Bristol City consolidated their place in the Championship play-off places with victory at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday, and statisticians suggest the Robins will be there at the end of the season.
It was a brilliant day for Lee Johnson’s Robins, claiming their fourth win in a row, while some of their promotion rivals slipped up.
League leaders Leeds United were stunned at home by Wigan Athletic, while Nottingham Forest and Preston North End were among the teams to drop points.
Like the Robins, Brentford and West Bromwich Albion enhanced their promotion credentials with wins.
And at the other end of the table, there was a big win for Charlton Athletic over fellow strugglers Barnsley.
The Championship is notorious for its inconsistency and unpredictability, but American statistician Nate Silver believes he has devised the most accurate model for predicting how the division will finish.
Using a number of metrics including current form, strength of future opponents, expected goals for and against and the market value of each respective squad, here is how FiveThirtyEight project the second tier to look on May 2.
Championship predicted table
Leeds United – 85 points
Brentford – 81 points
-------------------------------------------------------------------
West Bromwich Albion – 81 points
Fulham – 76 points
Nottingham Forest – 73 points
Bristol City – 71 points
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Preston North End – 68 points
Millwall - 68 points
Swansea City – 67 points
Blackburn Rovers – 65 points
Cardiff City – 65 points
Sheffield Wednesday – 65 points
Hull City – 61 points
Queens Park Rangers – 60 points
Derby County – 59 points
Reading – 59 points
Birmingham City – 57 points
Middlesbrough – 57 points
Stoke City – 55 points
Huddersfield Town – 53 points
Charlton Athletic – 50 points
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Wigan Athletic – 49 points
Barnsley – 42 points
Luton Town – 39 points
