Analytics, Sports, and the Winning Edge
Wayne Winston
Kelley School of Business
Are you an avid sports fan? Do you want to improve your Excel skills and learn new ways to analyze more kinds of data? Then this course is for you! Data analytics has transformed team sports over the last twenty years: baseball teams don’t bunt as much as they once did, football teams are more likely to wait until the fourth down to score, hockey teams pull their goalies earlier. Teams also make hiring decisions on different criteria: consider Khris Middleton’s big contract with the Milwaukee Bucks or Liverpool’s appointment of Jürgen Klopp as manager (even though his time in that role at Mainz had not been covered with glory).
Data analytics has also transformed sports betting. Many people today sell their picks: should you buy them? Should you try to sell your own?
Examples and problem sets in this course will be taken from sports, but the techniques you learn are applicable to any kind of data analysis. We will use Excel but no prior experience with it is required—just a desire to learn. We will spend most class sessions working through chapters of my Mathletics: How Gamblers, Managers, and Sports Enthusiasts use Mathematics and discussing current sporting events (NCAA brackets, MLB playoffs, etc.). You may work in groups of up to three on the homework assignments. Pick your team carefully!
Catalog Information: HON-H 240 SCIENCE AND SOCIETY