Supercomputer Ranked: The final Championship table
Based on GiveMeSport’s report and the Opta Analyst supercomputer model, this ranking orders every Championship club by projected finishing place and expected points. The list is built on the factors Opta says it uses in its model, including betting market odds, Opta Power Rankings, and recent plus historical performance, before simulating the remaining fixtures thousands of times to estimate the most likely final table. That gives us a full 1-to-24 ranking shaped by promotion chances, play-off strength, mid-table stability, and relegation risk.
1. Coventry City
Coventry City sit at the top of this ranking with 92 expected points, making them the supercomputer’s clear pick for automatic promotion. Frank Lampard’s side are forecast to finish above the rest of the division and finally complete their return to the Premier League. In a league usually defined by chaos and narrow margins, Coventry stand out because the model sees them as the strongest and most consistent team over the run-in. That makes them the natural number one on this list.
2. Ipswich Town
Ipswich Town are projected to finish second on 85 expected points, which would send them straight back to the Premier League at the first attempt. Kieran McKenna’s side are not forecast to match Coventry’s total, but they still come out comfortably strong enough for an automatic place. Their position here reflects a season in which they are expected to stay ahead of the chasing pack without needing the lottery of the play-offs. In short, the model trusts Ipswich to bounce back.
3. Millwall
Millwall land in third place with 80 expected points and a strong chance of reaching the play-offs. They were close to that level last season, and the supercomputer expects them to take the next step this time. While they are not projected to threaten the top two, they are still seen as one of the division’s most competitive sides in the final stretch. A top-six finish would mark a major achievement and explain why they sit so high in this ranking.
Read also: 'I officiated with Anthony Taylor, this is the team he actually supports'
4. Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough are fourth with 78 expected points, putting them firmly in the play-off picture. The source notes that they have been through significant managerial change and have fallen away in recent weeks, which helps explain why they are not higher. Even so, the model still expects enough quality and points across the season to secure a top-six finish. That makes them dangerous, but also slightly vulnerable compared with the clubs above them.
5. Southampton
Southampton are ranked fifth on 77 expected points and are tipped to be serious play-off contenders. Their improvement after a difficult spell earlier in the campaign is a big part of why they climb into the top six here. The supercomputer sees them finishing strongly enough to stay in the promotion conversation, even if automatic promotion remains out of reach. That makes them one of the teams no one in the play-offs would want to face.
6. Hull City
Hull City take sixth place with 74 expected points, edging into the final play-off spot. After struggling badly in previous seasons, the Tigers are projected to turn this campaign into a real success by finishing in the top six. They do not have much room to spare, which makes their position look fragile, but the model still gives them just enough to get over the line. That balance between progress and pressure defines why they rank here.
7. Wrexham
Wrexham are seventh on 69 expected points and are forecast to fall just short of the play-offs. That would bring an end to their remarkable run of promotions, but it would still represent another impressive season at a higher level. The supercomputer clearly respects what they have built, yet it also suggests the jump from hopeful outsiders to genuine top-six finishers may be just too much this year. They are close, but not quite close enough.
Read also: James Vowles says Lewis Hamilton became Mercedes’ anchor after Abu Dhabi heartbreak
8. Derby County
Derby County also land on 69 expected points, but the ranking places them eighth. They are projected to stay in touch with the play-off race without ever quite forcing their way into it. That makes them one of the league’s classic nearly-there teams: competitive, capable, but missing the extra push needed for a top-six finish. From a broader view, this still looks like a respectable campaign, even if it will feel frustrating given how near the play-offs appear.
9. Norwich City
Norwich City are ninth with 64 expected points and are expected to miss out on the play-offs by a narrow margin. The supercomputer sees them as a solid side, but not one with enough momentum to break into the promotion places. That leaves them in the awkward zone between relevance and real contention. They are not in danger at the bottom, yet they also do not do quite enough to make the season feel like a genuine push upward.
10. Bristol City
Bristol City round out the top ten on 64 expected points, level with Norwich but ranked one place lower. The forecast paints them as another club that sits just outside the serious promotion picture. They are expected to remain competitive and comfortably safe, but without the sustained form needed to force their way into the play-off places. It is the kind of season that offers stability, yet still leaves a sense that more could have been possible.
11. Queens Park Rangers
Queens Park Rangers are projected to finish 11th with 63 expected points, which would represent a calmer and more encouraging season than some of their recent campaigns. After flirting with danger in previous years, a secure top-half finish would feel like real progress. They are not expected to challenge for promotion, but they are also well clear of the teams fighting at the bottom. That makes them one of the division’s more settled middle-ground stories.
Read also: Trump salutes Rory McIlroy after historic Augusta repeat as Doral return comes into view
12. Swansea City
Swansea City come in 12th on 62 expected points. The source notes that they looked at risk of relegation around the midpoint of the season before improving in recent months, and this ranking reflects that recovery. They are now projected to finish in the top half rather than the bottom third, which changes the tone of their season completely. Swansea may not be spectacular in this model, but they are clearly moving in the right direction.
13. Preston North End
Preston North End sit 13th with 62 expected points, but their placing carries a more disappointing feel than that raw number suggests. After a bright start to the campaign, they have dropped away, and the supercomputer expects that slide to continue into a merely safe finish. They are not in any real relegation danger, but they also look a long way from the side that once hinted at bigger ambitions. Safe, yes, but underwhelming too.
14. Watford
Watford are ranked 14th on 62 expected points, placing them squarely in the middle of the pack. The forecast suggests they will finish clear of trouble, but with little chance of making a late run at the top six. That kind of season often feels flat in a league as volatile as the Championship, because it brings neither real jeopardy nor real excitement. Watford’s inclusion here is based on steadiness rather than any major upward thrust.
15. Birmingham City
Birmingham City are projected to finish 15th with 61 expected points. For a club that may have hoped to push closer to the play-offs, that would count as a frustrating outcome. The model sees them as competitive enough to stay clear of the relegation conversation, yet not strong enough to break into the league’s more ambitious group. They sit in that uncomfortable middle space where the season is neither a disaster nor a success.
Read also: Cancelled Bahrain and Saudi F1 races could return in revised 2026 schedule
16. Stoke City
Stoke City take 16th place on 60 expected points after a campaign that appears to have gone in the wrong direction. The source describes a fast start and early promotion hopes, but the supercomputer now expects them to finish in the bottom half. That drop explains why they are this low despite once looking like genuine challengers. In the end, they are projected to have enough quality to stay safe, but not enough consistency to do much more.
17. Sheffield United
Sheffield United are 17th with 60 expected points, which is a striking fall for a side that finished third last season and reached the play-off final. Their poor start changed the shape of the campaign, and while a managerial switch steadied things, the supercomputer still only sees them ending up in the lower half. The key point is that they are expected to avoid any serious relegation scrap. That offers relief, but not much satisfaction.
18. Charlton Athletic
Charlton Athletic sit 18th on 54 expected points and are projected to survive with a decent buffer. After earning promotion back to the Championship, simply staying up would already count as a positive season, and the model suggests they should manage it without last-day drama. They are not expected to threaten the top half, but they also appear stronger than the clubs directly below them. In context, that makes this a respectable and important campaign.
19. Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers are ranked 19th with 52 expected points, only just above the clubs in real trouble. The source links their recent struggles to ownership issues, and the supercomputer expects another tense year in which survival is the main objective. They are forecast to keep their place in the division, but only by a narrow margin. That makes Blackburn one of the least secure sides outside the relegation zone and explains why they are so low on the list.
Read also: Liverpool vs PSG on Amazon Prime, and why the night feels pivotal for Arne Slot
20. West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion are 20th on 51 expected points and are tipped to survive by the narrowest of margins. A bright opening to the season has not carried through, and the model now places them firmly in the relegation battle. Their position here reflects a side that has lost momentum and is now expected to spend the rest of the campaign looking over its shoulder. Survival would matter far more than style from this point on.
21. Portsmouth
Portsmouth are 21st with 51 expected points, just outside the drop zone on goal difference in effect, if not formally stated that way. The source describes their season as up-and-down and rather tumultuous, which fits a team projected to finish only one place above relegation. They have done enough to keep themselves alive, but not enough to create any sense of comfort. Portsmouth’s ranking is built entirely on scraping through rather than convincing safety.
22. Oxford United
Oxford United are placed 22nd on 49 expected points and are forecast to be relegated. The source notes that they looked finished at one stage before finding some form, but the supercomputer still does not believe the recovery will be enough. That leaves them just short of survival and on the wrong side of the line that matters most. They are close enough to give themselves hope, but not close enough to change the final projection.
23. Leicester City
Leicester City are one of the biggest shocks in the ranking, coming in 23rd with 46 expected points. They began the season as one of the favourites to bounce back to the Premier League immediately, but the source describes the campaign as disastrous, with a six-point deduction dragging them into the relegation zone. The model now expects them to stay there. For a club of Leicester’s size, this would be one of the most dramatic failures in the division.
24. Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield Wednesday are bottom of the ranking with 0 expected points after an already catastrophic season. The source states that their relegation has already been confirmed and that the only remaining question is whether they can finish on a positive points total. The supercomputer does not see that happening. In a league known for unpredictability, Wednesday stand out for the wrong reason: they are the one side with no realistic route back to safety.
