Context is what turns a number into information. Saying that a striker scored twelve goals sounds impressive until you learn whether it took ten matches or forty, whether he took penalties, and which league he played in. Context is the answer to those follow-up questions.

Opponent, venue and conditions

The first layer is the opponent. A comfortable win against a struggling side carries less information than a narrow one against a strong side. Looking at who was played, and not only at what happened, changes the reading.

The second layer is the venue. Home games and away games differ for most teams, so splitting the figures by venue gives a fairer view. The third is the conditions, such as weather, surface, altitude and the time of day. A cricket match on a dry pitch is not the same as one on a damp pitch, and a football match in heavy rain produces different numbers from one on a dry evening.

A simple habit is to add three words to every number you read: against whom, where and when. If a number still looks strong after the questions, it deserves more confidence. One that falls apart was probably the product of favourable circumstances.

For readers who want to see how a service can place such details beside the figures, the Vave Casino app serves as an example. Showing the opponent and venue on the same line as the result is the helpful feature.

Context also includes the type of match. Friendlies, cup ties and league games are played with different priorities, and the numbers they produce are not interchangeable.

Anyone who follows betting markets should apply the same habit of asking questions before reacting, and keep a budget and a time limit decided in advance.

Context cannot make the future known. It makes the past easier to understand, which is the honest purpose of sports data.