How To Use AI To Predict Sports Betting in 2025

Could AI’s Sports Predictions Be Hallucinations?

One of the problems identified with AI outputs is sometimes referred to as hallucination. This is the tendency of AI to post confident responses that do not match our human experience of the world. They have been observed to fabricate academic sources and make dubious recommendations like adding glue to pizza.  If your AI is producing garbage like “Everton to win the 5:10 at Wolverhampton”, then there’s clearly a problem. But if it predicts an outlier event, should you consider this a hallucination or a chance to make a mint?

Best practice would be to thoroughly test your model before committing your bankroll. Make a list of your intuitive bets. Make a list of the AI’s predictions. Compare the results. The time to put your trust in the algorithm is the point where the AI is consistently outperforming you.

💡Data analysis shows that integrating AI can reduce betting losses by an average of 24.7%.

Specific Uses of AI in Sports Betting

Let’s take a look at how AI is already being used in sports betting and the potential developments in this field.

Predicting Sports Outcomes

This is perhaps the most obvious use case for machine learning and also the most testable. As of December 2024, over 100 academic papers had been published on the subject. They make for pretty dry reading, but I’ve included a link in the references for the dedicated.

For all the bold claims made by the nascent app companies pushing their sports betting algorithms, their models stand or fall based on how they perform. You can test the performance of these apps yourself (without necessarily wagering) and decide if you want to take the plunge into machine-assisted betting.

Assistance with In-Play Betting

This is a newer technology that we are starting to see offered by sports betting platforms. DraftKings recently acquired Simplebet’s machine learning tool to enhance its live bet offerings. Again, watch for the rollout across platforms. It will likely take the form of notifications of tempting live bet offers based on your betting history.

How Bookies Are Already Using AI

Traditionally, bookies laid initial odds based on their best statistical information and then adjusted them based on their knowledge of the sum of punters’ individual bets. AI, with its potential for crunching huge amounts of data very quickly, can assist bookmakers with keeping their edge on these tasks. You can bet your bottom Euro that the big bookies are investing heavily in AI. 

More accurate odds are only one way in which bookies are utilising the powers of machine learning. AI has other uses, like:

• Fraud identification

• Personalised bet recommendations

• Improved live betting experience

💡Sports betting platforms using AI algorithms have reported a 15% increase in user engagement.