The Boyle Sports Premiership starts on Friday August 7th, with the final round of fixtures set for Saturday April 24
The World Cup kept local football fans ticking over, but now it’s back to the real thing – The Boyle Sports Irish Premiership.
It’s been just over three months since we last witnessed any action in the local leagues, as Coleraine waltzed off into the summer sun with the Clearer Water Irish Cup.
And the success might just keep on coming for the Bannsiders – according to AI tool Chat GPT.
We asked the Artificial Intelligence site who will come out on top in the Irish League this season, and it came up with a definitive answer.
It expects Coleraine to claim the top flight title for the first time in 53 years – and only the second time in history.
Chat GPT rate their probability of success as 35%, but warn that it is early for predictions.
“They have built on last season’s strong finish and are widely viewed as one of the main contenders heading into the campaign. Manager Ruaidhri Higgins has tried to play down the “favourites” tag, but that reflects the expectations around the club,” explained the AI site.
Higgins has been quick to dampen expectations around the Showgrounds in pre-season, despite the signings of Northern Ireland star Conor McMenamin, Jay Henderson, Ben Doherty, Aidan Wilson, Conrad Hunt and Rob Slevin.
“When you finish second, win the Irish Cup and sign the quality of players that we have over the last two years, there’s going to be expectation,” said Higgins ahead of Saturday’s opening trip to Dungannon. “We have to embrace that.
“It’s interesting that we’re favourites, slightly disrespectful to the reigning champions in my opinion, but it is what it is.
“We haven’t won a league title in over 50 years. You can have all the ability in the world but you have to go and do it, talk’s cheap, you have to go and deliver and we have to go and do it.”
Defending champions Larne have a 30% chance of retaining their title, with Chat GPT saying: “They have the recent pedigree and experience to mount another challenge.”
Linfield suffered a difficult campaign last year, as defending champions themselves, and AI reckons things won’t get better any time soon for David Healy’s men.
“You can never discount Linfield. They remain one of the league’s strongest and deepest squads and are consistently among the betting favourites,” Chat GPT say.
Their Big Two rivals Glentoran are looking to end an 18-year wait for the Irish league title but they are given just a 10% chance of success, with the AI tool explaining: “Good enough to challenge if they find consistency, but I’d currently rank them just behind the top three. The biggest factor will likely be consistency after the league split. The title race in the Irish Premiership is often decided by how the top sides perform against each other in those final championship fixtures.”
That aligns roughly with what the bookmakers are expecting this season, though they give Coleraine a 52.4% chance of winning, pricing them at 10/11 for the title.
They make Linfield second favourites on 4/1, level with Larne, while Glentoran are priced at 5/1.
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