Supercomputers, widely used in various fields such as quantum mechanics and weather forecasting, are now being employed by sports handicappers to predict the outcome of Super Bowl LVIII.
According to BETSiE, a supercomputer providing predictions for Action Network, the San Francisco 49ers are favored by approximately two points against the defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs. Additionally, BETSiE assigns a 56.26% win probability to the Niners.
The computer forecasts a closely contested game, with San Francisco expected to score just two points more than Kansas City, possibly coming down to a field goal.
Team Win Prob Projected Score Kansas City Chiefs 43.74% 22.66 San Francisco 49ers 56.26% 24.78
While the computer is a powerful tool, it is not infallible. For instance, preseason favorites like the Philadelphia Eagles faced a disappointing season, dropping six of their final seven games and exiting in the Divisional Round. In contrast, the Chiefs and 49ers were predicted as the second and fourth most likely teams to win Super Bowl LVIII, respectively.
BETSiE operates by simulating the NFL season 100,000 times, rating each team based on expected points for and against, taking into account previous performance and anticipated progression or regression.
NFL BETSiE simulates the entire NFL season 100,000 times predicting average scores and win-loss probabilities for each game. Heading into the season, each NFL team is rated by expected points for and expected points against, based on previous performance and anticipated progression and regression of each team. BETSiE’s expected points model takes into account the expected points a team earns play-by-play across each NFL game they play.
In terms of sportsbook odds, the 49ers opened as 2.5-point favorites over the Chiefs in Las Vegas.
