Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Sun’s Keefer again rates among nation’s top media sports handicappers

Las Vegas Sun Premium Subscriber Event At The Orleans

Steve Marcus

Case Keefer, left, Las Vegas Sun assistant sports editor, speaks with Bob Scucci, vice president of race and sports for Boyd Gaming, during a Las Vegas Sun Premium Subscriber Event at the Orleans Wednesday, March 4, 2020.

In his weekly sports betting column, the Sun’s Case Keefer projected trouble for the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl because of their depleted offensive line. He took Tampa Bay plus the points.

“Losing tackle Eric Fisher to an Achilles injury against the Bills to add to what was already an injury cluster along the offensive line is damaging,” Keefer wrote in his column. “Tampa Bay’s defensive front has been one of its biggest strengths all season, helping the team to rank first in the NFL against the run by DVOA and sixth in adjusted sack rate.”

The analysis — yet again — was spot on.

Tampa Bay pressured Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes all game, sacking him five times and keeping the high-scoring Chiefs out of the end zone. Mahomes had the worst game of his career, and Tampa Bay won the Super Bowl, 31-9.

Keefer, the Sun’s assistant sports editor, posted a 141-120-8 record this season in handicapping every regular season and playoff game. He finished strong with a 9-4 record in the playoffs, including correctly projecting the Tampa Bay upset in the Super Bowl.

His record is ranked third-best nationally by NFL Pickwatch, which tracks about 200 journalists with handicapping columns, including those from The Washington Post, The Dallas Morning News and ESPN. In the SharpRank rankings, which tracks more than 300 prognosticators, Keefer finished 10th.

“Case’s insights into the sports betting world are a great bonus for our readers, who for years have enjoyed not only tracking his picks but his truly entertaining writing,” said Ray Brewer, the Sun’s managing editor.

Published on Thursdays, Keefer’s column is divided into three sections — plays, leans and guesses. His plays, or his most confident selections, went 47-35-4.

It’s not the first season he’s had success. Three years ago, his record was No. 1 by NFL Pickwatch.

Keefer, who also leads the Sun’s coverage of the Las Vegas Raiders, has been providing weekly analysis of college and NFL in the Sun for more than a decade.

Make sure to subscribe to the Sun’s “Talking Points” newsletter, where all of Keefer’s sports gambling coverage lives — including in the football offseason.