Opta makes promotion race prediction as Leeds United, Ipswich Town and Leicester City eye success

The promotion battle at top of the Championship looks set to go down to the wire. That's according to Opta, at least, who are predicting both Leeds United and Ipswich Town to avoid potential banana skins on the penultimate weekend.

Daniel Farke takes his Leeds side to QPR this evening and the Whites know that if they are to give themselves the best chance of winning automatic promotion, nothing less than a win will do. United got over the line on Monday night by edging out Middlesbrough and that was enough to see them reclaim a spot in the Championship's top two.

They can retain that spot for a few days at the very least should they beat Marti Cifuentes' Hoops at Loftus Road, with a result moving them four points clear of third placed Ipswich in the table.

Ipswich will have the chance to respond on Saturday night when they travel to East Yorkshire to take on Hull City, who appear to be finishing the season strongly and need a win over the Tractor Boys to keep up their hopes of sneaking into the play-offs.

Ipswich, who have a game in hand, know that maximum points between now and the end of the regular season would be enough for them to claim automatic promotion. Every point counts, then, and Opta is tipping Leeds to pick up three at Loftus Road. The analytics-based website has used its stats to predict the outcome of tonight's game, with Leeds given a 57 per cent chance of being victorious.

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It is claimed there is a 21 per cent of the game being a draw, while QPR have a 20 per cent chance of upsetting the odds and claiming the victory they need to make sure of their spot in the Championship next season.

Ipswich might well have a tougher time at the MKM Stadium, it seems, with the Tractor Boys only given a 44 per cent of picking up all three points. That's still the most likely outcome it seems, with a home win for the Tigers at 30 per cent, while a draw is given a one in four chance at 25 per cent.

The two results would give Ipswich the opportunity to leapfrog the Whites when they take on an injury-hit Coventry City on Tuesday night.

Leicester City are expected to finalise promotion to the Premier League when they take on Preston North End on Monday night. Enzo Maresca’s side have a 48 per cent chance of picking up three points, while a draw is 29 per cent and a home win is 21 per cent.

Elsewhere, Southampton have been given a 59 per cent chance of bouncing back from their 5-0 hammering at Leicester in midweek by beating Stoke City. Huddersfield are being backed at 45 per cent to win their relegation do or die clash with Birmingham City at the John Smith's Stadium and West Brom and Norwich City could wrap up play-off spots given their respective chances of beating Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea City are at 47 per cent and 54 per cent.