If you've followed our developer blogs all Summer, you'll know that measuring how well people pick underdogs was something we were keen to launch.
Well, it's here, so let us explain how it works!
What is Underdog Accuracy?
Very simply, the purple percentage you see next to an expert or user on the main table shows their win percentage when they pick underdogs.
For example, if I pick 100 underdogs in a season, and 50 of them win, my underdog accuracy will be 50%.
If someone picks just 20 underdogs, but 15 of them win, their ranking will be 75%.
Which Sports is this ranking available for?
All sports on Pickwatch - NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, College Football, and College Basketball.
How does it help me?
An easy question to answer: If a drunk guy in a bar tells you to pick the underdog, you might well ask 'what does this guy know?'. Now, if you could see that this person has a good record when picking upsets, then you'd take it more seriously, right?
That's the basic idea here: Find out which experts pick against the odds because they know what they're doing, and which people are either guessing, or contrarian.
What does the 'Show Underdogs' button do?
This may surprise and shock you, but it shows the underdogs!
In all seriousness, we wanted a highlight button so that you could quickly see which underdogs every expert is picking that week. Rather than looking at each pick and having to check who is favorite and who is underdog, you can see it instantly.
What's next for Underdogs on Pickwatch?
Firstly, once we've tested this on web over the next week or so, we will be adding it to the app.
A standalone Underdogs table will launch on both web and app after that, allowing you to see week, season and lifetime underdog win % for every expert and fan. It will also allow you to set filters for the number of games picked, for example. so you may wish to only show experts who have picked over 10 underdogs this season, rather than 1.
All of this will be rolling out over the early part of the season.
How do I access Underdog Accuracy Rankings?
This tool is for Pro members only.
You'll need a subscription that costs just $2 a month over the year if you use the code UNDERDOG20 at the checkout and get 20% off.
Also, this code will entitle you to 20% off an ongoing monthly subscription - not just the first month, but every month, as long as your subscription remains active.