We are two games into the Championship season with mixed results for Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday so far. Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday both started the Championship campaign with a win but last weekend saw both clubs drop points in differing circumstances. The Blades were first up as they took on QPR at Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon and went 2-0 up inside 13 minutes thanks to goals from Gustavo Hamer and Kieffer Moore. However, the visitors pulled a goal back through Jimmy Dunne on 55 minutes. QPR were reduced to 10 men with seven minutes remaining but United were unable to see the game out as Lyndon Dykes found an equaliser with two minutes of normal time remaining. Wednesday had a worse weekend, however, as they were hammered 4-0 by Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Sunday afternoon.
Dennis Cirkin opened the scoring after 11 minutes before Eliezer Mayenda and Luke O’Nien struck in the next 13 minutes to make it 3-0 midway through the first half. The game was put beyond doubt when Mayenda claimed his second goal shortly after the second-half restart. The Owls are back in action on Friday night as they prepare to host Leeds United in a Yorkshire derby at Hillsborough while the Blades make the trip to Norwich City on Saturday afternoon.
Following the latest results, Best Plinko Casino have deployed their predictive supercomputer to try and forecast how the final Championship table might look come the end of the season. Take a look...
The Championship Table Predictions
The new season began last weekend, with all 24 clubs having now played twice in the league. Best Plinko Casino's supercomputer has looked ahead to the end of the campaign, though, by predicting the final table.
Using factors including league position, form and betting odds, the supercomputer simulated the season 1,000 times to put together the predicted table.
The Top Two
Burnley came out on top and have been tipped to secure an automatic return to the Premier League as champions under Scott Parker. The Clarets are predicted to finish a point ahead of Leeds, who lost last season's play-off final. However, the two sides are expected to storm to promotion, with the table having them 10 points clear of their nearest rivals.
Parker's side have made a blistering start to the season and are the early pacesetters in the Championship. Saturday's 5-0 win over Cardiff followed a 4-1 opening victory away to Luton.
The Play-off Contenders
Behind them, Norwich, Luton, Middlesbrough and Coventry complete the top six to enter the play-offs.
The Relegation Battle
At the opposite end of the table, newly promoted Portsmouth are tipped to finish bottom, 11 points from safety with just eight wins. Pompey have made an unbeaten start to the season, drawing each of their first two matches after gaining promotion as champions in April. John Mousinho's side are back in the Championship for the first time since 2012.
Blackburn and Rooney's Plymouth are predicted to join Pompey in dropping into League One. A heart-breaking fate has been predicted for Plymouth, though, with the supercomputer having them missing out on survival by a single goal to Cardiff.
Rooney has yet to register his first league win this term following a 4-0 opening weekend loss to Sheffield Wednesday. His players did bounce back to hold Hull to a 1-1 draw at Home Park on Saturday, though. The former England captain took over at Plymouth earlier this summer after he was sacked by Birmingham back in January.
Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday's Predicted Finishes
Sheffield United have four points on the board from their first two games of the new season. They were relegated from the Premier League in the last campaign after finishing in the bottom three along with Burnley and Luton Town. The Blades are aiming for promotion back to the top flight at the first time of asking under Chris Wilder. They drew 2-2 at home to QPR last time out.
As for Sheffield Wednesday, they won 4-0 at home to Plymouth Argyle in their opening day clash. However, they were knocked back down to earth with their 4-0 away loss at Sunderland. Here is a look at Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday’s updated predicted finishes based on the bookies’ odds...
Sheffield United
The Blades are predicted to finish 8th and miss out on the play-offs. They are currently 11th in the table and are priced at 33/1 to win the league. Their odds of getting promoted are currently 12/1. The Blades are predicted to finish with 72 points.
Sheffield Wednesday
The Owls are predicted to finish 14th in the table with 58 points. They are priced at 50/1 to win the league and their odds of getting promoted are 20/1. They are currently 17th in the table.
Conclusion: A Long Season Ahead
While these supercomputer predictions provide an intriguing glimpse into the potential outcomes of the Championship season, it's important to remember that football is a game of unpredictable twists and turns. The season is still young, and much can change between now and the end of the campaign. It remains to be seen how these clubs will fare throughout the season and whether they will be able to defy the predictions of the supercomputer. Only time will tell which teams will rise to the top and which will face a difficult battle for survival.
