Fresh Leeds United automatics boost expected amid big test for key rivals and crunch time

Daniel Farke's Whites moved into the Championship's second automatic promotion place with Tuesday night's 4-0 romp at Swansea City which represented a seventh league win in succession. Leeds will now conclude a busy week with Saturday's lunchtime kick-off at Plymouth Argyle in which the bookmakers strongly fancy United to record another victory for a possible further gap change.

Leeds are strong odds-on favourites to win at Home Park and even shorter than they were for Tuesday night's clash at Swansea. Odds of 4-9 are the best on offer about a Whites win but plenty of firms have Leeds as 2-5 shots. Even with home advantage, Ian Foster's Pilgrims can be backed at 11-2 and even the draw is on offer at 4-1.

A Whites victory would put Leeds up to 69 points and the bookmakers think there is a good chance that a win at Plymouth would put the Whites even further clear in second spot. Third-placed Southampton are currently two points behind Leeds with a game in hand which presents itself next week when the Saints host play-offs chasing Hull City on Tuesday night.

But Russell Martin's side will firstly take in a Friday night assignment at fifth-placed West Brom who are considered to have a decent chance of bagging a victory or a draw. Southampton are favourites but not by a huge margin at a best priced 11-8. Carlos Corberan's Baggies are 2-1 shots and the draw is on offer at 5-2.

Third-placed Ipswich Town, meanwhile, would go level on points with Leeds if winning their game in hand which also presents itself next Tuesday evening at home to rock-bottom Rotherham United as crunch time looms on the games in hand front.

But a Saturday afternoon trip to Swansea is first on the agenda for Kieran McKenna's side who are a shade of odds-on to leave South Wales with all three points. Ipswich are a best-priced 10-11 whereas Swansea can be backed at 16-5 and the draw is 29-10.

Leaders Leicester City are 12 points clear of Leeds at the top of the pile and another Foxes win is expected in Saturday afternoon's hosting of Middlesbrough. Enzo Maresca's league leaders are just short of the 1-2 marker at a best-priced 16-25 against a Boro side who are 9-2. The draw is 7-2.

Leicester are now long odds-on favourites to win the league at 1-8 but the bookies now think Leeds will go up in second place. The Whites are 10-1 second favourites for the title, almost half the odds of Southampton who are 18s. Ipswich had gone all the way out to 66-1 before Wednesday night's 4-0 win at Millwall which has led to their price being cut slightly to 40-1.

Leicester are an eye-watering 1-66 to achieve automatic promotion. Leeds are next best at 10-11, followed by Southampton at 15-8 and then a reasonably big jump to Ipswich at 4s. The autos race is considered a clear four horse race with West Brom a huge 150-1 to finish in the top two.