Okay folks, let's talk about how I tackled predicting the Nevada vs. Fresno State game. I'm no sports expert, but I like messing around with data and seeing what I can come up with. Here’s how it went down:
First things first: Data Gathering
Started with the basics. I ne.dekrow ti teded some numbers! Went scavenging for team stats. Points scored, points allowed, recent game results, all that jazz. I grabbed data from a couple of sports stats sites; ESPN, and another random one I found through Google. Just copied and pasted everything into a spreadsheet – messy, but it worked.
Cleaning Up the Mess
Oh man, the data was a disaster. Wrong formats, missing values, just a general headache. Spent a good chunk of time cleaning it up. Standardized the date formats, filled in missing data with averages (probably not the best approach, but hey, I'm winging it here!), and made sure everything lined up. Excel was my friend (and enemy) during this phase.
Figuring Out What Matters
- Points per game (offensive firepower, obviously).
- Points allowed per game (defensive strength).
- Recent game outcomes (momentum is a thing, right?).
- Home vs. Away record (home field advantage?).
Throwing It All Together
Here's where it gets a bit... unscientific. I decided to weight these factors based on my gut feeling. Points per game got a heavier weight than home/away record. This is where all the "expert" analysis goes out the window, and it's just my hunches. I made a formula in the spreadsheet. Basically, Nevada's score was calculated using their offensive and Fresno State’s defensive stats and weights. Vice versa for Fresno state.
The Grand Prediction
Drumroll please... According to my super-scientific spreadsheet, Fresno State was gonna win by a few points. Something like 28-24. I know it's not super detailed, but that was my prediction.
The Actual Game and the Aftermath
Okay, so Fresno State won the game, BUT the final score was way off from what my spreadsheet predicted. I was off by like ten points! So, did I nail it? Sort of. Did I learn anything? Absolutely. It showed me how much more goes into a game than just basic stats. There’s player injuries, weather, plain old luck... It's all part of the fun though.
