# In (Gridiron) Football Scores, Do All Final Digits Occur Randomly? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** football-nfl\ **Created:** [February 7, 2023, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437 "2023-02-07T16:13:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/41 "2023-02-10T20:50:44Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > More generally for the OP’s question, I don’t know how the option for a one-pointer (called a “rouge”) affects the calculations overall? Really the only way you could figure it out is just an analysis of actual last digit distributions. One point scores are also possible in the NFL, of course, but it never happens. The thing is, though, that scoring patterns in either the NFL or CFL (or college football, or whatever) aren’t just based on the rules, but on overall offensive levels, trends in play calling, the capabilities of the specific teams at play, and even the weather on game day; some types of poor weather tend to reduce scoring, which will change last digit likelihood. There are, for instance, a number of football games known in football legend as The Mud Bowl; the 38th Grey Cup, the 1983 NFC Championship, and a few others. ALL were low scoring. Low scoring games make it likelier to have scores that end in 3s, 7s, and zeroes. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/42 "2023-02-11T00:14:46Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > … and, as noted by @Bullitt, 2 has appeared 4 times. Although as someone said upthread, those are just final scores. We’d need to look at all 56 games and the quarters’ scores in each. And I’m not quite ready to do that. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/43 "2023-02-11T00:22:45Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Although as someone said upthread, those are just final scores. We’d need to look at all 56 games and the quarters’ scores in each. Do you think the distribution of last score digits is different across Super Bowls as opposed to regular-season games? If we want to predict the odds of winning squares for the upcoming Super Bowl, what set of previous games should we analyze? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/44 "2023-02-11T00:30:04Z")
Playoffs would probably be the way to go. All playoff games. Regular season results could be skewed by crappy teams. Very slightly if at all, but still. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/45 "2023-02-11T01:34:44Z")
Agree with @EllisDee . ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/46 "2023-02-11T02:10:39Z")
Looks like I have Eagles 0, Chiefs 4. A 20-14 game doesn’t sound too implausible. Neither does a 10-14 game, but I’d rather the Eagles win. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/47 "2023-02-11T03:29:50Z")
I would think that a 30-24 game is also a distinct possibility. The over/under is right now at 51. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/48 "2023-02-11T13:45:33Z")
Ugh, I got 2-2 in my niece’s grid. That seems unlikely. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/49 "2023-02-11T14:04:14Z")
Well if you win, buy a lotto ticket! Out of 10 squares I drew a 2 in 4 of them: Phi-1 KC-2 Phi-2 KC-5 Phi-6 KC-2 Phi-2 KC-8 ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/50 "2023-02-11T14:16:30Z")
Hmm, eight scores per game for 51 games to enter into Excel. I’ve built bigger databases. And yes, expanding the data to playoff games would give more indicative results. But I suspect this work has already been done by someone. We are a nation chock full of crazy people. ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/51 "2023-02-11T14:50:06Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Looks like I have Eagles 0, Chiefs 4. A 20-14 game doesn’t sound too implausible. I have two squares that I purchased from a bar. I imagine the numbers won’t be assigned until a couple of hours before kickoff. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/52 "2023-02-11T15:20:46Z")
Crap, I miscounted. This is Superb Owl number 57. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/53 "2023-02-11T15:34:10Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > I would think that a 30-24 game is also a distinct possibility. The over/under is right now at 51. 30-24 might be in the ballpark of the right number of points, but those are both harder scores to actually realize. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2023, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437/54 "2023-02-11T19:33:48Z")
True. 14-10 has occurred in the NFL 88 times. 20-14, 96 times. 30-24, 60 times. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-gridiron-football-scores-do-all-final-digits-occur-randomly/979437.md?page=2)