So much for the “rise of the machines.” BBC Sport’s predictions regular Chris Sutton beat both an AI and the Football Manager 26 computer game last week to take top spot — his first weekly win since early September. This weekend he goes head-to-head with a human guest from another sport: Bath and England centre Ollie Lawrence, who is a Chelsea supporter. We also include the AI’s picks so you can compare and make your own predictions.
How the scoring works - A correct result (win, draw or loss) scores 10 points. - An exact scoreline scores 40 points.
About Ollie Lawrence Lawrence, 26, returned from an Achilles injury in time for the new Premiership Rugby season and is in the England squad for the Autumn Internationals. He grew up playing football and cricket and spent time in the academies at Aston Villa and Birmingham City before committing to rugby at 16. He says he became a Chelsea fan as a child simply because he liked the blue kit.
Lawrence sees clear overlap between elite rugby and football coaching: protecting space, setting up counter-attacks, using the bench as “finishers” rather than mere substitutes, and even different vantage points — managers watching from the stan
