The Microsoft Engine That Nailed The World Cup Is Predicting Every NFL Game - Here Are Its Picks For Week 6
It's now 47-29 on the year.
The Windows phone virtual assistant, which is powered by a Bing Predicts algorithm, is predicting every NFL game this year after correctly picking 15 out of 16 World Cup knockout stage games.
The algorithm got off to a mediocre start and had a dismal 5-8 record in Week 4, but it caught fire in Week 5. The only games it missed were Patriots-Bengals and Bills-Lions.
Week 5 was a big week for favorites across the board. Vegas favorites went 12-3 straight-up, and Nate Silver's ELO model went 13-2.
Was Week 5 just an aberration? Or is Cortana about to go on a hot streak like we saw during the final two weeks of the World Cup?
Here are Cortana's picks for Week 6 as of Thursday evening. We'll update them if they change throughout the week (Vegas favorites in parentheses):
- Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans - Colts win, 59.8% chance (Colts -3)
- Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans - Titans win, 68.8% chance (Titans -6)
- Baltimore Ravens vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Ravens win, 62.9% chance (Ravens -3)
- Denver Broncos vs. New York Jets - Broncos win, 77.8% chance (Broncos -8)
- Detroit Lions vs. Minnesota Vikings - Lions win, 55% chance (Lions -1.5)
- New England Patriots vs. Buffalo Bills - Patriots win, 53.3% chance (Patriots -3)
- Carolina Panthers vs. Cincinnati Bengals - Bengals win, 72.9% chance (Bengals -7)
- Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cleveland Browns - Steelers win, 53.3% chance (Browns -2)
- Green Bay Packers vs. Miami Dolphins - Packers win, 58.2% chance (Packers -3)
- San Diego Chargers vs. Oakland Raiders - Chargers win, 80% chance (Chargers -7)
- Chicago Bears vs. Atlanta Falcons - Falcons win, 61.4% chance (Falcons -3)
- Dallas Cowboys vs. Seattle Seahawks - Seahawks win, 74.2% chance (Seahawks -8)
- Washington Redskins vs. Arizona Cardinals - Cardinals win, 78.9% chance (Cardinals -3.5)
- New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles - Eagles win, 58.2% chance (Eagles -3)
- San Francisco 49ers vs. St. Louis Rams - 49ers win, 68.8% chance (49ers -3.5)
Cortana and Vegas only disagree on one game, Browns-Steelers.
Here are Cortana's results so far this year: