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Tightly Contested Predictions

Most evenly matched fixtures by predicted outcome probabilities — Sunday 4 January 2026

These fixtures have the smallest gap between home and away win probability — meaning neither team has a significant edge. Our prediction model scores each fixture by how evenly the outcome probabilities are spread across all three results. Fixtures at the top are closest to a perfect 33% / 33% / 33% split, making them prime candidates for the draw and double-chance markets.

The model shortlists 20 fixtures on Sunday 4 January 2026. Norwich vs Stoke City sits top on 97% in the Championship. The shortlist runs from 97% down to 74%, so the depth of the card matters as much as the headline pick.

Championship supplies four of the top 10, which is worth noting if you are spreading selections across leagues.

Model output for information only — not betting advice. See the model's accuracy record.

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Fixture360 only lists fixtures from a curated set of leagues, chosen specifically to keep our prediction model accurate.

#1 Championship · England
Derby
1 : 2 FT
Wrexham
Win 36%
Draw 32%
Win 33%
Under 2.5 67% BTTS No 59%
#2 League One · England
Reading
1 : 0 FT
Stockport County
Win 34%
Draw 28%
Win 37%
✓ Under 2.5 60% ✓ BTTS No 53%
#3 Championship · England
Norwich
0 : 2 FT
Stoke City
Win 36%
Draw 33%
Win 32%
✓ Under 2.5 69% ✓ BTTS No 61%
#4 Primeira Liga · Portugal
Rio Ave
3 : 1 FT
Casa Pia
Win 34%
Draw 27%
Win 39%
✓ BTTS Yes 56%
#5 Ligue 1 · France
Le Havre
2 : 1 FT
Angers
✓ Win 37%
Draw 32%
Win 31%
Under 2.5 71% BTTS No 63%
#6 Serie A · Italy
Hellas Verona
0 : 3 FT
Torino
Win 39%
Draw 28%
Win 33%
Under 2.5 58%
#7 Championship · England
Birmingham
3 : 2 FT
Coventry
✓ Win 41%
Draw 25%
Win 34%
✓ Over 2.5 60% ✓ BTTS Yes 62%
#8 Premier League · England
Fulham
2 : 2 FT
Liverpool
Win 41%
Draw 25%
Win 33%
✓ Over 2.5 66% ✓ BTTS Yes 68%
#9 Championship · England
Blackburn
2 : 2 FT
Charlton
Win 39%
Draw 31%
Win 30%
Under 2.5 65% BTTS No 57%
#10 Premier League · England
Leeds
1 : 1 FT
Manchester United
Win 44%
Draw 23%
Win 33%
Over 2.5 73% ✓ BTTS Yes 73%
#11 Serie A · Italy
Fiorentina
1 : 0 FT
Cremonese
✓ Win 42%
Draw 27%
Win 31%
✓ Under 2.5 53%
#12 Serie A · Italy
Lazio
0 : 2 FT
Napoli
Win 40%
Draw 33%
Win 28%
✓ Under 2.5 73% ✓ BTTS No 65%
#13 Premier League · England
Newcastle
2 : 0 FT
Crystal Palace
✓ Win 43%
Draw 28%
Win 30%
Over 2.5 54% BTTS Yes 58%
#14 La Liga · Spain
Real Sociedad
1 : 1 FT
Atletico Madrid
Win 28%
Draw 28%
Win 43%
✓ BTTS Yes 54%
#15 Championship · England
Millwall
2 : 1 FT
Swansea
✓ Win 43%
Draw 30%
Win 26%
Under 2.5 64% BTTS No 57%
#16 Thai League 1 · Thailand
Prachuap
1 : 1 FT
Buriram United
Win 28%
Draw 26%
Win 45%
Over 2.5 62% ✓ BTTS Yes 65%
#17 Championship · England
Middlesbrough
4 : 0 FT
Southampton
✓ Win 47%
Draw 25%
Win 28%
✓ Over 2.5 56% BTTS Yes 58%
#18 Premier League · England
Everton
2 : 4 FT
Brentford
Win 44%
Draw 30%
Win 26%
Under 2.5 57%
#19 League One · England
Lincoln
5 : 2 FT
Peterborough
✓ Win 46%
Draw 27%
Win 27%
Under 2.5 57%
#20 League One · England
Cardiff
1 : 0 FT
Wigan
✓ Win 48%
Draw 23%
Win 29%
Over 2.5 63% BTTS Yes 64%

Showing top 20 most evenly matched fixtures (draw probability ≥ 22%). Predictions are generated by our prediction model and updated daily. For informational purposes only.

Related markets

Tightly Contested — common questions

What does the Tightly Contested market mean?

Tightly Contested settles on whether a match is close to a three-way coin toss between home, draw and away. It is one of the most commonly offered football markets and is priced by every major bookmaker.

How does Fixture360 calculate tightly contested probability?

Our Poisson model estimates each team's expected goals from their attack and defence strengths, then builds a probability for every possible scoreline. The outcome evenness shown here is how evenly the model spreads probability across all three results. No bookmaker odds are used as an input — the model is independent of the market.

How many fixtures qualified for Tightly Contested on Sunday 4 January 2026?

20 fixtures met the criteria, led by Norwich vs Stoke City at 97% outcome evenness.

Which fixtures appear on this page?

Fixtures with the smallest spread between home, draw and away probability, ranked strongest first. The page defaults to today; the date strip moves to other days, and only fixtures with enough underlying result history to generate a model snapshot are eligible.

How accurate are these tightly contested predictions?

Every settled prediction is scored and published on our model accuracy page, broken down by market and league. Treat any single day as a small sample — the model is built to be judged over hundreds of fixtures, not one card.

Are these predictions betting tips?

No. These are model outputs published for information, with no stake or return implied. Gambling carries real financial risk — please read our responsible gambling guidance.