What is a dead game in football pools?

A match on the coupon expected to finish as a home or away win, so stakers cross it off their draw selections. PoolsAgents lists every match the betting market rates at least 80 per cent likely to end that way. No match is certain.

How many dead games usually come through?

This week the market expects about 2 of the 2 to finish home or away. Over the last 8 weeks, 91 per cent of listed dead games did.

Week 8 · how the dead games finished

2 matches to cross off

2 of 2 finished home or away · all held

47 48

Last 8 weeks: 91% of listed dead games finished home or away

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Week 8 dead games 2026 — cross these off your draws

How to use this page

Each card is a match the market expects to finish as a home or away win.
Cross these numbers off your coupon before you choose your draws — they are the least likely draws of all 49.
Then open Draws for the numbers to perm.
Not every one will hold: the page tells you how many to expect, and marks them after the results.

Full guide: how to use PoolsAgents →

Every match on the week 8 coupon that the betting market rates at least 80% likely to finish as a home or away win, surest first. Leave these numbers out when you pick your draws. They are market prices with the bookmakers' margin removed — not tips.

Hibernian v Kilmarnock

Scotland · Premiership

Finished 0–1 · away win

80%home or away

Motherwell v Aberdeen

Scotland · Premiership

Finished 0–4 · away win

75%home or away

How the dead games did

WK 17 6/6 WK 16 6/7 WK 15 5/5 WK 14 6/6 WK 13 6/7 WK 12 5/5 WK 11 3/5 WK 10 5/5

No game is truly dead. Even the surest favourite on a coupon still slips now and then — that is why this page tells you how many to expect to hold, rather than promising all of them, and scores every week afterwards. Anyone selling a "sure" dead game is selling something they do not have.

The other side: this week's likeliest draws · The full week 8 coupon · Our record