Intuition, experience, and a healthy amount of luck. These are the main ingredients every sports bettor needs to create a recipe for wagering success. While luck can’t be controlled and experience takes time, intuition is becoming a little easier thanks to modern computing science.
The betting world is being taken over to some degree by the rise of Artificial Intelligence. This handy tech is brand new but is already changing the game in some incredibly interesting ways. Today, it seems as though modern bettors are beginning to get used to living in an age defined by data-driven predictions.
The game changer
Tech has risen up to offer anyone AI-powered NFL betting lines and allow novice bettors to get involved properly for the first time. Algorithms are now being created to offer the in-depth insights experienced bettors enjoy to anyone. They use clever code to inspect huge amounts of data in seconds and crunch these numbers into information that’s useful for a person looking to place a good bet.
It wasn’t always this way. For many years, the activity of betting on potential match outcomes for the NFL, the Premier League, and many other international tournaments has been a space reserved for the most dedicated fans. Not so long ago, only the most passionate people had enough know-how to guess which team might come out on top with any real accuracy.
To get this information, experienced fans would eagerly devour any news or insights they could get their hands on concerning team injuries, dynamics, and strategies. They knew that even the smallest details held the potential to sway the outcome of a match. This experience and knowledge, built up over a lifetime, once gave these fanatics an edge over bettors who make decisions based on their feelings.
AI levels the playing field
By now, it should be clear that AI is making predictions easier by giving fans the information they need to make the best decisions possible. This is great news for the industry. Why? Because the barrier to entry into this thrilling world is no longer so daunting. It’s easier than ever for a novice to find and understand the same information that once took years to gather.
Gut feelings no longer play a role in predictions. Instead of simply picking a favorite team and hoping for the best, fans are approaching bets with more agency. By taking emotion out of the picture, there’s more room for a casual fan to place a potentially life-altering wager if luck is on their side.
Big Data Analysis
As touched on previously, one of AI’s biggest perks has everything to do with how well an algorithm can examine dizzying amounts of relevant info. Beyond basic player statistics and win-loss records, intelligent systems can and do inspect all the small data points that might be easy to ignore. Info based on whether or not a team member recently recovered from an illness is taken into account.
These small but handy pieces of info inform and create patterns that a human eye might miss. With AI, none of these small data points such as player energy levels based on travel or team morale after a few unfortunate losses are left out. This means smarter predictions in less time and potentially translates into larger payouts if the tech is used well.
Like many other emerging technologies, AI is always changing. The more information an algorithm receives, the more patterns it’s likely to find. This information feedback loop means that with each passing day, AI’s ability to accurately predict an outcome actually gets better.
AI isn’t perfect, yet
Hopefully, it shouldn’t be surprising to learn that AI isn’t some magic crystal ball that’s been invented to spoil the fun of watching sports like the NFL. Sure, it can offer some advantages, but it does have some limitations.
No matter how a person looks at past facts and figures, what actually ends up playing out on the field is still impossible to guess with complete accuracy. There will always be an element of chance that remains as the players head out onto a field. Things like Injuries, lucky plays, and unexpected comebacks will always get in the way and defy even the most perfect predictions.
All AI can do is guide a person to make better-informed decisions. This is why it’s a good idea to always look at disclaimers attached to sites and platforms. They will almost always mention that not all information can be trusted every time. Even machines can make mistakes sometimes.
Using AI as a predictive tool
It might be helpful to think of an AI tool as a friend who spends way too much time looking at numbers. They can be useful to help a newcomer quickly understand which teams have the best odds, but they can’t be fully trusted when it’s time to make a final bet. Instead of blindly following this friend’s advice, it’s probably better to use a mix of personal knowledge and AI insights to make a final choice.
The Bottom Line
Without a shadow of a doubt, AI boosts the predictive power of bettors. By how much? That’s still up for debate. The tech will likely get better over time, and even now, bettors who use AI prediction tools responsibly can enjoy a small edge. As it advances, people can expect more newcomers to enter the betting world to try their luck with help from a robot analyst.
