HSAC is a student-run organization at Harvard University dedicated to the quantitative analysis of sports strategy and management. This blog features the original contributions of Harvard undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and affiliates. HSAC does research for several sports-related publications and companies. Please contact us at harvardsportsanalysis@gmail.com if you have any questions or want more information.
Red Sox Pitchers Set MLB Record with 11 Consecutive Strikeouts
By Adam Gilfix Earlier today, the Boston Red Sox set a Major League Baseball record by striking out 11 straight batters, one better than the mark set by the New York Mets’ legend Tom Seaver. The Tampa Bay Rays hitters were no match for Sox starter Eduardo Rodriguez, who struck out a career high 13 …Read More
Even With Rule Changes, Touchbacks Have Yet To Increase
By Kurt Bullard It’s only been two weeks since the start of the NFL season, but in a league with such a small schedule, it’s often tempting to draw conclusions very quickly; after all, it is already one-eighth of the way through the regular season, and soon enough, it’ll be early February. One part of …Read More
Predicting Two Point Conversion Success: Did the Raiders Have a Special Edge?
By Kurt Bullard It’s been a week or so since the famous decision by Jack Del Rio to go for two against the Saints on the road, trailing by one point with only 47 seconds left in the contest. Derek Carr would proceed to drop the ball right into Michael Crabtree’s hands on a fade …Read More
Are Betting Lines Less Accurate During Week 1?
By Benedict Brady There is a general feeling of uncertainty among the masses headed into Week 1 of the NFL Season. Older players have retired, young new talent has come into the league through the draft, and teams have been trading assets all offseason. The casual fan has a much better idea of how their …Read More
Identifying Fantasy Football QB Regression Candidates
By Kurt Bullard When it comes to approaching fantasy football drafts, the ultimate goal is to try to find value—having to pay less than what one should for an asset. One popular way to do that is to try to identify players who are bound to “regress to the mean” after stellar or subpar campaigns. …Read More
Measuring the Hot Seats for NFL Coaches Entering 2016
By Harrison Chase and Kurt Bullard Football season is back, baby! Well, almost. Along with stories about kicker competitions and quarterback battles, we also start to hear early rumors about which coaches might be on the hot seat before the season even starts. Just as the only degree that matters in journalism is the temperature of …Read More
Playing Devil’s Advocate: Why Two Economic Theories Suggest Auto-Drafting May Be the Optimal Fantasy Football Draft Strategy
By Kurt Bullard Last season in my high school fantasy football league, the unimaginable happened: the lone player who auto-drafted ended up going on the win the championship. This was a huge blow to fantasy football worldview, and made me ponder why I would even bother preparing for a fantasy draft when someone who was …Read More
Looking for a “Hot Hand” in the NFL: A Case Study on Peyton Manning
By Kurt Bullard If you were to construct a Mount Rushmore of quintessential sports debates, the existence of the hot hand may make its way up there, especially in the basketball world. Proponents point to performances like Klay Thompson’s 37-point third quarter in January against the Kings, former HSAC co-president John Ezekowitz’ paper showing that …Read More
Waiting for Kickoff: A Historical Look at European Soccer
By Carlos Pena-Lobel Inspired by the start of the return of European Soccer again, I wanted to fulfill my promise I made almost a year ago in my post, Why Leicester City Shouldn’t Be atop the Table: A Historical Look at Parity in the EPL. I suggest you give it a glance because I am …Read More
Are Promoted Teams Having a Tougher Time Staying in the Premier League?
By Andrew Puopolo Year after year, the Premier League continues to be one of the greatest sporting spectacles in the world. In theory, any team of any size can win a series of promotions through the lower leagues and compete against giants like Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal. While this is a beautiful thought in theory, one …Read More