Pick every game. Most wins takes the pool.
The classic. Pick winners for every game of the week — straight up or against the spread. PikSheet handles the rules, pick submission, lock timing, field reveal, standings, and commissioner controls from one place.
How it works
The format stays familiar to your league; PikSheet keeps the weekly mechanics clear and consistent.
- 1Every member picks a winner for every game on the slate.
- 2Commissioner chooses straight-up or against-the-spread at pool creation.
- 3Correct picks earn 1 point. Season standings are total wins.
- 4Picks lock at the start of each game (or the week, commissioner's call).
- 5No-shows get auto-picks so the leaderboard always balances.
Member flow
Members see the current week, make the required picks, and can edit anything that has not locked yet.
Field reveal
After lock, the pool can see who picked what without chasing text threads or screenshots.
Scoring
Game results update the leaderboard according to this format's rules and history.
Week 3 example
A quick scoring example for this format.
- 1.Slate: 15 games.
- 2.You pick 11 winners, miss 4.
- 3.You score 11 points for the week.
- 4.Season standings add weeks together; most wins takes it.
How to win a Pick'em pool
Strategy that separates the season winners from the pack.
- 1Favorites win about two-thirds of NFL games straight up, so standings usually separate on the four to six toss-up games each week. Spend your time there, not on the locks.
- 2In against-the-spread pools every game is close to a coin flip by design. Consistency beats hero picks over an 18-week season — a steady 9-7 every week wins most pools.
- 3Never miss a week. A defaulted card costs more than a bad card; even with auto-picks on, a considered 8-8 beats an auto-picked 7-9 over a season.
- 4If you're trailing late in the season, stop picking your own card. Match the leader everywhere except the two or three games you feel strongest about — agreeing with them locks in the gap.
What the commissioner controls
Every setting is configurable at pool creation and editable until the pool opens.
- Straight-up or against-the-spread
- Lock mode: week, day, or per-game
- Entry fee (optional — you collect, we don't touch it)
- Max entries per member
Pick'em pool FAQ
What is an NFL pick'em pool?+
The simplest NFL pool format: every member picks a winner for every game each week, correct picks earn a point, and the highest season total wins. Pools can grade picks straight up or against the spread.
Should our pool play straight up or against the spread?+
Straight up is easier for casual groups — nothing to explain. Against the spread keeps every game competitive because favorites have to cover, not just win. Most office pools start straight up; experienced groups usually prefer spreads.
How are pick'em standings ties broken?+
Most pools use a weekly tiebreaker like total points in the Monday night game, or simply share season ties. On PikSheet the commissioner sets tie handling at pool creation so nothing gets decided after the fact.
How many people do you need for a pick'em pool?+
It's fun from about five people and scales to hundreds. Bigger fields make weekly wins harder to take outright but keep the season race tight.