Getting Started
What is Saturday Matchups?
Saturday Matchups is a college football pick'em app built around weekly competition.
Each week, you'll pick from a slate of college football games and compete against other members of your Huddle.
Depending on the Huddle, you may play Against the Spread (ATS), DOG DARE, THAT'S MY LINE or PARLAY.
Your results are tracked throughout the season so you can follow weekly winners, season standings and achievements.
What is a Huddle?
A Huddle is your competition group.
You can belong to multiple Huddles, so you might compete with family in one Huddle, coworkers in another and college friends in another.
Each Huddle has a Commissioner who manages the group and its settings.
What should I do first?
When you first join Saturday Matchups, you have three ways to get started:
Play in the National Huddle Every Saturday Matchups player is automatically part of the National Huddle. There's nothing to create or join. Just make your picks and see how you stack up.
Join a Friend's Huddle If someone you know already has a Huddle, join them and start competing.
Become a Commissioner Want to run your own competition? Become a Commissioner, create a Huddle and invite your friends.
The National Huddle
What is the National Huddle?
The Saturday Matchups National Huddle is the competition every registered player can participate in.
There's no invitation required and no Huddle to create.
Each week, Saturday Matchups selects the featured games. Make your picks, follow the results and see where you rank against the rest of the Saturday Matchups community.
Who is the Commissioner?
Meet Joe Bobby "Bear" Saban, the official fictional Commissioner of the National Huddle.
Bear handles the National Huddle so you don't have to.
Don't bother arguing with him about the weekly slate. He's heard it all before.
Do I select games for the National Huddle?
No.
Saturday Matchups selects the games for the National Huddle each week. You only need to make your picks.
Joining a Huddle
How do I join a friend's Huddle?
Find the Huddle you've been invited to and submit a request to join.
Depending on the Huddle's settings, the Commissioner may need to approve your membership before you can participate.
What happens after I request to join?
Your request is sent to the Huddle Commissioner.
Once approved, the Huddle will appear in your account and you'll be able to participate.
Can I join more than one Huddle?
Yes.
You can participate in multiple Huddles at the same time.
Your picks are separate for each Huddle, so you aren't required to make the same selections everywhere.
Becoming a Commissioner
What is a Commissioner?
A Commissioner creates and manages a private Huddle.
Commissioners establish the competition, invite or approve members and manage the Huddle's settings.
Depending on the Huddle configuration, the Commissioner may also participate just like every other member.
What does a Commissioner do?
As Commissioner, you'll set up your Huddle, select its game mode and bring your players together.
Some Huddles use a rotating member to select the weekly games, so running the Huddle doesn't necessarily mean doing all the work yourself.
Once everything is configured, Saturday Matchups handles the standings, scoring and weekly results.
Making Your Picks
When can I make my picks?
Once your Huddle's weekly slate is ready, the games become available for picking.
Select your side for each matchup and save your picks.
Can I change a pick?
Yes—as long as that game's pick window is still open.
You can return to your picks and make changes until the game locks.
When do picks lock?
Picks lock 30 minutes before the scheduled kickoff of each game.
Once a game locks, your selection for that game cannot be changed.
Games don't all lock at once. A Saturday night game can remain open even after earlier games have started.
What about Thursday and Friday games?
Saturday Matchups isn't limited to Saturday.
College football games played Thursday, Friday or other days can be included in a week's slate.
Each game follows its own scheduled kickoff and pick-lock time.
Against the Spread (ATS)
What does "Against the Spread" mean?
ATS isn't simply about choosing which team wins the game.
You're picking which team will perform better against the point spread.
For example:
Tennessee -7.5 vs. Florida
If you pick Tennessee, Tennessee needs to win by 8 or more points for your ATS pick to win.
If Tennessee wins by only 7—or loses the game—Florida covers the spread.
That means it's possible to correctly believe Tennessee will win the football game but still lose your ATS pick.
What does the minus sign mean?
A negative number indicates the favorite.
Tennessee -7.5 means Tennessee is favored by 7.5 points.
What does the plus sign mean?
A positive number indicates the underdog.
Florida +7.5 means Florida can lose by as many as 7 points and still cover the spread.
Of course, if Florida wins the game outright, Florida also covers.
What is a push?
A push occurs when the final margin lands exactly on a whole-number point spread.
For example:
Georgia -7
If Georgia wins by exactly 7, neither side wins against the spread. The result is a push.
Half-point spreads such as -7.5 cannot result in a push.
Sure Thing
What is a Sure Thing?
Think you know something everyone else doesn't?
Your Sure Thing lets you put extra weight behind one of your ATS selections.
A normal winning pick is worth +1 point.
A winning Sure Thing is worth +2 points.
But there's a catch.
Lose your Sure Thing and you receive -1 point for that selection.
It's an opportunity to separate yourself from the Huddle—or regret being so sure.
Do I have to use a Sure Thing?
Sure Thing availability depends on your Huddle's settings.
If Sure Thing is enabled, the pick screen will show you how to select it.
DOG DARE
Back the dogs.
DOG DARE puts the week's underdogs at the center of the competition.
Instead of simply asking which side will cover the spread, DOG DARE rewards players willing to identify underdogs capable of beating expectations.
How DOG DARE Works
Each week, select one underdog from the available matchups. Your selection must be an underdog according to the original SatMat Line.
Your underdog must win outright. Covering the spread isn't enough.
Scoring Rules
- Outright win: Earn points equal to the underdog's original positive point spread.
- Loss: Earn 0 points, even if your team covers the spread.
- Canceled or no-contest game: No points are awarded.
Scoring Example
You select Vanderbilt as a +17.5 underdog against Alabama.
- Vanderbilt wins outright: 17.5 points.
- Vanderbilt loses by 3 points: 0 points.
- Vanderbilt loses by 21 points: 0 points.
The bigger the underdog, the bigger the potential reward. But you only collect if your team pulls off the upset.
THAT'S MY LINE
Sometimes you don't like the line. So make your own.
THAT'S MY LINE challenges you to think beyond the posted point spread and decide where you believe the matchup really belongs.
Your predictions are measured against what actually happens on the field.
How THAT'S MY LINE Works
The Commissioner selects the week's matchups. For each game, choose a team and create your own point spread.
Your custom line must make the pick more difficult than the original SatMat Line. You can move the spread in half-point increments, including crossing zero and turning an underdog into a favorite.
Scoring Rules
- Winning pick: Earn points equal to how far you moved the original line.
- Losing pick: Earn 0 points.
- Crossing zero: Successfully turning an underdog into a favorite doubles the points earned for that game.
- Push: A push increases your weekly scoring multiplier. One push doubles successful-pick points; two pushes triple them.
- Weekly total: Each game's points contribute independently. One loss does not eliminate points from other games.
Scoring Examples
Moving the favorite: SatMat Line: Tennessee −6.5. Your Line: Tennessee −10.5. Tennessee wins by 14. You earn 4 points.
Turning an underdog into a favorite: SatMat Line: Vanderbilt +7.5. Your Line: Vanderbilt −2.5. Vanderbilt wins by 7. You moved the line 10 points, and the crossing-zero bonus doubles your score to 20 points.
Push multiplier: You earn 8 points from winning picks and one additional pick pushes. Your weekly score becomes 16 points (8 × 2). Two pushes would increase the multiplier to 3×.
The goal isn't simply to pick winners. It's to prove you can set a tougher line and still be right.
PARLAY
Put it all together.
PARLAY turns several selections into one challenge.
Your picks work together, meaning every leg matters.
One bad selection can change the entire outcome.
How PARLAY Works
Build a combination of two or more games, selecting which team you believe will cover the original SatMat Line in each matchup. Every selection is a leg of your parlay.
Scoring Rules
- Winning parlay: Earn 1 point for every winning leg.
- Losing leg: One incorrect selection busts the entire parlay, resulting in 0 points.
- Push or no-action leg: That leg is removed from the parlay.
- Minimum requirement: At least two winning legs must remain for the parlay to score.
Scoring Examples
Three winning legs: All three selections cover. Your score is 3 points.
One bad leg: You select four teams. Three cover, but one fails. Your score is 0 points.
A push: You select four teams. Three cover and one pushes. The pushed leg is removed, leaving three winners. Your score is 3 points.
The more games you successfully combine, the more points you can earn. But every additional leg introduces another opportunity for the entire parlay to fall apart.
Scores & Standings
How are standings calculated?
Saturday Matchups automatically grades completed games and updates the appropriate Huddle standings.
Your season total accumulates as the season progresses.
When are results updated?
Results are processed automatically as games become final.
There may occasionally be a short delay between the end of a game and the updated result appearing in Saturday Matchups.
Can I see how everyone else is doing?
Yes.
Huddle standings let you follow your competition throughout the season.
Depending on the game mode, additional graphs and statistics can show how players have performed over time.
Trophies & Achievements
Saturday Matchups isn't only about finishing first.
You'll also earn trophies for memorable accomplishments—and memorable disasters.
Examples include:
🏆 Group Champion — Win your Huddle.
🐺 Lone Wolf — Win 5 picks where you're the only player taking that side.
🐶 Dog Lover — Successfully pick 10 underdogs ATS.
💯 Perfect Week — Win every eligible pick in a week.
💔 Bad Beat — Lose 3 ATS picks by ½ point.
🔥 On Fire — Win 7 consecutive ATS picks.
🧊 Ice Cold — Lose 7 consecutive ATS picks.
❓ Are You Sure? — An achievement involving the dangerous side of Sure Thing.
🙈 Everybody Knew But You — Sometimes the entire Huddle saw it coming. You didn't.
😬 Dead Ass Last — Somebody has to finish there.
Additional trophies can be discovered throughout the season.
Weekly Game Selection
Who chooses our games?
That depends on your Huddle.
Private Huddles can use a rotating selector system where members take turns selecting the games everyone will pick that week.
This makes choosing the slate part of the competition.
Who chooses the National Huddle games?
Saturday Matchups does.
There is no rotating selector for the National Huddle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can the Commissioner change my picks?
No. Your picks belong to you.
Can other players see my picks?
Yes, but only after the individual game locks.
Before a game's lock time, other Huddle members cannot see which team you've selected, your custom line, or whether you've designated that pick as your Sure Thing.
Once the game locks, members of your Huddle can view each other's selections. Each game locks 30 minutes before its scheduled kickoff. Picks become visible game by game, rather than all at once.
You can view other members' locked selections, compare predictions, and follow the competition as games are played. Your picks remain private until their respective games lock.
Why can't I change one of my picks?
The most likely reason is that the game has entered its 30-minute lock window.
Check the game's scheduled kickoff time.
Why hasn't a finished game been scored yet?
Saturday Matchups processes game results automatically. Occasionally there may be a delay between a game's conclusion and its official result being processed.
What happens if a game is postponed or canceled?
If a game is postponed or canceled, Saturday Matchups will determine whether it remains eligible for scoring based on its official status.
Games that are completed and have an official result will be scored according to the applicable game mode's rules. Games that cannot be scored will be treated as no-contests, with no points awarded for those games.
For PARLAY, a no-contest leg will be removed from the parlay. The remaining eligible legs must still satisfy the minimum requirements for a winning parlay.
Scoring updates may take additional time when a game's status changes.
Can I be in several Huddles?
Yes.
Do I have to make the same picks in every Huddle?
No.
Each Huddle is its own competition.
Do I have to know point spreads to play?
No.
If you're new to ATS, start with our Understanding the Point Spread guide. After a few games, it becomes pretty straightforward.
Notifications
Saturday Matchups can use notifications to keep you informed about important Huddle activity.
Notifications may include things such as:
- A request to join your Huddle
- Approval of your Huddle membership
- Picks approaching their lock time
- Weekly games becoming available
- Weekly or final results
You control notification permissions through your iPhone settings.
Troubleshooting
My picks won't save.
First, verify that the affected games haven't locked.
If the games are still available and your selections won't save, close and reopen Saturday Matchups and try again.
If the problem continues, contact Support.
My standings don't look right.
Some results may still be processing.
If all games have been finalized and your score still appears incorrect, report the issue through Support.
Include your Huddle name, week and the game or result that appears incorrect.
Contact Saturday Matchups
Need help?
Questions, problems, or feedback? Contact us at support@saturdaymatchups.com
If something isn't working, let us know.
Report a Problem
Found a bug or something that doesn't look right? Tell us what happened.
Send Feedback
Have an idea that would make Saturday Matchups better? We want to hear it.
Rules & Scoring Question
Not sure why something was scored the way it was? Send us the Huddle, week and matchup and we'll take a look.
## About Saturday Matchups
Saturday Matchups was built around a simple idea:
College football is more fun when you have something to argue about with your friends.
Make your picks. Talk some trash. Survive the bad beats.
And come back next Saturday.