What Is a Football Score Prediction Game? The Complete Guide

What exactly is a score prediction game?

A football score prediction game is simple: before each match kicks off, you predict the final score. If you get it right, you earn points. The closer you are, the more you score. At the end of the gameweek - or the season - whoever has the most points wins.

That is the whole concept. No transfers, no captains, no chips, no wildcard drama. Just you, your football knowledge, and a scoreline.

Score prediction games have been around for decades - first on paper slips passed around offices and pubs, now through apps and platforms like ScoreBadger. The format has survived because it taps into something fundamental: every football fan already predicts scores in their head. A prediction game just keeps track.

How does scoring work?

Different platforms use different scoring systems, but the core idea is universal: reward accuracy.

The most common approach uses two tiers:

• Exact score (e.g. you predict 2-1 and the match finishes 2-1) - maximum points
• Correct result (you predicted a home win and it was a home win, but the exact score was wrong) - partial points

On ScoreBadger, the scoring is deliberately simple: 3 points for an exact score, 1 point for the correct result. No bonus multipliers, no stacking, no complexity. The simplicity is the point - it keeps the focus on football knowledge rather than gaming a scoring system.

Here is a quick example:

• The match finishes Arsenal 2-0 Chelsea
• You predicted 2-0 - you get 3 points (exact score)
• Your mate predicted 1-0 - they get 1 point (correct result: home win)
• Another friend predicted 1-2 - they get 0 points (wrong result entirely)

How is this different from fantasy football?

Fantasy football (like FPL) and score prediction games are often lumped together, but they test completely different skills.

Fantasy football is about squad management. You pick players, manage a budget, make transfers, choose captains, and play chips at the right time. The game-within-a-game is as important as the football itself. You can win your FPL league without watching a single match if you follow the right data models.