For the second-straight week Microsoft's Cortana — the virtual assistant that correctly predicted 15 of 16 World Cup knockout stage games — went 10-6 in its NFL picks.Cortana now has a 20-12 record on the year.
For comparison, Las Vegas favorites are 18-14 overall and Nate Silver's ELO model is 19-13. Considering that the engine is just predicting winners and not results against the spread, 20-12 is just an okay record.
In the Week 2 games in which Cortana and Vegas disagreed (Baltimore-Pittsburgh, Miami-Buffalo, New York-Arizona), Cortana went 2-1 and Vegas went 1-2. The Microsoft engine had the Bills as a 62.9% favorite while Vegas initially had the Dolphins as the favorite. Buffalo won 29-10.
Here are Cortana's picks for Week 3 (with the Vegas betting lines as of Tuesday afternoon in parentheses):
· Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons — *Falcons* win, 71.6% chance (Falcons -6.5)
· San Diego Chargers vs. Buffalo Bills — *Chargers* win, 51.5% chance (Bills -2.5)
· Dallas Cowboys vs. St. Louis Rams — *Cowboys* win, 55% chance (Cowboys -1)
· Washington Redskin vs. Philadelphia Eagles — *Eagles* win, 72.9% chance (Eagles -6.5)
· Houston Texans vs. New York Giants — *Texans* win, 58.2% chance (Texans -2.5)
· Minnesota Vikings vs. New Orleans Saints — *Saints* win, 74.2% chance (Saints -9.5)
· Tennessee Titans vs. Cincinnati Bengals — *Bengals* win, 71.6% chance (Bengals -7)
· Baltimore Ravens vs. Cleveland Browns — *Browns* win, 58.2% chance (Ravens -1.5)
· Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions — *Lions* win, 58.2% chance (Lions -1.5)
· Indianapolis Colts vs. Jacksonville Jaguars — *Colts* win, 64.4% chance (Colts -6.5)
· Oakland Raiders vs. New England Patriots — *Patriots* win, 82% chance (Patriots -14)
· San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals — *49ers* win, 58.2% chance (49ers -2.5)
· Denver Broncos vs. Seattle Seahawks — *Seahawks* win, 58.2% chance (Seahawks -5)
· Kansas City Chiefs vs. Miami Dolphins — *Dolphins* win, 53.3% chance (Dolphins -4.5)
· Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Carolina Panthers — *Panthers* win, 67.4% chance (Panthers -3.5)
· Chicago Bears vs. New York Jets — *Jets* win, 58.2% chance (Jets -2.5)
Vegas and Cortana disagree on two games, Baltimore-Cleveland and San Diego-Buffalo.
*SEE ALSO: NFL Power Rankings, Where Every Team Stands Going Into Week 3*
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