AI, a dog and a human go head to head in predicting the Euro 2024 winner

With the Euros well and truly underway, we’re starting to get a clearer steer on where teams are at. This year’s tournament has already been everything we’ve wanted it to be with goals, shocks and VAR not ruining games.

Pre-Tournament we looked at how AI technology saw England’s opening games would go, with one predicting the exact two results that England have picked up

We’re now looking deeper into the tournament and asking AI to predict the winner of the whole tournament. In addition, we found Merlin the German dog, heir to Paul the Octopus and dubbed ‘Dogstradamus’ who also predicted a winner. For a human response, we asked Pazz from our squad out in Germany to give his thoughts after soaking up the atmosphere from multiple German cities.

First of all, we asked different AIs to give their predictions, however they had differing views. To receive a precise and succinct answer from the AI we used this prompt:

Based on your understanding the Euro 2024 Championship group games so far, please can you provide a single prediction for who you think will win the tournament this year based on performances from each team during the tournament whilst ignoring their odds

CoPilot - Germany

“Certainly! Based on performances during the tournament, my prediction for the Euro 2024 Championship winner is Germany. Despite being third-favorites according to odds, Germany has shown strong form playing on home soil. Their past World Cup disappointments haven’t hindered their performance in this tournament.”

Even with the subtle dig at Germany’s previous record in recent tournaments, this AI still believes that the home nation will be strong. The Germans are currently 4/1 to win the tournament with Ladbrokes

ChatGPT - France

“While other teams like Germany, Spain, or Italy also have strong cases based on their performances, France's overall balance, depth, and experience make them a compelling choice for this year's Euro championship”

Reasons:

1. Strong Squad Depth: France traditionally has a deep squad with world-class players in almost every position, providing flexibility and quality substitutes.
2. Performance Consistency: Historically, France has shown consistency in major tournaments, often progressing to the latter stages.
3. Key Players: The presence of influential players like Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann, and N'Golo Kanté can make a significant difference in crucial matches.
4. Coaching and Tactics: Didier Deschamps, with his experience and tactical acumen, knows how to navigate through the knockout stages of major tournaments.

World Cup runners-up France started their campaign with a 1-0 win over Austria and are currently the favourites with Ladbrokes to win the tournament at 7/2.

Merlin the Dog

Paul the Octopus heir, Merlin, is a German dog who we’ve asked to share some of his wisdom to predict the winner of the tournament. Using the four starting favourites from the tournament (France, Germany, England & Portugal). We asked him to go to a bowl representing each country with a Semi-Final and a Final.

The final lead to Germany facing France and whilst Merlin was representing Germany with coat donning his countries colours, he headed for the French bowl.

France to face Germany in the Euro 2024 final is 9/1 with Ladbrokes

Pazz the Human

As much as I would love England to win the Euros so that I can be unbearable online and we can stop banging on about 1966 and maybe create some new songs, Germany looks frightening. The team they’ve got is the perfect balance of youth, experience and skill. Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, we all love ‘Toni Kroos control’, he looks extra motivated and I'd love to see him leave the game in glory because obviously only winning the Champions League would be a huge failure…

p.s Scotland get battered everywhere they go

Ladbrokes’ 1-2-Free gives players the opportunity in each round of fixtures to win £50.

To play, simply sign into your Ladbrokes account and predict the score of three games from the selection. Each correct score will result in a prize, whether that’s free bets or cash.

18+ GambleAware.org. Odds correct as of 12:00 21/6/24