Leeds United, Leicester City final position predicted by supercomputer before Elland Road clash
Leeds United are now the favourites to finish in second place in the Championship this season, according to Opta Analyst.
The number-crunchers have given the Whites a 50.1-per-cent chance of finishing behind Leicester City, who they face on Friday (23 February) live on Sky Sports.
Ipswich Town are given a 22.9-per-cent opportunity, meanwhile, and it is a 17.2-per-cent likelihood that Southampton will finish there.
The final positions are calculated using an expected points method that predicts how many more each side will pick up.
Leicester City overperforming in Championship
It is suggested that Leeds should actually be above Leicester on the basis of their expected points value up to this point.
That, it should be said, is more down to Leicester overperforming rather than Leeds underperforming.
Indeed, the 69 points Leeds have collected is pretty much spot on their expected points value of 67.
Leicester are still considered the favourites to go up to the Premier League as champions, but that could change with a Leeds win this week.
Leeds United v Leicester City could be pivotal
Should Leeds lose to the leaders, however, and Ipswich and Southampton both win, then this could prove to be a massive weekend at the top.
Football is played out on the pitch rather than on a spreadsheet, of course, but these figures do offer a solid indicator of what to expect.
And with Leeds now supposedly having double the chance than Ipswich to go up in second, and even more in terms of Southampton, then that is welcome news.
Should it be the play-offs Daniel Farke's men have to settle for (a 40-per-cent likelihood), that is a second chance of sorts they will be favourites to take full advantage of.
In other Leeds United news, Liverpool sources have shared where the club stand with regards to a summer transfer bid for Archie Gray.