Football analysis has developed beyonds recognition over the past two decades thanks to technological advancements and improved player health.
Granted, some scouts still go to games and jot notes down on a scrap of paper if they think they’ve unearthed a talent. But football analysis is largely in the digital realm, where stats are collected on everything from running distances to quick decision making.
Whether you’re a manager, a goalkeeper coach, a scout, a player, or a football betting fan, you’re likely to come across a wealth of data when you engage with football.
This Paddy Power guide will take you through the basics of performance analysis in football and show you how this can lead to smarter bet options. Discover what analysts look for in players, how bookmakers use data for their odds, and how you can analyse football to make better choices.
What is analysis in football?
Analysis in football is the catch-all term for collecting data on players and teams, whether it be in training, during matches, or even in their personal life outside of the game. Analysts are able to track players’ physical and mental attributes and spot areas where they can improve.
Team analysts can then map this out to a wider tactical perspective, while analysing team performances during and after matches at the same time.
The point of analysis in football is to find areas of improvement and cut issues to a minimum. This might, for example, focus on analysing a transfer target to see if they can fit into a manager’s system. Or, a physio might analyse a player’s agility following a serious injury to see if they are ready to take on the strains that comes with playing 90 minutes.
Analysis is everywhere, even in football betting. Gone are the days where you needed to rely on a hunch to place a winning bet. Modern-day football analysis allows punters to make much smarter bets, based on genuine evidence and probability mechanisms.
How football odds analysis works
Indeed, betting sites like Paddy Power use data from across the football world to set accurate betting odds. Football odds analysis is about gauging probabilities based on:
- Team form
- Previous head to head records
- Player injuries
- Player and team qualities
- Tactics
- Home advantage
Combined, betting sites are able to use this data from football analysis to create odds that accurately reflect the true chances of an outcome in a game.
For instance, say Albania are playing Italy in a World Cup qualifier. Reason dictates that Italy will win, say at odds of 1.50. However, a bookmaker analyses the data from both teams and realises:
- Albania have home advantage
- Albania are unbeaten in four games
- Italy’s two highest scorers are out injured
- Italy need just a draw to qualify for the World Cup
- Albania need a win to reach a playoff spot
Suddenly Italy don’t look as nailed-on for the win as they once did. By using sophisticated probability algorithms, it’s possible for a betting site to fully analyse a fixture before kick off and provide more accurate odds. In this instance, Italy’s odds rise to 1.80 because the data suggests their winning likelihood is worse than originally expected.
Paddy Power Football Analysis
If you’re looking to bet on football and want to base your picks on some firm analysis then you’re in the right place. Paddy Power has plenty of great ways to maximise your knowledge of the game before backing a team.
We use a combination of data and experts to provide extensive analysis for our punters. Here are some ways you can benefit from joining Paddy Power:
Get Paddy Power stats
Football betting fans can access stats ahead of major games on the Paddy Power site. These stats range from head to heads to line-ups and recent form guides. This gives you a quick insight into what to expect during a game.
Read Paddy Power News
Keep up to date with the latest football updates via Paddy Power News! We’ll ensure you stay in the loop with fixtures, schedules, the latest odds, and pre-match analysis.
Get Paddy Power Tips
Stats geeks can read our latest football tips and see what the experts reckon will happen next. Our experts balance their own knowledge of the game with the latest stats to properly analyse upcoming matches and make their predictions.
Follow live football stats
You can also keep on top of all the action when betting in-play at Paddy Power. Live football games come with player stat updates and real time match updates, so you can analyse a game for yourself even if you can’t watch a stream.
Of course, you can also live stream football across many leagues at Paddy Power and do some basic analysis yourself. Bet alongside all the action and make smarter predictions based on what you see.
Analysing football betting odds
Another arm of football betting analysis is to assess the odds. As punters we do this all the time. See a short price and we wonder if the bet is profitable enough. See a high price and we consider whether it’s worth the risk.
You can either go with a light tough to odds analysis, or dive into the detail. Here are three ways to treat analysis in football betting:
Light Touch – Most bettors will look at the football odds and make a quick risk-reward analysis. For example, is backing Germany to beat Lithuania at 1.30 actually worth the risk? Or, are Morocco at 9.00 over-priced to beat Portugal in a friendly?
The light touch is about making those quick analytical decisions based on your background knowledge of football.
Basic Research – A little bit of basic research can make a huge amount of difference. By looking at the baseline stats like head-to-head records, and read Paddy’s tips, then you can make more reasoned predictions when betting on football.
Of course, basic research takes a bit of time but it’s nowhere near as extensive as it could be.
Analysis Overload – Football is such an unpredictable game that there’s no limit to the amount of analytical research you can do for a game, if you’re prepared to put in the hard yards. From past records to individual player match-ups, football data is so specific these days that you can look for whatever you like.
Paddy Power keeps up with data overloads by offering more extensive betting options before and during games. This covers everything from corners and cards, to player head-to-heads, goal timings, and free kicks.
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW