Science

Who Will Win New Orleans Saints vs. Miami Dolphins? A.I. Predicts

The NFL is back in Wembley Stadium.

Getty Images / Al Bello

Another week, another game in London, as the New Orleans Saints and Miami Dolphins get set to square off in Wembley Stadium. A hive mind of about 35 NFL fans likes New Orleans to make the most of the transatlantic trip, picking them to win Sunday morning.

A win against the Dolphins would be a serious course correction for the Saints, who looked completely cooked after a pair of season-opening losses in which their offense sputtered. But a nice win against the Carolina Panthers now has the Saints in with a shot at getting back to .500 on the year. Meanwhile, the Dolphins are playing in London before they play their first game in Miami, thanks to the hurricane-forced postponement of their season opener. It’s been a weird year for them.

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From their last meeting in 2013.

Getty Images / Stacy Revere

To predict the result of this and other games, Unanimous A.I. used what’s known as swarm intelligence to forecast the week’s slate. More than 40 NFL fans worked together as a hive mind to make picks. As you can see in the animation below, each participant controlled a little golden magnet and used it to drag the puck toward the answer they thought was the most likely outcome. As the users saw the puck move toward a particular outcome, it triggers a psychological response. They readjust their decision-making, building toward a consensus. Here’s Unanimous A.I. founder Lloyd Rosenberg explaining swarm intelligence at a recent TEDx Talk.

Unanimous A.I. has made some scarily accurate predictions in the past using swarm intelligence, as our previous article explains. Most recently, the swarm went a perfect 7-0 in its most recommended picks for last week’s English Premier League slate.

Unanimous A.I.

The swarm likes the technical “road” team here, picking New Orleans to win in Wembley. It’s a low vonidence pick, with a lot of dissent favoring the Dolphins.

Unanimous A.I.

When picking with the spread, the swarm actually likes the Saints a little bit more, with the collective brainpower going up seven percent. It’s still a low confidence pick, though, so exercise caution.

The game kicks off 9:30 a.m. Eastern Sunday on Fox.

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