The Microsoft Engine That Nailed The World Cup Is Predicting Every NFL Game - Here Are Its Picks For Week 12
It's now 105-56 (65%) on the season.
It was a big week for underdogs in low-profile games. the Buccaneers over Redskins and the Texans over Browns were both upsets, based on Cortana's numbers.
Cortana is a Windows phone virtual assistant that uses a Bing Predicts algorithm to predict every NFL game. It began at the World Cup, where it correctly predicted 15 of 16 knockout stage games, and now it has moved on to the NFL.
It picks games straight-up, not against the point spread. Its 105-56 record is close to the record of Vegas favorites (104-54-3) and Nate Silver's ELO model (111-50). ELO went 8-6 in Week 11, Vegas favorites went 7-6-1.
8-6 is the model's second-worst week of the year. We'll see if it can make a comeback over the next six weeks.
Here are Cortana's picks for Week 12 as of Tuesday night. We'll update them throughout the week if they change (Vegas favorites in parentheses):
- Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders - Chiefs win, 82% chance (Chiefs -7)
- Cleveland Browns vs. Atlanta Falcons - Falcons win, 53.3% chance (Falcons -3)
- Tennessee Titans vs. Philadelphia Eagles - Eagles win, 83.9% chance (Eagles -11)
- Detroit Lions vs. New England Patriots - Patriots win, 76.7% chance (Patriots -7)
- Green Bay Packers vs. Minnesota Vikings - Packers win, 74.2% chance (Packers -9.5)
- Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Indianapolis Colts - Colts win, 82% chance (Colts -14)
- Cincinnati Bengals vs. Houston Texans - Texans win, 51.5% chance (Texans -2)
- New York Jets vs. Buffalo Bills - Bills win, 65.9% chance (Bills -4.5)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Chicago Bears - Bears win, 64.4% chance (Bears -5.5)
- Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle Seahawks - Seahawks win, 65.9% chance (Seahawks -6.5)
- St. Louis Rams vs. San Diego Chargers - Chargers win, 65.9% chance (Chargers -4.5)
- Miami Dolphins vs. Denver Broncos - Broncos win, 77.8% chance (Broncos -7)
- Washington Redskins vs. San Francisco 49ers - 49ers win, 78.9% chance (49ers -9)
- Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants - Cowboys win, 64.4% chance (Cowboys -3.5)
- Baltimore Ravens vs. New Orleans Saints - Saints win, 64.4% chance (Saints -3.5)
Cortana and Vegas agree on every game right now. There are only two games with point spreads of three points or less.
Here are Cortana's results so far this year: