KICKOFFAPI / MODEL ACCURACY

How accurate are our
predictions?

We publish our numbers. KickoffAPI's match projections are backtested leak-free — every prediction uses only matches played before kickoff, exactly as it runs live — and scored against actual results. Here's how the model does.

BACKTEST · BIG-5 LEAGUES · 2023

Match-outcome accuracy

Scored with the Ranked Probability Score (RPS) — the standard metric for 1X2 forecasts, where lower is better and 0 is perfect. Strong public models land around 0.19–0.21; bookmakers (the strongest forecasters, with a margin baked in) around 0.19. We beat a naive base-rate baseline in every league.

LeagueKickoffAPI RPSBaseline RPSTop-pick accuracy
Premier League0.2070.23453.5%
La Liga0.1970.22350.0%
Serie A0.2000.22552.0%
Bundesliga0.2000.22951.7%
Ligue 10.2260.23745.3%

~340 fixtures tested per league. Last evaluated June 2026 on the 2023 season; updated as models retrain.

HOW IT WORKS

The model

A Dixon-Coles model — team attack and defence strengths with exponential time-weighting so recent form counts more, a low-score correlation correction that gets draws and tight games right, and shrinkage toward the league average so thin samples and one-team-dominant leagues don't skew it. It's our own model, computed from our own results data. Every new version is validated on held-out history and only ships if it beats the one before — so accuracy only moves one way.

Available through the API: /api/v2/fixtures/:id/projection (1X2, expected goals, BTTS, over/under) and /api/v2/insights/season-sim (title, top-4 and relegation odds). See the v2 reference.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How accurate are KickoffAPI's match projections?

On a leak-free backtest of the 2023 big-5 leagues, the model scores RPS around 0.20 and picks the correct result ~50–53% of the time, beating a naive baseline in every league.

Is this betting advice?

No. These are model-derived statistical projections for analysis and product use — not betting advice, and not a guarantee of any outcome.

How can I use the predictions?

Through the KickoffAPI v2 API on any paid plan. Start free and read the v2 reference.

Build on projections you can trust

Transparent, backtested football predictions through one fast API. Free tier, no credit card.