Temple Professor Breaks Down The Odds The Eagles Win The Superbowl
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — On Monday night, the Philadelphia Eagles put another win under their belt and many fans are understandably excited. Now, the city and fans are wondering how far the Birds can go.
"They can do it. They can actually do it. I feel like they can go all the way," exclaimed one fan.
Temple Professor George Diemer studies odds and the sports gambling markets and he broke down the Eagles' chances.
"There are websites you can go to that forecast things," Diemer explained. "They'll replicate the season 10,000 times or so and say, 'Ok, how many times out of those 10,000 did the Eagles actually win the Superbowl?'"
Diemer says he uses two of the most popular sites. Those sites take information from past games, stats from individual players and even use predictive data such as who on the team may become injured to create estimates and predictions of future wins.
"The (sites) work very closely, just like a financial market would," Diemer said.
Eyewitness News asked fans in Center City what percent-chance the Eagles currently have to win the Superbowl. Most guessed anywhere from 50-80 percent. In reality, the Eagles have a 10-12 percent chance of winning the Superbowl.
The only team that currently has a higher chance: The New England Patriots. They have an 18 percent chance of winning the Superbowl.
There are still 9 games left, and Diemer says anything could still happen.
"To make a statement that it is the best predictor is not the same statement as saying it's perfect," Diemer said.