The process of assessing the relative difficulty of a sports team’s upcoming or past games based on the quality of their opponents is a common analytical practice. For instance, if a team consistently faces opponents with winning records, that team’s schedule would be considered difficult. Conversely, a team with many games against weaker opponents would be seen as having an easier path.
Evaluating the challenges a team faces offers crucial insight into its performance and potential. It contextualizes win-loss records, helping to differentiate between teams that thrive against tough competitors and those that benefit from a less demanding slate of games. Historically, this type of assessment has been informal, but advancements in data analysis have led to more sophisticated and objective methods.
