A lot of sharp NFL bettors are struggling this season, and a look at the pointspread standings makes it pretty obvious why. A lot of professional bettors have historically done well backing teams that nobody else wants to back. They find the prices on ugly, underachieving teams to be inflated right at the time these dregs are ready to bust out.

But bad teams are not covering pointspreads this year. They are not bouncing back from embarrassing non-efforts with profitable performances for their backers, instead throwing in clunker after clunker.

Heading into Week 10 of the NFL season, a remarkable 9 of 32 teams in the NFL have covered two times or fewer this season. The Rams, Broncos, and Ravens are all an abominable 1-7 against the spread. The Dolphins, Redskins, Jets, Bengals, Niners, and Bears have all covered twice each, though several of those teams have a push or two as well.

There’s a good reason why bettors who have annually profited from my “Heinous Teams of the NFL” strategy and otherwise involve contrarian, due-theory thinking in their handicapping are struggling. The bad teams simply aren’t covering this season.

Will this trend turn around, or will bad teams be finishing with spread records like 2-14, 3-12-1 and 4-12? I’m looking for the turnaround, and I hope I’m right, as this is one of the big questions for the second half of the NFL campaign.