Supercomputer predicts how Championship promotion race will unfold for Sheffield United and Middlesbrough and will Rotherham United and Huddersfield Town stay up?

THE NUMBER crunchers at fivethirtyeight.com have dissected the latest Championship data and predicted whether Sheffield United or Middlesbrough will be automatically promoted and who will survive in a relegation fight which features Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United.

It was a good day for the Blades and Millers on Saturday - even though the latter were not playing - but less so for Boro and Town, who lost out at West Brom and Burnley respectively.

Paul Heckingbottom's United secured a priceless three points against Watford to reassert their top-two credentials and pacify anxious fans in the process.

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Towards the bottom, a host of results went for the Millers, who visit Swansea City on Monday evening.

A predictions computer has tipped what the final Championship table will look like. Picture: GettyA predictions computer has tipped what the final Championship table will look like. Picture: Getty
A predictions computer has tipped what the final Championship table will look like. Picture: Getty

The Blades are being tipped to finish second behind Burnley and are given a healthy 82 per cent chance of promotion.

Third-placed Boro, seven points behind the Blades once more - having played a game more - are given a 30 per cent chance of promotion via the automatic route. Qualification for the play-offs is rated at 76 per cent.

At the wrong end of the table, the current bottom three of Wigan Athletic, Blackpool and Huddersfield all lost at the weekend. They are level on points and separated only on goal difference.

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Experts believe that Town will finish bottom of the pile on goal difference after 46 games and are given a 76 per cent chance of relegation.

Better news for the Millers, who the data boffins believe will survive and finish fourth from bottom, with a four-point advantage over the side who they tip to finish in the final relegation slot in Wigan. Rotherham are given a 33 per cent chance of going down.

Latest predicted final table and points.

Team name Predicted points
Burnley 98
Sheffield United 86
Middlesbrough 78
Millwall 74
Luton 74
Norwich 71
WBA 70
Blackburn 69
Watford 69
Coventry 68
Sunderland 66
Swansea 61
Preston 61
Bristol City 60
Reading 59
Stoke 58
Hull City 55
QPR 54
Birmingham 53
Cardiff 49
Rotherham United 49
Wigan 45
Blackpool 43
Huddersfield Town 43