NFL survivor picks 2024: Best football knockout pick, pool strategy, schedule breakdown, plus optimal grid

NFL survivor pools are among the most popular season-long football contests, presenting an exhilarating knockout format for fans. The 2024 NFL season begins soon, so it is the perfect time to start building an NFL survivor pool strategy. A survivor pool requires contestants to correctly pick one team to win its game each week, but teams can only be used once throughout the season. Some formats include an extra week for Thanksgiving and Christmas, which means you have to pick 20 teams correctly to make it through the entire season unbeaten in NFL survivor picks.

NFL odds are one tool you can use to make your NFL knockout picks. However, a comprehensive NFL survivor strategy includes proven NFL survivor advice and a strong understanding of an NFL survivor grid. Before locking in any 2024 NFL survivor picks, be sure to check out the NFL survivor strategy from Vegas NFL expert R.J. White .

White has been SportsLine's No. 1 NFL against-the-spread expert over the last seven years, going 636-534-34 against the spread to put him up more than 48 units on those picks at SportsLine since 2017. He has also delivered a 56.7% hit rate on his Vegas contest picks over the last nine seasons and has two finishes in the money, including finishing 18th out of 2,748 entries back in 2017.

Now, White has turned his attention to the 2024 NFL schedule and locked in his top NFL survivor pool picks and alternative strategy for the entire season. You can only see them by heading to SportsLine .

Top 2024 NFL survivor picks and strategy

One part of White's 2024 NFL survivor strategy: He is not choosing the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, whom he considers the consensus play. The Bengals are the heaviest favorite on the NFL odds board for Week 1, so it is safe to assume they will be the most popular NFL survivor pick. However, there are plenty of reasons to be concerned about Cincinnati heading into the season, especially since quarterback Joe Burrow is returning from a season-ending injury.

The Bengals are just the second team in the last 12 seasons to be favored by at least nine points in a season-opener after missing the playoffs the previous year. New England is excited to enter a new era under first-year coach Jerod Mayo, who has a trio of new quarterbacks. The Patriots finished in the top half of the NFL in total defense last season, so a spark offensively could give them a chance to spring an upset in Week 1 and create chaos in NFL survivor pools. See the rest of White's NFL survivor contest picks right here for every week .

How to make survivor pool NFL picks for the 2024 NFL season

White is taking a little more risk in Week 1 "by playing a lower-tier team." This team will not be on many survivor players' radar, potentially giving its backers a huge boost. This pick could be the difference between winning your survivor pool or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here .

So which NFL survivor picks should you make for the 2024 NFL season, and which Week 1 pick could separate you from the pack? Visit SportsLine now to see optimal NFL survivor pool picks and advice from an expert who has gone deep in one of the most prestigious betting tournaments , and find out.