Glossary
A plain-statistics dictionary.
Every term we use across market hubs, match pages and projections — defined the way we use it, without jargon and without spin.
Core terms
- Projection
- A modelled estimate of a statistical total for a single match — e.g. projected throw-ins, projected corners. A projection is a number with uncertainty attached, not a prediction of a single outcome.
- Probability
- The model's estimated chance, expressed as a percentage, that a statistical threshold will be reached. A 62% probability means roughly 62 such matches in every 100 would clear that threshold if the model is well calibrated.
- Confidence rating
- Our High / Medium / Low label on every projection. It reflects historical reliability of the market, agreement between the 2018 and 2022 sub-samples, and how many contextual filters fired.
- Expected total
- The model's central estimate of a market total (for example, expected total throw-ins in a match). The number you would expect on average across many repetitions of the same matchup.
- Statistical threshold (over / under)
- A line drawn through the expected total — for example, Over 33.5 throw-ins. "Over" means the model estimates the total will land above that line; "under" means below. We publish thresholds as statistical reference points, not as recommendations.
- Over 33.5 throw-ins
- A working example of a statistical threshold: the model's probability that combined throw-ins in a match clear 33.5. We use throw-ins because the historical sample is unusually consistent between 2018 and 2022.
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Model & reliability
- Correlation
- The degree to which two statistics move together. Corners and shots on target are positively correlated in our sample; throw-ins and goals are largely independent.
- Independent vs correlated combinations
- When two markets are independent, combined probability is roughly the product of each. When they are correlated, multiplying them overstates or understates the true joint probability. Our combined-probability calculator flags this explicitly.
- Poisson (to-score)
- A discrete probability distribution we use to translate an expected goals figure into a probability that a given team scores at least one. Useful for low-count events; less useful when the underlying rate shifts dramatically.
- Reliability
- How well a market's historical signal holds up across both calibration tournaments. High reliability means the 2018 and 2022 sub-samples agree closely. Throw-ins currently lead the reliability ranking.
- Consistency
- A related but distinct measure: how stable a market is from match to match within a tournament. A small consistency gap means the market does not swing wildly between fixtures.
- Breakeven rate
- A statistics concept that converts a price into the implied probability you would need to be right on, for the call to break even over many repetitions. We surface it as a reference point for understanding implied probability — not as a recommendation.
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A note on language
We use statistics vocabulary throughout — probability, projection, threshold, confidence. We deliberately avoid the language of wagering. The model is a tool for understanding a match, not a recommendation engine.
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MatchdaySync provides sports statistics and analytics for information only — not advice.