  We look at whether machine learning can predict the final objective function value of a difficult combinatorial optimisation problem from the input. Our context is the pattern reduction problem, one industrially important but difficult aspect of the cutting stock problem. Machine learning appears to have higher prediction accuracy than a na\"ive model, reducing mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) from 12.0% to 8.7%. 
Can ML predict the solution value for a difficult combinatorial problem?