Big Leeds United boost expected in Championship promotion bid and major autos change

Fourth-placed United’s strong recent run has taken them to within two points of the Championship’s automatic promotion places and the bookmakers now expect Leeds to move second in the table with victory at Friday night’s hosts Bristol City.

A Whites win would take Daniel Farke’s side above both second-placed Ipswich Town and third-placed Southampton, albeit having played two games more, by virtue of both the Tractor Boys and Saints not playing until Saturday afternoon.

United’s Friday night hosts Bristol City sit mid-table but Leeds are odds-on with every bookmaker to leave with the three points that would be needed to send them into the division’s automatic promotion slots. Leeds are as short as 8-13 but no bigger than 3-4 whereas Liam Manning’s hosts can be backed at 4-1. A draw, which would be enough to put Leeds third on goal difference, is on offer at 29-10.

Southampton, Ipswich and Leicester are then all away from home in Saturday 3pm kick-offs, in which Ipswich are rated the most likely of the trio to slip up yet still fancied to take all three points. Kieran McKenna’s side visit 12th-placed Preston North End and are even-money favourites to beat a Preston side who are 3-1 shots. The draw is 13-5.

Southampton visit rock-bottom Rotherham United and the bookmakers firmly expect another Saints triumph. Russell Martin’s side are close to being 1-3 shots in being no bigger than 10-29 yet as short as 2-7. The Millers can be backed at 9-1 whilst the draw is on offer at 17-4.

Leicester, meanwhile, head to sixth-bottom Stoke City and the chances of a Foxes triumph are rated similar to Ipswich’s prospects at Preston. Leicester are a shade of odds-on in being no bigger than 28-29 but as short as 4-5. Stoke are 16-5 and the draw is on offer at 11-4.

If predictions prove correct, it all points towards the top four being unchanged following the weekend’s full programme but with Leeds moving into the automatic promotion places beforehand ahead of Saturday’s games.