League One supercomputer predicts champions, play-off…

League One supercomputer predicts champions, play-off quartet and who will go down

The supercomputer has spoken and has done the number-crunching ahead of the new League One campaign.

Reach's in-house boffins have run the rule over the 24 clubs in the third tier in 2022-23 and have monitored the necessary algorithms to give a predicted final table. And in a field of heavyweights, Wycombe Wanderers have been tipped to come out on top this term.

The Chairboys came within one game of promotion last season but lost out to Sunderland in the play-off final at Wembley in May. But according to our calculations, Gareth Ainsworth's men have a 47 per cent chance of winning the league and a 67 per cent chance of finishing in the top two automatic promotion spots.

Another side which lost out in the play-offs are tipped to finish just behind them next term.

MK Dons were beaten by Wycombe over two legs in the semi-finals but they have been given a 27 per cent chance of finishing in the top two, with a 12 per cent probability they'll win the division.

Those two names may be a surprise to many neutrals given the likes of big-hitting Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County also occupy the third tier.

Wednesday, who will look to bounce back after being edged out by eventual winners Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals last time, have been handed an 11 per cent chance for the title (26 per cent chance for top two). Oxford United have been listed as having a 10 per cent chance of finishing top of the pile (25 per cent chance for top two).

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When it comes to the playoffs, MK Dons have been given a 42 per cent chance of making them. For Wednesday, it's 21 per cent, Oxford 41 per cent, Bolton 35 per cent, Peterborough 35 per cent, Charlton 27 per cent, Derby 25 per cent and Barnsley 20 per cent.

At the other end of the table, Joey Barton's Bristol Rovers are the favourites to be relegated. The Gas sealed a dramatic promotion on the final day of last season with a scarcely-believable 7-0 win over Scunthorpe seeing them pinch the final automatic spot.

But our number-crunchers calculate Barton's side have an almost 100 per cent chance of going straight back down - only a handful of its simulations had Rovers staying up. Fleetwood Town are likely to be joining them as they have an 85 per cent chance of being relegated. Shrewsbury have a 69 per cent chance of the drop, Port Vale 39 per cent and Forest Green are ranked at 25 per cent.