January and the playoffs

The better record pays off in round two

Holds upThe record backs this up, season after season.

This one is in the FanIQ library with the full rule, the reason it works, and every season we checked.

Held in 18 of 25 seasons, from 99 records measured.

Read the essay

January TruthsThe divisional round is a fortress, the wildcard round is the upset window, nobody repeats, the all-road title run is nearly a unicorn, and the Super Bowl forgets the standings. Playoff samples are small, so we print the counts.

FanIQ carries this one in full: the rule itself, why it works, the season-by-season record, and the related laws.