Why are NFL passing numbers exploding?
Matt Ryan just put up a season comparable to Kurt Warner's amazing 2000 campaign, part of a broader trend that has seen passing numbers swell. What's behind the explosion?
Matt Ryan just put up a season comparable to Kurt Warner's amazing 2000 campaign, part of a broader trend that has seen passing numbers swell. What's behind the explosion?
The Falcons have been great on offense this season but have struggled on defense. Can they win the Super Bowl with that formula?
When you rank the quarterbacks by Total QBR, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers stand out, though Brock Osweiler was solid as well.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are not a good shooting team -- but they take good shots. Is that identity sustainable for OKC in the playoff push and beyond?
With George Hill back and the Jazz finally close to full strength, what are their chances of getting the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage? Are they set up for a playoff run this year?
Where did Clemson-Alabama rank on the metrics-based "excitement index" of recent college football title games? The Texas-USC Rose Bowl still earns the title, but Tigers-Tide isn't far behind.
According to the Giant Killers model, some of the Big East's highly ranked teams -- Butler and Creighton among them -- could be susceptible to early NCAA tournament exits.
Quarterbacks dominated the headlines on wild-card weekend, but a number of other players on both sides of the ball added clear value for their teams.
Which teams are most likely to prevent a Cavs-Warriors NBA Finals trilogy? Here's how ESPN's Basketball Power Index projects five teams' chances to crash the party in June.
New names and faces are featured in Kevin Pelton's picks for the 2017 NBA All-Star starting lineups.
Baylor is undefeated and atop the polls, but their statistical profile isn't the most impressive in the land. Who does BPI favor in the Bears' trip to West Virginia?
West Virginia's loss on Tuesday to Texas Tech paved the way for Duke to return to No. 1 in ESPN's Basketball Power Index.
Teams used to reserve the corner for sluggers, but the days of fence-busting electricity are over. Why are clubs pulling the plug?
It's no surprise that the Alabama defense has been fantastic this season, but a look at the QBR numbers of its opponents reinforces the Crimson Tide's defensive dominance.
Is James Harden or Russell Westbrook having the better offensive season? Kevin Pelton has the facts on the two history-making MVP candidates.
The Washington Wizards find themselves a game out of the playoff picture, with BPI giving them only a 34 percent chance of reaching the postseason. Ball movement has been a major issue.
The NFL's postseason is always a joyfully riotous crapshoot. Bill Barnwell is here to help bring some clarity to the chaos, breaking down key stats for every team.
After losing a 45-40 shootout to Alabama last year, Clemson could be tempted to slow things down. That would be a mistake. Deshaun Watson & Co. need to keep the pedal to the metal in the rematch.
Who has the better running back corps, Dallas or Pittsburgh? Football Outsiders settles that debate and more for every position group headed into the playoffs.
Conventional wisdom says firing an NFL head coach after a losing season could lead to success the next year. How true is that? The numbers say not at all.
Few batters hit the ball as hard as Miguel Cabrera or Buster Posey, but they're among guys who didn't get the results you'd expect in 2016. What does that mean for them in 2017?
It's a fun debate: Just how good is this Alabama defense? The best recent comparison is the 2011 Crimson Tide unit. But advanced metrics show that it's actually not even close.
Can Cinderella teams have staying power? The Giant Killers model has high hopes for teams like Wichita State that already are comfortable as tournament underdogs.
The Hoosiers are maddening. That's the easiest way to put it. There are wins against Kansas and UNC. There is also that stumble against Fort Wayne and a current two-game skid. What's their deal?
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan won the NFL's QBR title for the 2016 regular season, with Tom Brady and Dak Prescott finishing just behind him.
Our opportunity-adjusted touchdowns rankings tell you not only who's scoring, but who's getting the opportunities to score. Here we reveal our final OTD table heading for 2016.
How does James Harden's 53-point triple-double compare to the other great performances of 2016-17? We list the top five individual games and update our weekly and season-long player rankings.
The Mountaineers climbed the ranks to the top spot. See who was the biggest riser and which is the best matchup of the week.
Despite back-to-back losses, the Toronto Raptors have a commanding lead in the Atlantic and have realistic NBA Finals aspirations. They're doing it differently than most of their contemporaries.
Virginia keeps working its way into the NCAA tournament as a high seed. For those looking to fell a "giant," it might be better to try someone other than the Cavaliers.
Tom Brady's Patriots have some similarities to a team that made it all the way to the Super Bowl. Football Outsiders finds the best archetypes for this year's 13 playoff contenders.
Our opportunity-adjusted touchdowns rankings tell you not only who's scoring, but who's getting the opportunities to score. Here we reveal our updated OTD table heading into Week 17.
The Big East set the record with 11 NCAA tournament bids in 2011, a mark that seemed out of reach. Well, it's in reach. And the numbers suggest the ACC could get there -- or beyond.
Football Outsiders updates the Super Bowl LI odds for every eligible team, including the chances of Tom Brady capturing his record fifth Lombardi trophy.
What might have happened had one or two plays gone the other way this year? FPI looks at how the best non-CFP teams would have done in the playoff. (Warning: There will be sadness in Ann Arbor.)
Falcons signal-caller Matt Ryan maintains his QBR lead with one week to play, with the Cowboys' Dak Prescott and Patriots' Tom Brady right behind Ryan.
An Ohio State-Michigan rematch? That's just one of the possibilities as FPI lays out an eight-team field. One thing remains the same, though: Alabama is the overwhelming favorite to win it all.
We rank the top 10 NBA players from the week and the season so far, led by all the craziest Russell Westbrook stats we could find after tracking every OKC game.
Florida State looked like a bubble team in the preseason, but after a 12-1 start, BPI says the Seminoles should be safely in the field. Which other teams improved their NCAA tourney status?
What are the Detroit Pistons' playoff chances after an awful 0-4 skid over the past week? And can they still compete with the East's top teams? Here are the latest BPI projections.
With the Premier League season nearing the midway point, an analytics based deep-dive into the clubs who are playing above and below expected form.
Follow along throughout the day for a look at NFL teams' chances of making the playoffs, based on in-game win probability and FPI.
Kyrie Irving burst onto the NBA scene at age 19 and put up unthinkable numbers for a player his age. Irving remains a high-quality player, but at age 24, he's plateaued compared to other guards.
If you're looking to bet on any college football bowls, this is the file for you. Our experts provide wagering advice on all 41 bowls from Dec. 17 to Jan 2.
With their active winters, two teams might push the Cubs as baseball's best in 2017. Does being great on paper mean anything once the games begin?
Nebraska is one of a small group of remaining undefeated teams in CFB. It's also the only D-I school with a wide-ranging sports analytics department. Connection? Maybe not ... but maybe.