How the Stats and Trends can help you make Better Sports Predictions

Professional sports is part of the culture in most nations worldwide. From the love of Premier League soccer in England to the passion for NFL in the United States. India has cricket, Australia with Aussie rules. We are a planet of sports lovers and that's not something that is expected to change anytime soon.

People love sports as it gives them hope and allows an opportunity to break away from their daily routine and dream of glory, cheering their side on to success. Sports fans are passionate, superstitious, and optimistic, hoping the sporting gods are smiling on their teams or players ahead of the next big match.

Fans may be dreamers but sports are all about numbers. The smallest of margins can make the difference between victory and defeat. Coaches rely on stats when selecting their team and setting out their training program. Not just the stats of their own players but those concerning the strengths and weaknesses of their opponents. You can use the same stats when making predictions at Caesars Palace.

In this article, we explain how you can call on the stats and trends when making your predictions. You may be surprised by how often the trends will lead you to a correct prediction and if you are willing to dedicate the time and put in the extra effort there's nothing stopping you from analyzing the numbers.

What to look for when making Sports Predictions

The more time and effort you spend researching a sports fixture the more chance you'll have of making a correct prediction on the outcome. You can't do enough research and there are many different angles to cover. 

From head-to-head scores, recent form, injury news, and interviews, all the stats you are looking for can be found online so there's nothing stopping you from doing your homework and covering all angles. Arm yourself with as much information as you can possibly find. 

The internet is awash with information but some stats are more important than others, so what should you look for when making your sports predictions. Below you'll find some of the stats and trends you should focus on when researching. 

We'll use a heavyweight boxing match between world champion Anthony Joshua and challenger Oleksandr Usyk as our example of how to incorporate the stats into your picks but the same process can be used on any sport.

Use the form to find the winner

Take your time and go through the form of each fighter to bring yourself up to speed on how they have been performing. Anthony Joshua boasts a professional record detailing 24 wins against one defeat. The only loss on his card came in the form of a huge upset – one of the biggest in the sport's history – when being knocked out in New York by Andy Ruiz Jr. That loss came in the summer of 2019, but AJ has fought twice and won twice, including a revenge win over Ruiz in the rematch.

Opponent Usyk boasts a pristine record with the fighter from Ukraine now based in California, winning each of his previous 18 contests. He is a former undisputed cruiserweight champion, having dominated the lighter division before moving up to heavyweight in search of new challenges and higher pay. He was last seen beating another British heavyweight in Derek Chisora.

Don't ignore the Trends

The trends in sport can help you pick the winning side, but they can also give clues as to how that victory will be achieved. Boxing fans now know there's little between Joshua and Usyk on the form, but there are other angles.

AJ has an 88% knockout average which is far superior to the 72% of Usyk. The current champion is 31 years old, standing at 6ft 6inches tall with an 82-inch reach. Usyk is 34 years old, 6ft 3inches tall, with a 78-inch reach, making him older and shorter with an inferior reach. AJ has seven fights with more experience, and those small differences will have a huge impact.

Only one of Joshua's last four fights has gone to points, with two of those won in round seven. Two of Usyk's last three have resulted in KO wins, with one in the seventh round.