[comp.ai.neural-nets] FOOTBALL NEURAL NET - RESULTS OF WEEK 14

mathis@boulder.Colorado.EDU (Don Mathis) (12/13/89)

         RESULTS OF THE FOOTBALL NEURAL NET:     WEEK 14


*****************************************************************************
* The football neural net ranks football teams based on the following system:
*
* Goals:
*   1.  If teams A and B play head-to-head, then the winner should be 
*       ranked higher.
*   2.  If teams A and B don't play head-to-head, but both play team C, 
*       then whoever beats team C by more points should be ranked higher.
*
* System:
*   1.  Assign to each team a numerical "quality value".
*   2.  IF TEAMS A AND B PLAY HEAD-TO HEAD, THEN THE WINNER'S QUALITY VALUE
*       SHOULD EXCEED THE LOSER'S BY AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO THE POINT DIFFERENCE
*       IN THE GAME.
*   3.  Find a quality value for each team that satisfies the above 
*       requirement as closely as possible.
*
* Notes: 
*   1.  This system achieves the two goals as well as mathematically possible.
*   2.  By "as well as mathematically possible", I mean that the system finds
*       a least-squares solution to the linear system defined by the equation
*       described in System.2.
*
******************************************************************************

     |------------------|                           |------------------|
     | Week 13 Rankings |                           | Week 14 Rankings |
     |------------------|                           |------------------|

                   Quality    W/L                               Quality    W/L
Rank     Team       Value    Record          Rank     Team       Value    Record
----     ----      --------  ------          ----     ----      ------    ------
#1    Denver         9.8     10-3            #1    Denver         9.1     10-4
#2    San Francisco  8.9     11-2            #2    San Francisco  8.5     12-2
#3    Cincinnati     6.2      7-6            #3    N.Y.Giants     5.4     10-4
#4    Philadelphia   5.5      9-4            #4    Philadelphia   5.4     10-4
#5    Cleveland      5.4     7-5-1           #5    Cincinnati     5.2      7-7
#6    L.A.Raiders    4.6      7-6            #6    Cleveland      4.6     7-6-1
#7    N.Y.Giants     4.1      9-4            #7    Minnesota      4.1      9-5
#8    Buffalo        3.9      8-5            #8    L.A.Raiders    3.9      8-6
#9    L.A.Rams       3.2      9-4            #9    Washington     3.4      8-6
#10   Minnesota      3.2      8-5            #10   L.A.Rams       3.3      9-5
#11   Chicago        3.1      6-7            #11   Kansas City    3.3     7-6-1
#12   Washington     3.1      7-6            #12   Buffalo        3.2      8-6
#13   Kansas City    2.3     6-6-1           #13   Chicago        1.9      6-8
#14   New Orleans    0.8      6-7            #14   New Orleans    0.9      7-7
#15   Houston        0.7      8-5            #15   Houston        0.6      9-5
#16   Indianapolis   -0.5     6-7            #16   Indianapolis   -0.3     7-7
#17   Green Bay      -1.5     8-5            #17   San Diego      -1.5     4-10
#18   San Diego      -1.8     4-9            #18   Seattle        -1.8     6-8
#19   Seattle        -2.9     5-8            #19   Green Bay      -2.2     8-6
#20   Tampa Bay      -3.1     5-8            #20   Miami          -3.1     8-6
#21   Miami          -4.1     7-6            #21   Tampa Bay      -3.1     5-9
#22   New England    -4.6     5-8            #22   Detroit        -4.5     5-9
#23   Pittsburgh     -5.4     6-7            #23   Pittsburgh     -4.7     7-7
#24   Detroit        -5.7     4-9            #24   Phoenix        -5.6     5-9
#25   Phoenix        -6.7     5-8            #25   New England    -6.2     5-9
#26   N.Y.Jets       -7.0     4-9            #26   N.Y.Jets       -8.0     4-10
#27   Atlanta        -9.8     3-10           #27   Atlanta        -10.8    3-11
#28   Dallas         -11.7    1-12           #28   Dallas         -10.9    1-13



HOW THE NET DID THIS WEEK:
_______________________________________________________________________________
        | Vegas   | Net's    | Net's| Game  |ATS| Net's | Vegas | Pure | Vegas|
Game    | Spread  | Spread   | Bet  | Score |W/L| Error | Error | W/L  | W/L  |
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buf/NO  | Buf 5.5 | Buf  3.1 | NO   | NO  3 | W |  6.1  |  8.5  |  L   |  L   |
Cin/Sea | Cin 10  | Cin  9.1 | Sea  | Sea 7 | W | 16.1  | 17.0  |  L   |  L   |
Cle/Ind | Cle  1  | Cle  5.9 | Cle  | Ind 6 | L | 11.9  |  7.0  |  L   |  L   |
Den/Gia | Den  3  | Den  5.6 | Den  | Gia 7 | L | 12.6  | 10.0  |  L   |  L   |
Hou/TB  | Hou  8  | Hou  3.8 | TB   | Hou 3 | W |  0.8  |  5.0  |  W   |  W   |
KC/GB   | GB   3  | KC   3.8 | KC   | KC 18 | W | 14.2  | 21.0  |  W   |  L   |
Rai/Pho | Rai  9  | Rai 11.3 | Rai  | Rai 2 | L | 13.3  | 11.0  |  W   |  W   |
Mia/NE  | Mia  6  | Mia  0.6 | NE   | Mia21 | L | 20.4  | 15.0  |  W   |  W   |
Jet/Pit | Jet 1.5 | Pit  1.6 | Pit  | Pit13 | W | 11.4  | 14.5  |  W   |  L   |
SD/Was  | Was  9  | Was  4.9 | SD   | Was 5 | W |  0.1  |  4.0  |  W   |  W   |
Atl/Min | Min 12  | Min 12.9 | Min  | Min26 | W | 13.1  | 14.0  |  W   |  W   |
Chi/Det | Chi 6.5 | Chi  8.8 | Chi  | Det10 | L | 18.8  | 16.5  |  L   |  L   |
Dal/Phi | Phi 12  | Phi 17.2 | Phi  | Phi10 | L |  7.2  |  2.0  |  W   |  W   |
Ram/SF  | SF   1  | SF   5.7 | SF   | SF  3 | L |  2.7  |  2.0  |  W   |  W   |


W/L against the spread:  7-7
Pure W/L for the net:    9-5
Pure W/L for Vegas:      7-7

Net's avg error:  10.6 points per game
Vegas avg error:  10.5 points per game


PREDICTIONS FOR WEEK 15:

Buffalo       vs. San Francisco     =>     San Francisco by   5.3
Cincinnati    vs. Houston           =>     Cincinnati    by   4.5
Cleveland     vs. Minnesota         =>     Cleveland     by   0.5
Denver        vs. Phoenix           =>     Denver        by   14.8
Indianapolis  vs. Miami             =>     Indianapolis  by   2.8
Kansas City   vs. San Diego         =>     Kansas City   by   4.8
L.A.Raiders   vs. Seattle           =>     L.A.Raiders   by   5.8
New England   vs. Pittsburgh        =>     Pittsburgh    by   1.5
N.Y.Jets      vs. L.A.Rams          =>     L.A.Rams      by   11.4
Atlanta       vs. Washington        =>     Washington    by   14.2
Chicago       vs. Green Bay         =>     Chicago       by   4.1
Dallas        vs. N.Y.Giants        =>     N.Y.Giants    by   16.3
Detroit       vs. Tampa Bay         =>     Tampa Bay     by   1.4
New Orleans   vs. Philadelphia      =>     Philadelphia  by   4.4

Highest quality game:  Buffalo vs. San Francisco.  
Total quality = 11.7

Lowest quality game:  New England vs. Pittsburgh.  
Total quality = -11.0

Most evenly matched game:  Cleveland vs. Minnesota.
 Difference in quality = 0.5

Most lopsided game:  Dallas vs. N.Y.Giants.
 Difference in quality = 16.3