Around the sports: The table settles a few early arguments
The table has a few objections. Crawley Town and Cardiff City FC sit higher in reality than the crowd rates them, and they are not alone. For the week to 4 September 2026, we start with that gap between collective judgement and the standings. A little humility for the group chat, perhaps.
Championship
Results called right
21%
Down 4 points on the season (25%)
Exact scores nailed
5%
Down 1 points on the season (6%)
League One
Results called right
15%
Down 4 points on the season (19%)
Exact scores nailed
1%
Down 1 points on the season (2%)
League Two
Results called right
12%
Down 6 points on the season (18%)
Exact scores nailed
0%
Down 3 points on the season (3%)
Bundesliga
Results called right
25%
Level with the season (25%)
Exact scores nailed
5%
Level with the season (5%)
Less credit than the table gives
Crawley Town have the widest gap among the listed teams the crowd rates lower than reality. Cardiff City FC are also being marked down, alongside Wigan Athletic in League One and TSG Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga.
That is the useful tension in a crowd table: it shows where our collective view parts company with the actual standings. These are not teams the crowd has pushed above their real positions. Quite the opposite. Wigan, as it happens, supplied a rather pointed reminder of that difference.
Crowd vs reality
Atlanta Braves 3-7 San Francisco Giants
New York Yankees 16-1 Boston Red Sox
Melbourne Demons 55-74 Carlton
Chicago Cubs 5-7 Cincinnati Reds
Wigan Athletic 3-1 Milton Keynes Dons
Port Vale 0-0 Crewe Alexandra
Wigan makes the point
Wigan Athletic beat Milton Keynes Dons 3-1, with the winning outcome backed by 0% of the crowd. The Wigan Athletic v Milton Keynes Dons result puts a particularly sharp edge on that lower crowd rating. Not much room for a told-you-so from the collective there.
The Championship offered a different sort of lesson. Bolton Wanderers FC had 38% backing, the draw had 38%, and Lincoln City FC had 24%. It finished 0-1. In the most divided fixture, the least supported outcome of the three was the one that landed.
Some credit where it is due
There was better judgement in MLB. San Francisco Giants had 80% backing for their win over Atlanta Braves, with the result recorded as Atlanta Braves 3-7 San Francisco Giants. That was the strongest crowd backing among the listed best calls.
New York Yankees also delivered for the 67% backing their win over Boston Red Sox, finishing 16-1. Over in AFL, Carlton justified 62% backing against Melbourne Demons: Melbourne Demons 55-74 Carlton. Enough to rescue a bit of collective pride.
The weekly report card
Across every player, MLB result accuracy was 52%, matching its season figure, while AFL returned 50% against 51% for the season. Football was less forgiving. Championship result accuracy reached 21%, League One 15% and League Two 12%, all below their season marks.
MLS was the toughest read at 3% result accuracy and 0% exact scores. Serie A offered a brighter detail: its 9% exact-score accuracy bettered the season figure of 6%, even though result accuracy of 23% sat below 26% for the season. Getting the result and nailing the score can tell different stories.
The week ahead
There are no most-backed teams listed for the coming week, so no early crowd favourites to report. Instead, take that table disagreement into the next round: are the lower-rated sides due more credit in your thinking, or are you sticking to your view? Bring the debate to your mates, then make your calls.