Sky Sports have made the sensational prediction that Leeds United will win the Championship title this season.
The stats-based Sky Sports predictor has forecast that the Yorkshire giants will end their 14-year spell in the lower leagues and return to the Premier League as champions.
The broadcaster has used a prediction system called Elo, which judges the club’s form, their opponents and their performances in previous seasons, to predict the likelihood of where each Championship side will finish.
Leeds have been named at the top of the pile, with an 18 per cent chance of finishing as champions, ahead of Yorkshire rivals Sheffield Wednesday on 12 per cent.
Leeds have been given a 31 per cent chance of securing automatic promotion with a finish in the top two, while have been judged at having a 62 per cent chance of finishing in the top six.
OPINION
The bold prediction from Sky Sports will fill Leeds fans with hope, but they know it means little if the team does not soon return to winning ways. Thomas Christiansen’s side flatlined before the international break as a horror run of three consecutive away defeats halted their excellent start to the campaign and led to them nosediving to fifth position. They are back on home soil on Saturday when they host struggling Reading, who appear to still be feeling the after-effects of their penalty shoot-out defeat in the play-off final in May. Should Leeds get back on a winning run, Sky’s prediction will look to be a smart one.