Leeds United tipped for Premier League return under Marcelo Bielsa by leading sports analysts

Leeds United celebrate at Barnsley last month. (Getty)

The Whites have dominated teams on the field this season, but have failed to make their opponents pay having slipped to three defeats in the opening 11 games of the Championship season.

Bielsa's side sit fifth in the table during October's international break just two points behind West Brom, who are the early pace setters in the division.

United, though, are being backed to be this season's big winners with a return to the Premier League as champions, by data company FiveThirtyEight.

The American statistical company, who provide analysis across a wide range of sports, base their football end of season tables on two main factors - expected goals scored and expected goals conceded.

According to the data, Leeds have a 29 per cent chance of winning the Championship this season, a 58 per cent chance of promotion and a 35 per cent chance of making the play-offs.

The Whites sit ahead of closest rivals Fulham (24 per cent) and West Brom (17 per cent) in the predicted running for the league crown at the end of the campaign.

United are predicted to gather 85 points under Bielsa based on the analysis, which would see them finish ahead of Scott Parker's Cottagers by a single point next May.

Slaven Bilic's Albion sit third on 81 points before a major drop to Nottingham Forest in fourth who have a forecasted tally of 73 points.

Bristol City and Swansea City are predicted to complete the top six at the end of the season and take the final two play-off spots on 71 points.

At the other end of the table, Barnsley - who this week sacked head coach Daniel Stendel - have a 73 per cent chance of facing relegation this term, alongside Luton Town (36 per cent).

Reading, who have also dispensed with the services of their manager Jose Gomes, are tipped for the final spot in the drop zone with a 31 per cent chance of relegation.

Leeds were tipped to finish fourth at the same stage last year while the table correctly predicted Sheffield United's promotion to the top flight as runners up along with Rotherham United and Ipswich Town's relegation to League One.