AI simulates Middlesbrough v Hull City play-off final 1000 times - here's who won most | OneFootball

AI has simulated the Championship play-off final 1,000 times and revealed who comes out on top most

With just hours remaining until this highly anticipated, highly controversial Championship play-off final, we have asked for AI's input on the upcoming fixture to simulate the result 1,000 times, and the results were surprising, to say the least.

The Championship play-offs have always been a great spectacle, for both those involved in the drama and those from the outside looking in, and this year's edition has certainly been no exception.

Initially, it was Southampton due to take on Hull City for a place in the Premier League this Saturday, but after the Saints were found guilty and then admitted to spying on their opponents, Middlesbrough, shortly before the semi-finals, they have been expelled from the competition, with Boro taking their place.

Kim Hellberg's side found out this news just days before the fixture at Wembley, and have had little time to prepare, whilst Hull have had to change their preparation and analysis from Southampton to Middlesbrough at the last minute, in a truly unprecedented sequence of events.

A date under the Wembley arch at 3:30 pm on Saturday awaits to see who will earn a place in the Premier League in the sport's most lucrative fixture, as FLW has asked AI chatbot ChatGPT to simulate this encounter 1,000 times to see who came out as the victor more often, with some shocking results.

AI predicts Hull City to edge past Middlesbrough in the play-off final after 1,000 simulations

Using the AI chatbot ChatGPT, we prompted the platform to simulate the upcoming Championship play-off final between Hull and Middlesbrough 1,000 times, and some of the results were wild.

Of the 1,000 games, Hull came out victorious 562 times, just edging out Middlesbrough, with 417 of those wins coming during normal time, 84 in extra time, and 61 on penalties. Middlesbrough, by contrast, won just 296 times during 90 minutes, with 72 victories in extra time and 70 on penalties.

Interestingly, should the game arrive at a penalty shootout, as it has simulated that it will 131 times out of the 1,000, it favours Boro just slightly from 12 yards, whilst the Tigers are favoured to win across 120 minutes.

Despite Hull finishing lower in the table, seven points beneath Boro to be exact, and Opta data recording the Humberside outfit as the second-worst side in the division for expected points, AI's simulation suggests that it is Sergej Jakirovic's side that head to Wembley as the favourites.

When these sides met previously, both back in December, Boro ran out as 4-1 winners at the MKM Stadium, whilst Hull returned the favour by claiming all three points at the Riverside just over three weeks later in a 1-0 victory.

Little separates these two sides ahead of Saturday's huge fixture, and with AI just edging out Hull, whether that will be the case this weekend remains to be seen.

The winner takes it all as Hull City and Middlesbrough battle for a place in the Premier League this Saturday

With Middlesbrough getting a rare second bite of the cherry after Southampton's spying scandal, Hellberg will be more than keen to not waste this opportunity.

Since taking charge on Teesside, from a pure footballing perspective, no side, aside from probably Coventry, have been as entertaining to watch as Boro, with their high-possession, high volume of chances style of play resulting in dominating games, but not always coming out on the right end of a result.

Hull are almost the polar opposite, riding their luck across various stages of the season, and being clinical when it truly matters.

How these two styles of play will translate onto the Wembley pitch in a one-game shootout for the Premier League is unknown, but we will find out this weekend, as the winner takes it all in the world most lucrative game of football.