TONIGHT’S MATCHUPWEEK 01
Wed, Sep 9 8:20 PM ETNBC
Patriots+3.5
Seahawks−3.5CBS snapshot · Sep 8, 1:01 PM ET
NFL PICK’EM / SEASON 2026
Your team. Your people. Every game.
Pick against the spread. Rep your team.
Stay in the game all season.
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New here? Here’s how it works. $100 for the season.
Patriots+3.5Seahawks−3.5
PICKS LIVE IN CBS
THE WEEKLY SLATE / WEEK 01
Game day.
Your way.
Save the games you care about. Follow the scores. Keep the whole slate close.
CBS snapshot · September 8, 1:01 p.m. ET
The weekly board is loading. See all games in the CBS pool.
Lines are a dated snapshot, not a live feed. Use the line in your CBS pool when making picks. Each game locks at its own kickoff.
How to read the spread
A team at −3.5 must win by 4 or more. A team at +3.5 can win outright or lose by 3 or fewer. Pick every game and save the required total-points tiebreaker in CBS.
THE POOL, AFTER THE FINAL WHISTLE
How the pool played it.
Real picks. Finished games. See where we agreed, who covered, and how the numbers landed.
How these numbers work
Percentages use recorded team selections for each completed game. Entries with no recorded pick are shown separately and are excluded from those percentages. Counts come from a complete, checked CBS Weekly Standings snapshot. They describe CBS entries at that check, not paid-player totals.
Correct and incorrect selections follow the CBS result against the pool’s spread. A push means the final margin matched the spread exactly; recorded picks then appear in the push count. These anonymous snapshots contain no player names or upcoming picks. CBS remains the authority for pool scoring and standings.
THE SIDELINE
Between
the whistles.
Latest NFL headlines. The injury report. Where to watch. A few good tabs for a long football weekend.
Around the league
ESPNChecking the latest NFL headlines…
Headlines link to ESPN. Updates checked every five minutes.
A QUICK HALFTIME CHALLENGE
A win isn’t
always a cover.
Know the difference? Try three quick examples. No entry. No stakes. Just a little football instinct.
Back to this week’s games ↑NEW HERE OR NEED A CHECK? Your three-minute pool setup +
01 / Confirm your entry
Check your LeagueSafe payment or your confirmed referral entry.
Open LeagueSafe ↗02 / Save every pick
Make your picks against the spread in CBS and enter the tiebreaker. Each game locks at its kickoff.
How the pool works ↓03 / Reopen and confirm
Check that your selections saved in CBS. Then come back here for game day.
Back to the games ↑THE 2026 PRIZES
Every week.
A new shot.
CONFIRMED 2026 PRIZES
6 places every week and 6 overall. A rough week doesn’t end your season. Each week is another chance to compete.
$18,500 in season prizes. Weekly awards are recorded during the season and distributed through LeagueSafe after the season and payout approval.
Weekly prizes
18 WEEKS · 6 PLACES| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | $300 |
| 2nd | $200 |
| 3rd | $150 |
| 4th | $100 |
| 5th | $50 |
| 6th | $25 |
| Every week | $825 |
Overall prizes
SEASON · 6 PLACES| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st | $1,500 |
| 2nd | $1,000 |
| 3rd | $500 |
| 4th | $300 |
| 5th | $200 |
| 6th | $150 |
| Overall total | $3,650 |
At season end, remember to vote in LeagueSafe
When the allocation email arrives, review it and vote in LeagueSafe. Approval from more than half of eligible paying members allows prompt release of winnings. LeagueSafe’s published voting-window rules also apply. How voting works ↗
THIS IS WHY WE PLAY
A reason to care
about every game.
Even that one.
A late cover. A Monday-night tiebreaker. A group of friends with way too much to say about both. A new weekly race gives you a reason to keep showing up, even after a rough week.
THE OTHER WOMANAGAINST THE SPREAD
03 / THE WEEKLY
The story of
your season.
The picks live in CBS. The story lives here. Weekly winners, crowd favorites, gutsy calls, and the season race, all in one recap. Missed a week? You can still compete in the next weekly prize race.
Visit the recap archiveA clean slate.
For all of us.
The first 2026 recap will appear here after Week 1 is scored and verified. Until then, get your picks saved and keep an eye on your email.
Go to picks & standingsBUILDING WHAT’S NEXT · 2027
Same people.
More ways to play.
What would make this pool better? More game-day updates, a just-for-fun challenge, or something we haven’t thought of? Tell Alex. And help shape next year’s possible straight-up and survivor pools.
Make the pool better01 / THE ORIGINALAgainst the spreadEvery game. Beat the number.02 / AN IDEA FOR 2027Straight-up pick’emPick the winner. Around $50 proposed.03 / AN IDEA FOR 2027SurvivorOne team each week. Keep surviving.
Interest only. Formats, prices, and availability are still to be decided.
BROUGHT YOUR PEOPLE?
Let’s square it away.
Referral rewards are confirmed privately. If you referred players before kickoff, send Alex their names so everyone can be matched correctly.
NEW TO THE POOL?
Football.
With a little
more riding
on it.
No draft. No fantasy roster. Just pick which side of the point spread covers in each NFL game.
$100. All 18 weeks.
Pay through LeagueSafe, then join our 2026 CBS pool. Picks, locks, and standings are handled by CBS.
Pick the cover.
The spread gives the underdog a head start. For example, with a 3.5-point spread:
−3.5Favorite must win by 4 or more.
+3.5Underdog can win, or lose by 3 or fewer.
Illustration only. Actual lines and scoring are in CBS.
A fresh shot.
Every week.
Weekly prizes keep every week interesting. Your picks also count toward the overall season standings. Six weekly winners. Six overall finishers.
Prize update ↓THE TRACK RECORD
Good seasons.
Kept on record.
We started with 60 players in 2023. Last year, 124 played and 61 cashed at least once. Historical results stay in their own season.
Loading the recap archive…
THE FINE PRINT, IN PLAIN ENGLISH
Know the game.
Each NFL game locks at its own kickoff. CBS controls saved picks, lines, scoring, and the official standings. Read the full league terms.
How much is entry?
Entry is $100 for the season. There are weekly and overall prizes. See the confirmed payout schedule.
What does against the spread mean?
Every game has a point spread. Pick a favorite like KC −3.5 and they need to win by 4+. Pick an underdog like DEN +3.5 and they can win or lose by 3 or fewer.
Where do payments happen?
Payments are handled through LeagueSafe, which holds the money in escrow until payouts are released after the season.
Where do picks happen?
Picks and standings are handled through the open 2026 CBS Pick'em pool.
When does entry close?
The hard deadline will be announced before Week 1. Plan on joining before the Wednesday, September 9, 2026 kickoff.
What happens if I miss a week?
You can still keep playing. Missing a week makes the season-long race harder, but every week is a new chance to win weekly money.
What if I miss one game?
That game is a non-pick under CBS scoring. It does not end your season: save your remaining picks and keep competing for weekly prizes. Each new week starts a new weekly race.
Do you take a cut?
Net player entry fees, after earned referral credits, are for the prize pool. Sponsor or support money, if any, is separate and helps cover the work of running the pool, website, and recaps.
How do I get paid?
Weekly awards are tracked during the season. At season end, review the allocation and vote in LeagueSafe when its voting email arrives. Approval from more than half of eligible paying members allows prompt release. Read LeagueSafe’s voting process.
Can I join mid-season?
Maybe, if the pool is still accepting entries. Late entries are not ideal because you are behind in the season-long race. Any late-entry money after the payout table is locked will be handled separately and communicated clearly.
Can I have multiple entries?
Yes. Each entry needs its own CBS login/email address, because CBS has to treat them as separate entries.
What if CBS shows something wrong?
CBS is the system of record for picks, saved entries, locks, and standings. If a pick was not saved in CBS before lock, the pool cannot manually change it after the fact.
Do weekly winners get paid every week?
Weekly winners are awarded and tracked every week. LeagueSafe releases the actual funds after the season when payout allocations open and get approved.
Is Facebook required?
No. Email is the main communication channel, and CBS can send league messages too. The Facebook group is optional and used for comments, screenshots, and extra reminders.
Is this betting advice?
No. This is a private football pool and entertainment/community content.
SPONSORED BY OPENNOVA
OpenNova
OpenNova helps organizations ship cloud, data, and AI work through scoped delivery, embedded teams, and direct founder involvement.
Visit OpenNova ↗Want to be a sponsor? Tell us about your business ↗
Put your business in the weekly recap
Your business name, short blurb, logo, and link in the weekly recap email and matching recap page. Clearly labeled as a sponsor.
One recap $150Four recaps $500Custom partnership Let’s talk
Ask Alex about a sponsor spot. Intro pricing for 2026. Sponsor money stays separate from the player prize pool.
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A SPOT FOR YOU
Good football.
Better company.
Get the pool details, the payment and CBS links, and the weekly emails. Facebook is optional. Email keeps you in the loop.