2018 SuperContest Recap: 65 Teams Post Perfect Records in Week 1
The first week of the new NFL season is officially in the books, and with it’s close comes the completion of the first week in the 2018 Las Vegas SuperContest. Proclaimed “the ultimate pro football handicapping challenge,” the Las Vegas SuperContest attracted a record-setting field of 3,123 entries for 2018. The winner will take home more than $1.4 million, and let’s see how the field stacks up after Week 1.
After Week 1, there’s a 65-way tie for first place. All of those contestants produced perfect 5-0 weeks, including legendary sportscaster Brent Musburger with his “VSiN 1” entry.
Musburger had the Thursday Night Football game on his card, as he selected the Philadelphia Eagles (PK). That meant all of his picks needed to be in before kickoff on Thursday. Giving up the extra day and a half of information didn’t affect Musburger, though, as the Minnesota Vikings (-6.5), Cincinnati Bengals (+3), Jacksonville Jaguars (-3), and Chicago Bears (+7.5) all covered.
The number of 5-0 teams after Week 1 has fluctuated quite a bit over the years. In 2013, only three of the 1,034 entries went unblemished in the opening week. In 2014, 21 of the 1,403 teams posted 5-0 records in Week 1. In 2015, it was 108 out of 1,727 entries to start perfect, and then in 2016, 78 of the 1,854 contestants did it. In 2017, the Las Vegas SuperContest drew a field of 2,748 entries, but only nine booked five winning picks in Week 1.
Team SharpSide Off to 3-1-1 Start
Team SharpSide, with the contest entry name “SharpSide.com,” went 3-1-1. Winning picks came from the Baltimore Ravens (-7.5), Cincinnati Bengals (+3), and Los Angeles Rams (-4). The Denver Broncos (-3) was the pick that pushed, and the Houston Texans (+6.5) was the pick that lost.
Remember SharpSiders can help us decide on which games we pick as the five to put on our SuperContest card. For Week 1, Team SharpSide sourced the most popular selections from our social media giveaway and came up with the following picks for Week 1. Once the SharpSide sports betting app is launched, the top five most popular picks will be used as our weekly SuperContest card, as long as there are no major line movements. This means that you, the sports betting fan, have the opportunity to help us win.
Top 5 Consensus Picks Go 4-1
The top five consensus picks represent the five most popular picks of the week. Ahead of the 2018 season, the weekly top five consensus picks were 200-214-11 going back to 2013. That’s a sub-50% winning percentage, but in Week 1 of this year the top five most popular picks got off to a positive start with a 4-1 record.
The Cincinnati Bengals (+3) were selected by 1,218 contestants in the SuperContest and Week 1’s most popular pick. They covered against the Indianapolis Colts. The Baltimore Ravens (-7.5), Los Angeles Rams (-4), and Minnesota Vikings (-6.5) also covered. The Houston Texans (+6.5) lost 27-20 to the New England Patriots and did not get the cover.
Zero Points for 41 Teams
After Week 1, 41 teams were left with zero points. Twenty-two of those 41 went 0-5 on their picks, while the other 19 did not submit a card.
As the season rolls on, so will the Las Vegas SuperContest. Be sure to stay tuned to SharpSide.com for continued coverage of the SuperContest, and don’t forget to follow SharpSide.com on Twitter at @SharpSideApp.