How the NFL’s Next Gen Stats Will Empower Future Sports Gamblers

SGPN Parlay for Saturday (January 4th): NFL Parlay
In late 2024, the NFL renewed its long-time collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Through AWS, they have developed sophisticated models that provide unparalleled data for use by the big league. There are several ways this benefits the betting crowd; we’ve listed some big ones below.

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Digital Twin Technology Guarantees Accurate Stats

Informed gamblers will often look at the statistics posted by their favorite players, plus other vital game day stats. From 2014 onwards, the NFL gathered data using RFID chips in player shoulder pads and, later, the ball itself. Now AWS’ digital twin technology enables the NFL to simulate the entire field in real time, even the players themselves, while streaming the game live. This ensures the league’s posted stats are ironclad.

Similar digital simulation and integration is commonplace in other, adjacent industries, most notably iGaming. While they’re not as fast-paced as a football game, online casinos often stream live blackjack games where their customers can play at a real table from the comfort of their home. Some of those tables are ‘unlimited’, meaning they use a digitally integrated overlay to allow hundreds of players to play at once. Other services will simulate entire tables in the digital space, so players who don’t want the live experience can still play interactive casino games. In sports, this kind of digital simulation tech is better used to provide accurate data and introduce digital elements on the field to recap events on game day.

This technology is even being used to predict stats before they even happen. One of the newest tools in the NFL’s Next Gen Stats suite is something called Tackle Probability. This calculates, in real time, the likelihood that a defending player will go for a tackle by using their position data, as well as their historical record for offensive plays, defensive plays, and missed tackles. The result is ten new stat categories that the league will start tracking and will be available to bettors who are willing to crunch the numbers.

Fewer and More Predictable Injuries

The last-minute injury is a staple in pretty much every sport. Athletes put their bodies under immense stress, so injuries are fairly common. When those injuries happen just before the game starts, this can result in an unwelcome surprise if your star player sits out of the game. Of course, for people on the other side of the bet, that last-minute injury is great news for their own wager.

While this is a dynamic that will always exist, nobody wants athletes to suffer injuries that can be avoided. Fortunately, that same digital athlete technology can and is used to calculate risks and prevent injury. It also puts training and recovery periods into a quantifiable format, so the league can better manage how players train and avoid overworking themselves. As a result, bettors should find these last-minute surprises happening less frequently. This means more consistent, predictable odds that won’t flip on you minutes before the kickoff.

Those are the two most impactful ways that the NFL’s collaboration with AWS helps their betting audience. There’s no end in sight for their partnership, so we can expect them to develop even better data-tracking tools in the future.

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