Best numbers in football squares
Every squares player knows the feeling. The numbers get drawn, you look at your square, and you either pump your fist or groan. But which numbers are actually good, and how big is the gap? The data gives a clear answer.
The short answer
The best digits are 0, 7, and 3, in that order. The worst are 2, 5, 8, and 9. The gap is enormous. Analysis of more than 2,700 NFL games from the 2015 through 2024 seasons shows the 0-7 combination hitting the final score about 7.3 percent of the time, while combinations like 5-5 and 8-9 almost never hit at all. Football scoring runs on 7s and 3s: a touchdown with the extra point adds 7, a field goal adds 3, and every team starts at 0.
The best squares, ranked
The strongest combinations for the final score are 0-7 or 7-0 (about 7.3 percent of games), 0-3 or 3-0 (about 5.7 percent), and 4-7 or 7-4 (about 5.6 percent). That 4 sneaks in because two touchdowns puts a team at 14. One analysis of 566 comparable games found that holding 7-0, 0-0, or 0-7 is worth about as much as holding the 25 weakest squares combined. Three squares out of a hundred carry as much expected value as a quarter of the board.
The worst squares
Combinations built entirely from 2, 5, 8, and 9 are the dead zone. A score ending in 2 or 5 needs unusual paths like safeties or strings of field goals, and 8 and 9 need two-point conversions to show up. If your numbers land on 5-5, you have permission to root purely for chaos.
Numbers behave differently by quarter
Early quarters are far more concentrated than the final score. At the end of the first quarter, 0-7 or 7-0 hits about 24.2 percent of the time, 0-3 or 3-0 about 16.6 percent, and 0-0 about 16 percent. Fewer possessions means scores cluster hard around 0, 3, and 7. By the final score things spread out, so a square that looks dead in the first quarter picks up real value by the end of the game. If your pool pays per quarter, a bad first-quarter square is not a bad game-long square.
Can you use any of this?
In a standard pool, no, and that is the charm. Numbers are drawn randomly after the board fills, so nobody can buy their way onto 7-0. Where the data does matter is knowing what you are holding once the draw happens. Boxpick shows live win probability on every square for Pro boards, updated with the score and clock, so the whole party can see whose square is heating up before the quarter ends.
What are the best numbers in football squares?
0, 7, and 3 are the strongest digits, because football scores are built from touchdowns (7 points with the extra point) and field goals (3 points), and every score starts at 0. The single best square is 0-7 or 7-0.
What are the worst numbers in football squares?
2, 5, 8, and 9 are the weakest digits. Combinations like 5-5 and 8-9 almost never match a quarter score. They need safeties, two-point conversions, or unusual scoring stacks to hit.
Do the best numbers change by quarter?
Yes. First-quarter scores cluster heavily on 0, 3, and 7 because there have been few possessions. By the final score, less common digits have had time to appear, so the gap between good and bad squares narrows late in the game.
Can I pick my numbers in football squares?
No. In a standard pool, players claim squares first and the row and column numbers are drawn randomly afterward. That keeps the game fair and is why squares needs zero football knowledge to play.
See your odds live
Boxpick Pro boards show live win probability on every square, updated with the score and clock.
