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Bristol Post
Bristol Post
Sport
James Piercy

How League One is expected to finish for Bristol Rovers, Sunderland, Portsmouth and the rest of the division

There are three matches between now and this possibility but could begin 2020 in the top two of League One.

The festive period is nearly upon us and the time-honoured tradition of a relentless schedule that places immeasurable pressure on clubs, managers and players and often leads to some bizarre results.

Just five points separate Peterborough in second and Shrewsbury in 11th which means it's a wide-open league and the standings are going to continue to change between now and the first weekend of May.

Forecasting exactly how League One is going to pan out is notoriously difficult and anyone of the league's top half could be considered credible promotion challengers while a club like Sunderland, with their resources, could also click into gear and make a late run.

Reknowned American statistican Nate Silver, via his FiveThirtyEight website, is widely considered to have devised the most accurate and comprehensive model for predicting how the current standings will bear out over the remaining games of the season.

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 third tier to look on May 2.

Predicted League One table

Wycombe Wanderers - 78 points

Ipswich Town - 77

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Oxford United - 77

Peterborough - 74

Sunderland - 70

Portsmouth - 69

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Rotherham - 68

Bristol Rovers - 67

Blackpool - 67

Fleetwood Town - 66

Coventry City - 66

Shrewsbury Town - 63

Doncaster Rovers - 63

Burton Albion - 63

Gillingham - 59

Lincoln City - 56

Accrington Stanley - 54

Tranmere Rovers - 46

AFC Wimbledon - 46

Rochdale - 44

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MK Dons - 44

Bolton Wanderers - 28

Southend United - 24

Get lots more news, opinion and transfer updates on our dedicated Bristol Rovers page and add a bookmark to find it quickly next time.

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