2025 WoV Picks Game Discussion Thread

Greetings:
This post is the official declaration of the 2025 WOV Picks Game for the upcoming NFL season. I'm back to run the pool, and to defend the title.

Rules will remain the same as last year. Here is what we used last year:

1) The entry fee is $30. $25 will go to the prize fund and $5 to the perfection pool. If you play, you are expected to pay. There are no free dropouts. Even if you only play one week, you are agreeing to pay the winner if you lose. This is NOT a free contest. Because of an issue last year, I will confirm with moderators regarding members of WoV being in good standing.

2) All payouts occur at the end of the season. I will post a breakdown of who owes what to whom after the last week. Your payments should be made promptly.

3) This is a social gambling game, so please check your jurisdictional laws to make sure that you do not participate unlawfully. It is not the responsibility of myself nor this website to ensure that you are participating lawfully.

4) This game has no rake or house edge. Everyone, including me, pays to play. I do NOT directly collect any Entry Fees for this game, so participants are on the "Honor System" to pay the winner. I DO NOT handle player funds for any reason.

5) Other than being posted here on WizardofVegas, this game is NOT sponsored or sanctioned in any way whatsoever by LCB.org, ownership or management of LCB.org, or any other websites or other outlets so affiliated. ALL players volunteer to risk an equal entry fee and all (current) additional prizes are paid for, personally, by PlayYourCardsRight.

PRIZES:
With less than 15 players, it will be a winner-take-all contest. If you aren't first, you are last. The winner will collect $25 from each of the other participants.

If we reach 15 players, second place will not pay and will collect two entry fees ($50 profit). All other prize money will be paid to the winner.

There are no contributions from me or anyone else at this time. If someone wants to donate, please let me know ASAP.

There are no prizes for being last or most average. Those prizes were funded by Mission146 in previous years and will not be funded by me.

Perfection Bonus
In order to win the Perfection Bonus, you MUST make a Confidence Pick and have a 6-0 week. The Perfection Bonus will pay at the end of the season based on the $5 contribution from your $30 commitment to play. It will be equally split between anyone who goes 6-0 during any given week at the end of the year.

With 10 players, the fund will be $50. If there are two perfect weeks, then each person earns $25. I will keep the running log of perfect weeks and post it each week.
If no one has a perfect week, the $5 will be added to the prize fund for the winner and second place participants.

Rules:
1) The winner will be determined by having the highest winning percentage. In the event of a tie for any prize, the winners will have the option of either splitting the take, or they may agree to PM me a Super Bowl pick prior to the Super Bowl, but after the combatants are known, consisting of the winning team, spread, TD's thrown and total passing yards; the winner will be determined in that order. If two Members PM me the same thing, they will BOTH be asked to change at least one aspect of their picks.

2) The procedure for this will be that at some point on Thursdays, I will post the point spreads and Over/Unders from one source per week. I will likely use the same lines as last year (from draftkings, as updated by miplet). Picks must be submitted before 11 AM Eastern Time if your picks include only Sunday games. If there is a Sunday game earlier than that, or a Saturday game, then you must submit Picks one hour before kickoff of that game if you wish to pick the early game. Games played on Thursday or Friday are not a part of this contest.

3) There will be NO EXCEPTIONS WHATSOEVER to the deadline for any reason. Too much controversy.

4) Once your picks are submitted, they are final. Changes are not permitted.

5) Saturday/Sunday/Monday games will be the only games considered. Every player must pick exactly five winners against the Spread, exactly five Over/Unders, or a combination totaling exactly five.

6) A "Confidence Pick," is only considered ONE PICK for the purposes of Rule 3. Five unique Picks are still needed. A confidence pick counts as either two wins or two losses.

7) Players may, "Skip," one week without making any picks, but they don't have to. If a player accidentally fails to submit picks, that will constitute the, "Skip," Week. For players who join the contest in Week 2, Week 1 will constitute the "Skip" week. You cannot join the contest after Week 2.

8) If you wish to avoid unintentionally skipping a week, then you may submit Default Picks. However, in order to avoid controversy, (and make my life easier) Default Picks are limited to selecting sixteen NFL Teams and your picks will automatically be those teams in the order listed GAME TOTAL-OVER picks. If we go to your Default Picks, none of them shall be a Confidence Pick and you do not qualify for the Perfection Bonus that week.

9) If a player fails to make picks for more than one week (and has no defaults), he/she may continue to play. Every week of missed picks other than the allotted, "Skip Week," will result in an 0-5 record for all weeks missed.

10) The results will be posted shortly after Monday night's game. Please, "Self-Police," your own Standings to see if there is an inaccuracy. If I post results, they are hand calculated, and I make mistakes!

11) Any Picks made that directly offset one another shall constitute two losses. "Offsetting Picks," are picking two opposite things to happen in the same game.

12) PM REMINDERS. I make no promises about sending PM reminders, but I will try. Reminders are to be considered a courtesy not a guarantee, everyone is accountable for remembering to make their Picks whether or not reminders are sent.

13) Please format your picks as shown below. It makes it easier for the people grading the picks.

For Spread picks, simply put the team nickname and the spread. (Ex: Bengals +5)
For Over/Unders, simply put the team nickname for EITHER team, and the Over or Under amount. (Ex: Bengals OVER 25)
To designate a Confidence Pick, simply put a hyphen and, "Confidence," after the pick. (Ex: Bengals OVER 25-Confidence)
Place your screen name followed by a colon (:) above your set of Picks.

So, a full set of picks might appear:

PlayYourCardsRight:
Buccaneers -15
Buccaneers OVER 52
Jaguars +12
Jaguars UNDER 42
Jets +4-Confidence

One final disclaimer: If something happens that is not covered by these rules, it will be decided by me, and the decision will be what is least favorable to the person involved. For example, last year, two different people inadvertently submitted six picks. If their confidence pick won, it was discarded. If not, another win was discarded. That set of picks was ineligible for the perfection bonus for that week (even if all six picks won).

I think that covers everything. If there are any questions or concerns, please PM me and I will get them addressed.

Are we PMing our picks to you and you alone?

Are there other ways to submit picks, if
A. I am suspended?
B. You are suspended?
C. The site is down?

Will you have a back up guy in case you can’t fulfill your duties?

And of course, thank you for doing this!

Quote: SOOPOO

Are we PMing our picks to you and you alone?

Are there other ways to submit picks, if
A. I am suspended?
B. You are suspended?
C. The site is down?

Will you have a back up guy in case you can’t fulfill your duties?

And of course, thank you for doing this!
link to original post

Yes, I will publish my email address that is to be used in either situation. matt.moore@pobox.com (to be used only as a last ditch situation)
There will be one week that I will be on a cruise and unable to collect and publish picks. I plan on addressing that with Gordon (since he collected my picks last year) or Wiz (since it's his site) in advance. This cruising hobby is addictive! :)

Bump... Please indicate if you are in for this year's pool.

Mods... Can you sticky this thread and remove the sticky's from previous years

I’m in. I’ll need to change some code so my programs will work correctly. Always double check the first 2 weeks to make sure it works.

Quote: PlayYourCardsRight

Mods... Can you sticky this thread and remove the sticky's from previous years
link to original post

First request done.

I’m in. In the past, prior players were messaged to remind them about this. Any plans to do that this year?

I’m out this year. Sorry! Too busy with other things to dedicate myself.

Gordon, happy to help you the first week get sorting Excel file in shape, and turn it over to you and anyone else that wants to help there.

I'll accept that offer unjon.

I'm in for this year.

I would like to participate again this season. Thank you.

I'm in!

So far we appear to have the following interested persons

1. Playyourcardsright
2. miplet
3. Wizard
4. Soopoo
5. gordonm888
6. GenWyzgy
7. IndyJeffrey
8. VegasBrent

Let's update this list by copy-paste when and if others express interest.

Looks like it may be winner take all this season