Scoreo

Free State Stars vs Highlands Park FCPremier Soccer League 2018

M. Mvala 86'
3/5/2017Premier Soccer LeaguePremier Soccer League · Round 20Goble Park Stadium (Bethlehem, FS)

Match Prediction

Statistical Prediction

Based on goals from last 36+ matches

Free State Stars43%
×Draw29%
Highlands Park FC28%
Correct in 50 of 100 matches — 5 more than always backing the home side
Model
50.3%
Always home
44.6%

The model picks a winner (home or away) for each finished match using only pre-kickoff data, then checks it against the real result: 50.3% correct across 577,253 matches, vs 44.6% for always backing the home side.

Home picks 50.6% correct · Away picks 49.3% correct

Football matches only. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Expected goals in this match

What is xG?

Every shot is scored 0–1 by how likely it is to be a goal from that spot — a chance in the middle of the box ≈ 0.4, a long shot from a tight angle ≈ 0.03, a penalty ≈ 0.76. Add them up over a match and that is the xG.

The scoreline can lie: you can win 1-0 on a fluke while creating half the chances. xG shows who was really closer to scoring — and over a season it predicts results better than goals alone.

Free State Stars
1.23
Highlands Park FC
0.94

Free State Stars creates 31% more chances

Season form · 36 home / 41 away

creates per match

Free State Stars
0.97
Highlands Park FC
0.85

allows per match

Free State Stars
1.03
Highlands Park FC
1.49

finishing

Free State Stars+0.00on par
Highlands Park FC+0.00on par

Total goals

63%Under
  • Under63
  • Over37

Fewer than 3 goals likely

Both teams score

57%No
  • No57
  • Yes43

One side may not score

Score probability

Probability of each scoreline, %

Free State Stars

Highlands Park FC
0
1
2
3
4
0
0011%
0111%
025%
032%
040%
1
1014%
1113%
126%
132%
140%
2
209%
218%
224%
231%
240%
3
304%
313%
322%
330%
340%
4
401%
411%
420%
430%
440%

Most likely 1–0 (14%) · grid covers 99% of scorelines

More markets

Total goals

OverUnder0.5
89%11%1.5
64%36%2.5
37%63%3.5
17%83%4.5
7%93%

Double chance

Free State Stars or draw
72%
Free State Stars or Highlands Park FC
71%
Draw or Highlands Park FC
57%

Winning margin

Free State Stars wins by 2+
19%
Highlands Park FC wins by 2+
10%

Team goals

Free State Stars 1+ goals
71%
Free State Stars 2+ goals
35%
Free State Stars 3+ goals
13%
Highlands Park FC 1+ goals
61%
Highlands Park FC 2+ goals
24%
Highlands Park FC 3+ goals
7%

Draw no bet

Free State Stars (draw refunded)
60%
Highlands Park FC (draw refunded)
40%

Combos

Both score & 3+ goals
30%
Both score & under 3
13%

Model probabilities, not odds. For information only.

How is this calculated?

Every number below comes from this match — nothing is made up.

1

Recent form of each side

Free State Stars at homecreates 0.97, concedes 1.03 · 36 matches

Highlands Park FC awaycreates 0.85, concedes 1.49 · 41 matches

Home and away form are counted separately — the home-field edge is already baked into these numbers.

2

Expected goals for this match

Free State Stars attack 0.97 + Highlands Park FC defence 1.49 → ÷2 → 1.23

Highlands Park FC attack 0.85 + Free State Stars defence 1.03 → ÷2 → 0.94

Each side's attack is blended with the other's defence, then averaged.

3

Chance of every scoreline

From those two numbers a Poisson distribution gives the probability of each exact score — the grid shown above.

4

The answer to "why 43%?"

Free State Stars scores more
43%
level
29%
Highlands Park FC scores more
28%

Free State Stars at 43% is simply the biggest of the three — that is the pick.

What the model can't see

It reads only the stats of recent matches. It knows nothing about:

  • injuries & suspensions
  • the matchday lineup
  • motivation — cup, relegation, a title race
  • weather & pitch condition
  • in-game coaching decisions

So 43% does not mean "Free State Stars will win" — it means "on the available stats, this is the most likely result."

Statistical model based on expected goals (xG). For informational purposes only.

Free
Highlands
T. Sithole
Manager: T. Sithole
55'G. DlaminiT. Potsane
56'S. MbheleK. Mashego
80'N. NtuliD. Venter

Free State Stars substitutes

G. Igesund
Manager: G. Igesund
46'R. RaeS. Nhlapo
64'L. RamolesaC. Mashumba
75'T. KhuboniS. Khwela

Highlands Park FC substitutes

Match Recap: Free State Stars vs Highlands Park FC

Highlands Park FC beat Free State Stars 1-0 in Premier Soccer League on March 5, 2017.

Goals: M. Mvala (86').

The match was played at Goble Park Stadium (Bethlehem, FS).