Official Rulebook
How TopDog26 Works
TopDog26 is a private, skill-based NFL pick'em strategy game. All rules apply equally to every player.
1. Beat the Spread
Against the spread — not just who wins
TopDog26 is an against-the-spread (ATS) contest. Picking the winning team is not enough — your team must cover the spread: win by more than the line, or lose by less.
Example
Chiefs -6.5 vs. Raiders. You pick the Chiefs. They win 24–20 (+4) — pick loses, they didn't cover. They win 31–17 (+14) — pick wins, they covered by 7.5+.
No pushes, no ties. All spreads are set at a half-point (.5). You either beat the spread or you don't — every pick has a clear winner.
2. Weekly Top Dog Prize
Independence Callout
Each week, the player who scores the most points wins that week's prize — regardless of their overall season standing. Weekly prizes are completely independent of the season championship and playoff standings. A player can win multiple weekly prizes throughout the season.
The weekly prize pool is $25/week × 18 weeks = $450 fixed, funded by the season entry fees. Prizes are paid out the week following the final game. In the event of a tied weekly score, the tiebreaker rules apply (see Section 6).
3. Weekly Strategy Choice
Each week, every player independently selects one of three strategies before the first game kicks off. Strategy selection is not locked in for the season — you choose fresh each week based on your read of the matchups.
Montana
5 picks · 2 pts each
Favre
10 picks · 1 pt each
LT
All games · 1 pt each
LT Weeks — Full or Near-Full Board
LT is available on weeks with a full or near-full board. Week 6 has 14 games; all other LT weeks have 16. LT players pick all available games that week. A record of exactly .500 does not trigger the penalty — you must fall below .500.
Week 1
16 games
Week 6
14 games
Week 12
16 games
Week 15
16 games
Week 16
16 games
Week 17
16 games
Week 18
16 games
4. Over/Under Bonus
Each week, players may designate one game as their O/U bonus pick. Choose either Over or Under on the game's posted total.
Spread pick on that game is correct
AND your O/U pick (Over or Under) is also correct
Key conditions: The O/U bonus only applies when both picks are correct on the same game — winning just the O/U without the spread earns nothing. Only one game per week may be designated as your O/U bonus game. The O/U pick must be selected before the game locks (1 hour before kickoff, PST).
5. Official Odds
Official Odds Source: The Odds API
All published lines are final for that week
The commissioner imports the official spread and O/U total for each game before the week's first kickoff using The Odds API. Once imported, all lines are locked — no changes are made regardless of injury news or line movement after publication.
Each individual game locks for picks 1 hour before its kickoff time. A countdown timer is displayed on the picks page for each game.
6. Tiebreaker Rules
When two or more players are tied in weekly or season points, the following tiebreaker sequence applies in order:
Closest combined score prediction on that week's Monday Night Football game (total points, over and under)
Closest prediction for the winning team's final score
Closest prediction for the losing team's final score
Most total correct picks that week across all selected games
Coin flip — determined and announced by the commissioner
Important
Your tiebreaker prediction is locked in with your picks and sealed until needed — only revealed by the commissioner if a tie must be broken.
7. General Rules
All picks must be submitted before the first game of the week kicks off (Thursday at 5:15 PM PST, or Sunday at 10:00 AM PST if there is no Thursday game). Late submissions are not accepted under any circumstances.
Entry fee is $100 per player per season. The fee covers all 18 weeks plus the playoff round. Payment must be received before Week 1 to participate.
TopDog26 is an invitation-only league. Participation is limited to players who have been personally invited and approved by the commissioner.
Prize payouts are sent back through the same payment method used at registration. Ensure your account name matches your registration details exactly.
The top 4 players by cumulative season points after Week 16 advance to the playoff round. Weeks 17 and 18 serve as the playoff bracket.
The commissioner reserves the right to correct scoring errors up to 72 hours after results are posted. Any disputes must be raised within that window.
TopDog26 is a private, skill-based competition among invited players. This is not a public gambling platform. Entry fees fund the prize pool only.
8. Playoff Format
Regular season runs Weeks 1–16. The top 4 players by cumulative points advance. Two playoff weeks determine the champion and prize distribution.
Week 17 · Semifinals
Week 18 · Championship
Semifinal 1
#1
Seed
#4
Seed
Semifinal 2
#2
Seed
#3
Seed
Championship
Top Dog Champion
Semifinal winners face off. The champion is crowned after Week 18.
3rd Place
Consolation Game
Semifinal losers compete for 3rd and 4th place. Week 18.
Week 17 · Semifinals
Semifinal 1
#1
Seed
#4
Seed
Semifinal 2
#2
Seed
#3
Seed
Week 18 · Championship
Championship
Top Dog Champion
Semifinal winners face off. Top Dog Champion crowned.
3rd Place
Consolation Game
Semifinal losers compete for 3rd and 4th place.
9. Strategy Scoring
Each strategy has a different risk/reward profile. The O/U bonus (+1 pt) is available in every strategy — it is included in the maximums below.
Montana
The Surgeon · 5 picks
Favre
The Gunslinger · 10 picks
LT
The Workhorse · All games
LT weeks (Wk 1, 6, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18): LT picks all available games that week — 14 games (Wk 6) or 16 games (all other LT weeks). Week 6 (14 games) — must win 7+ to avoid penalty (6 or fewer = below .500 = -2 pts). Exactly .500 is safe. On all other weeks, only Montana and Favre are available. Montana and Favre are limited to 5 or 10 games, so weeks with byes will not affect those strategies.
Scoring Strategy Notes
Strategy resets each week. Your chosen strategy applies to that week only. You can switch strategies every week — nothing carries over.
Bonuses don't stack — only the highest applies. If you qualify for multiple bonus thresholds, you receive only the largest bonus, not a combination of them.
The O/U bonus requires winning the spread on the same game. You only earn the Over/Under bonus if your spread pick on that exact game was also correct. If your spread pick loses, the O/U bonus does not apply — even if your Over/Under prediction was right.
Questions? Reach the commissioner at commissioner@topdog26.com