Data Analysis
Our analysis of all available data, including recent performances and player stats up until an hour before kickoff, suggested the most likely outcome of this match was a Walsall win with a probability of 37.64%. A win for Hartlepool United had a probability of 33.72% and a draw had a probability of 28.6%.
The most likely scoreline for a Walsall win was 1-0 with a probability of 12.2%. The next most likely scorelines for that outcome were 2-1 (7.78%) and 2-0 (7.14%). The likeliest Hartlepool United win was 0-1 (11.38%), while for a drawn scoreline it was 1-1 (13.3%). The actual scoreline of 3-1 was predicted with a 3% likelihood. Our data analysis correctly predicted that Walsall would win this match.