Methods:

  • Data Science in Sports (e.g., Machine Learning, Artificial Data,
  • Complex Statistical Inference, Statistical Modeling, and Programming)

 

Topics:

  • Sports Forecasting, Performance Analysis, Randomness in Sports,
  • Betting Markets, Crowd Wisdom, Trust in AI,
  • Psychological Aspects (Home Advantage, Penalties)

Sports Economics

Wunderlich, F., Caparrós, M. G., & Memmert, D. (2026). Does taking market prices into account in model selection increase model profitability? Evidence from theory, artificial data, and real-world data. International Journal of Forecasting.

Machine Learning in Sports

Wunderlich, F., Biermann, H., Yang, W., Bassek, M., Raabe, D., Elbert, N., Memmert, D., & Garnica Caparros, M. (2025). Assessing machine learning and data imputation approaches to address the issue of data sparsity in sports forecasting. Machine Learning, 114(2), 48.

Performance Analysis in Sports

Wunderlich, F., Seck, A., & Memmert, D. (2021). The influence of randomness on goals in soccer decreases over time. An empirical analysis of randomness involved in goal scoring in the English Premier League. Journal of Sports Sciences, 39(20), 2322–2337.

Sports Psychology

Wunderlich, F., Weigelt, M., Rein, R., & Memmert, D. (2021). How does spectator presence affect soccer? Home-field advantage persists in top-tier European soccer matches played without spectators during the COVID-19 pandemic. PLOS ONE, 16(3), e0248590

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (June 10, 2026)

“Who Will Be the 2026 World Cup Champion?”

https://www.faz.net/aktuell/sport/fussball-wm/prognose-zur-fussball-wm-2026-drei-teams-ragen-heraus-deutschland-ist-nicht-dabei-accg-200829046.html

El País (April 8, 2021)

“The home-field advantage remains despite empty stadiums”

elpais.com/ciencia/2021-04-08/la-ventaja-de-jugar-en-casa-se-mantiene-a-pesar-de-que-los-estadios-estan-vacios.html

The Guardian (March 31, 2021)

“Football teams retain home advantage with no crowd, study finds”

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/mar/31/football-teams-retain-home-advantage-no-crowd-study

  • Statistics Lecture & Seminar
  • Statistics – Module Head – Master’s in Sports Physiotherapy
  • Databases – Master’s in Match Analysis
  • Project Seminar – Academic Research

  • International Journal of Forecasting
  • Journal of Sports Sciences
  • Psychology of Sport & Exercise
  • Journal of Sports Economics
  • International Journal of Performance Analysis in Sports

  • DFG Projects in the Field of Computer Science (Acquisition of Third-Party Funding and Project Implementation/Supervision)
  • Mentoring for PhD students at the Institute (currently: Johanna Gerken, Haiyu Zhang, Thomas Thönnessen)