Help · Pool types
How NBA Margin works
Pick one NBA team from the commissioner's chosen games each week and score the team's margin. Wins add points, and losses subtract points by default. NBA Margin is a running-total pool with no elimination.
Rules
Weekly margin points
- Each Monday-to-Sunday regular-season week, pick one NBA team from the games the commissioner chose for that week's slate. A win by 12 earns +12 points. A loss by 7 scores −7 by default; the commissioner can score losses as zero instead.
- NBA Margin does not eliminate entries and is straight up only. Weekly margins add to the season total; the highest total wins. There is no tiebreaker, so tied entries share the place.
- Team reuse is off by default, but the commissioner can allow an entry to pick any NBA team again in another week.
Missed picks, locks and joins
- A missed pick scores the week's worst margin by default, or zero if the commissioner chooses that option. The extra penalty defaults to zero points, and the commissioner can set an additional penalty.
- Missed-pick team assignment is off by default. When team reuse is off, the missed pick still scores its penalty and also uses up your best remaining winning team, so you cannot pick it later; team assignment does not apply when reuse is allowed.
- Each pick locks when its game starts and stays hidden from other members until then. Members can join until the first week ends. A missed pick in any week, including the first, follows the pool's missed-pick rule; late joiners can choose any unstarted game in the first week's slate.
- The commissioner chooses the slate and week range when creating the pool. NBA Margin covers regular-season games only and runs through the end of the regular season.
- Scoring and missed-pick rules can change until the first game starts. Team reuse locks as soon as anyone saves a pick.
Two weeks of real NBA margins
Avery earns +14 with Boston and +13 with Philadelphia, for +27 after two weeks. Blair loses 31 with New York and 11 with Cleveland, for −42. Casey earns +18 with Toronto and +8 with Dallas, for +26.
| Member | Pick | Game | Final | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avery | Boston Celtics | Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics | Celtics 115–101 Bulls | +14 points |
| Blair | New York Knicks | Knicks at Detroit Pistons | Pistons 121–90 Knicks | −31 points |
| Casey | Toronto Raptors | Hawks at Raptors | Raptors 118–100 Hawks | +18 points |
| Member | Pick | Game | Final | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avery | Philadelphia 76ers | 76ers at Raptors | 76ers 115–102 Raptors | +13 points |
| Blair | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jazz at Cavaliers | Jazz 123–112 Cavaliers | −11 points |
| Casey | Dallas Mavericks | Nets at Mavericks | Mavericks 113–105 Nets | +8 points |
Settings lock. The commissioner chooses the slate and week range when creating the pool. Pool name, fee and member caps stay editable until the first game starts; scoring and missed-pick options can change until then, and team reuse locks once anyone saves a pick.
The example uses final scores from real 2025–26 games, except March Madness, which uses the real 2026 NCAA tournament.