Huge double boost in Leeds United autos hunt expected with big new question asked of key rivals

A huge double boost in Leeds United’s top two quest is expected with a big new question asked of a key promotion rival currently sat in the automatics.

Daniel Farke’s third-placed Whites have fallen two points adrift of the Championship’s second automatic promotion place via Leicester City’s 2-1 win at home to West Brom on Saturday lunchtime.

Victory for the Foxes took Enzo Maresca’s side top, two points clear of second-placed Ipswich Town who themselves are two points ahead of third placed Leeds, with all three teams having three games left.

Leeds, though, will now play twice before Ipswich next take to the field and the bookmakers expect the Whites to bag the massive boost of six points from this week’s two fixtures to ask a big new question of the Tractor Boys.

United visit Middlesbrough on Monday evening before heading to Queens Park Rangers on Friday night and the bookies have confidence that Leeds will take back-to-back wins to open up a four-point gap to Ipswich.

Given their vastly inferior goal difference, Kieran McKenna’s would then have to take six points themselves from back-to-back away games at play-offs chasing Hull City and Coventry City just to get back ahead of the Whites. Ipswich visit Hull next Saturday evening before travelling to Coventry the following Tuesday night.

Leeds, Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton will then all play at the same time on the final day of the season the following Saturday lunchtime.

Unless Ipswich get six points from their next two assignments, by then, the bookmakers expect United’s automatic promotion destiny to be back in their own hands despite the tests presented at Boro and QPR.

Farke’s side are odds-on for both games but the bookmakers expect Monday’s clash at Boro to provide the slightly harder test. Leeds are no bigger than 5-6 to win at the Riverside facing a Boro outfit who are unbeaten in their last nine games yet can still be backed at 16-5. The draw is on offer at 3s.

Just four nights later, Farke’s Whites are then a slightly shorter price than they are at Boro to win at QPR - 4-6 being the best on offer. Marti Cifuentes’ relegation-battling hosts can be backed at 17-4 whilst the draw is a 16-5 shot.

In between, another key game in the automatic promotion race takes place on Tuesday evening when Southampton visit Leicester.

The bookmakers expect another win for Leicester who are hovering around the even money mark and no bigger than 11-10. But Russell Martin’s side are given a fair chance in being a best-priced 49-20.

The draw is 14-5 but Leicester are essentially now regarded as almost home and hosed on the automatic promotion front in being 1-20 to finish in the top two.

Ipswich are 8-15 and Leeds 7-5 but those odds would likely change given two wins for the Whites this week. Southampton are now 33s to get automatic promotion after Saturday’s late defeat at Cardiff City.