Nigel's Football Contest Instructions

Instructions:
1.Write down FIVE (5) Spread Picks, teams that you think will beat
  the spread.  Favorites beat the spread by winning by more than
  the spread; underdogs beat the spread by losing by less than the

  spread or by winning. 

2.Write down a BEST BET:  the one team you think will most likely

  beat the spread in the games that week.  Your Best Bet doesn't
  have to come from the 5 teams in step #1.

3.Write down an UPSET of the week:  the one underdog you think

  will most likely win its game.  I will keep a running tab of
  the spreads overcome by your successful underdog picks (calling
  it Underdog Bonus Points).

4.Write down one Over-Under pick.  In parentheses next to each game spread

  this year, there will be an over-under line.  This is the number of points
  that Las Vegas thinks both teams will score in the game.  You pick whether
  the two teams will be under or over that figure.

5.The point distribution is as follows:  3 points for each correct Spread Pick,  
  7 points for a correct Best Bet, 2 points for a correct over-under pick, and

  1 point for a correct underdog pick, with the spread overcome by a successful
  underdog pick counting as Underdog Bonus Points.  Ties count as half the

  points in the category (i.e., 1.5 points for an even Spread Pick,
  3.5 points for an even Best Bet, 1 point for an even Over-Under Pick).
  There is an additional bonus point category called Weekly Bonus Points:
  the winner of each individual week receives 1 additional point (ties
  counting for the appropriate fraction of 1 point), and contestants also
  receive 1 point for every week over 14 that they play (participation bonus).

6.I will include my picks each week as an example.  The spreads will usually be

  sent by Wednesday.

7.Please send your picks back to me only (not to the group as a whole):

  nigel92@gmail.com. 
Weekly picks are usually due by the start time of the
  first game that week.  However, for weeks where there are games on Thursday,
  you may submit your picks by the time of the first weekend game (omitting
  the Thursday games, of course).


8.In order to qualify for the year-end title, you must participate in

  at least 14 of the 21 weeks, one week of which must be the Super Bowl
  week and TWO weeks of which must be playoff weeks.  If you neglect to pick
  the Super Bowl, your pick will be made randomly.

9.Optional: Knockout Contest.  Make a "Knockout Pick" each week.
  If that team wins (regardless of spread), you stay in the knockout contest.
  If your team loses, you are "knocked out."  You cannot pick any team more
  than once.  Participation is optional and does not affect the contest standings.
  Winner is the last player not to get knocked out (contest goes through the end of
  the regular season, so there can be more than one winner if more than one player
  is left at the end of the regular season).


 
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