A recurring experiment pitting a human sports bettor against ChatGPT in weekly NFL picks has entered Week 9, with the human handicapper, Outkick’s Dan Zaksheske, holding a commanding lead in the season-long tally. Through Week 8, Zaksheske stands at 19-20-1 for a loss of 2.61 units, while ChatGPT sits at 16-23-1, down 8.57 units.
Each week, both the human and the AI select five bets from the same odds board, with no wager priced worse than -120. For Week 9, odds were captured Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. Stakes are scaled so that any winning bet nets one unit of profit, meaning a -110 bet requires risking 1.10 units and a +110 bet requires risking about 0.91 units; a push returns the full stake.
Dan’s Picks
Zaksheske’s self-described strategy for Week 9 is to fade recent hype rather than chase it. His selections include the Carolina Panthers against the Denver Broncos, arguing that Denver’s win over Kansas City was aided by a disputed penalty and that the spread of two to three points in Carolina’s favor is too generous.
He also backed the Seattle Seahawks against the Arizona Cardinals despite laying a large number, citing Seattle quarterback Drew Lock’s three-touchdown performance against Arizona earlier this season in a 31-7 win, and skepticism about Cardinals backup Gardner Minshew sustaining his overtime win over Dallas.
Other Dan picks include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Chicago Bears — designated his
