Leeds United elation expected despite narrow margin with next task 'in the balance'

Daniel Farke’s Whites will take in their second pre-season friendly against top-flight French outfit AS Monaco at the LNER Community Stadium in York today and the bookies are finding it very hard to split the two sides.

Monaco finished sixth in last season’s Ligue 1 and Adi Hutter’s side are just about favourites for today’s 4pm kick-off in being 5-4 shots with Bet365. Yet Farke’s Whites are only marginally bigger at 6-4 whilst the draw is on offer at 11-4 and the longer-term prediction for Leeds is extremely bright.

Leicester City have been favourites for next season’s Championship ever since betting opened for the 2023-24 campaign and the Foxes remain comfortably clear at the top of the market in being no bigger than 4-1.

But the bookies expect Leeds to join Enzo Maresca’s side in sealing automatic promotion as the Whites are second favourites and a best-priced 15-2 but as short as 5s with some firms. Third-favourites Southampton are only narrowly behind at 8-1 and the Saints are followed by Middlesbrough (10s), Norwich City (16s), Ipswich Town (18s) and Watford (18s).

West Brom, Sunderland and Stoke are all then 22-1. Leeds are 5-2 to be promoted – the same price as Southampton – and 5-6 to seal a top-six finish.