According to Opta Analyst, Leeds United are the current favourites to finish second in the Championship this season.
According to the numbers, the Whites have a 50.1% chance of finishing behind Leicester City, whom they meet live on Sky Sports on Friday (February 23).
Meanwhile, Ipswich Town is assigned a 22.9 percent chance, while Southampton has a 17.2 percent chance of finishing there.
The final places are determined by an expected points approach that estimates how many more each team will pick up.
Leicester City outperformed in the Championship.
According to expectations, Leeds should be ahead of Leicester at this time. That, it should be noted, is due to Leicester outperforming rather than Leeds underperforming.
Indeed, Leeds’ 69 points match their projected points value of 67. Leicester are still regarded the favourites to become Premier League champions, but that might change if Leeds win this week.
Leeds United vs Leicester City could be key
If Leeds lose to the leaders and Ipswich and Southampton win, this might be a huge weekend at the top.
Football is played on the field rather than on a spreadsheet, of course, but these stats provide a good indication of what to expect.
And with Leeds apparently having twice the probability of finishing second as Ipswich, and even more than Southampton, this is great news.
If Daniel Farke’s men must settle for the play-offs (a 40 percent chance), it will be a second chance that they will be eager to seize.
