Bears
WEEK 4 (4)
Ravens -12 vs. Browns
Falcons -7 vs. Panthers
Texans -12 vs. Titans
Packers -7.5 vs. Saints
WEEK 5 (4)
Packers -7.5 at Colts
Giants -10.5 vs. Browns
Patriots -7.5 vs. Broncos
49ers -8.5 vs. Bills
WEEK 6 (1)
Falcons -9 vs. Raiders
WEEK 7 (4)
49ers -8.5 vs. Seahawks
Packers -8.5 at Rams
Patriots -8.5 vs. Jets
Giants -7.5 vs. Redskins
WEEK 8 (3)
Packers -13.5 vs. Jaguars
Patriots -11 vs. Rams (in London)
Steelers -7 vs. Redskins
WEEK 9 (3)
Ravens -7.5 at Browns
Packers -9 vs. Cardinals
Texans -8.5 vs. Bills
WEEK 10 (3)
Patriots -10 vs. Bills
Ravens -10 vs. Raiders
49ers -11.5 vs. Rams
WEEK 11 (3)
Cowboys -9 vs. Browns
Patriots -13 vs. Colts*
Texans -13 vs. Jaguars
WEEK 12 (3)
Cowboys -7 vs. Redskins
Cardinals -7 vs. Rams*
Steelers -7 at Browns
WEEK 13 (6)
Bills -7 vs. Jaguars
Lions -7.5 vs. Colts
Packers -11 vs. Vikings
49ers -8 at Rams
Patriots -7 at Dolphins
Broncos -7 vs. Buccaneers
WEEK 14 (3)
Bills -7.5 vs. Rams
49ers -11 vs. Dolphins
Packers -8 vs. Lions
WEEK 15 (3)
Saints -6.5 vs. Buccaneers
Texans -13 vs. Colts
Chargers -6 vs. Panthers
WEEK 16 (6)
Packers -11.5 vs. Titans
Chiefs -6 vs. Colts
Steelers -6 vs. Bengals
Patriots -8 at Jaguars
Texans -12 vs. Vikings
Broncos -8 vs. Browns
WEEK 17 (WHO CARES)
If you’re still alive by this week, and you haven’t won your Survivor Pool, well, let’s cross that bridge when we come to it.
