When an NFL Handicapper provides his customers with the favorites for upcoming games, it seems like it must have been easy for him to come up with the selection. The truth is it was anything but easy.

Professional handicappers put a lot of work into coming up with a prediction of a favorite in a game , an amazing amount of analysis and scrutiny of lots and lots of information.

It starts with a review of all the games played by the two teams that will be competing in the next game. The handicapper looks at common opponents to see who fared better and who played poorly. He looks at current injuries to determine which, if any, of the teams will be without important players.

The handicapper looks at lots more information, too. For example: he studies the past history of the two competing teams in games theyve played against each other. He looks at weather conditions and determines if it will be a factor and, if yes, who will benefit from it and who will suffer.

There is still much, much more he has to review and analyze before he can predict which team should be the favorite and which will be the underdog. Coaching, for instance, may be a factor. Grudges or one teams dislike for the other can play a role in the outcome, as well.

Will the home teams fans intimidate the visiting teams players? Does one team have an offensive or defensive player who is unstoppable by the other team and can actually impact the game? Clearly, as you can see, there are almost countless factors that the professional handicapper looks at , considers , and utilizes to establish a clear favorite in every game he sells to his customers.

However, the single most important factor is, and always has been, the point spread. It is not enough for a handicapper to predict which team will win the game. In order to help you win your bet, the handicapper needs to tell you that the team he believes will emerge as the victor will also be the team that covers the spread.