Luton Town might be the underdogs going into the Championship play-offs - but they are top of one table this season.
A special study has looked into the best and worst performing teams in the second tier when it comes to final position in relation to team value.
The Hatters, who finished sixth to clinch the final play-off spot, can rightly claim to be the best performing Championship side based on the difference between their predicted position and where they actually ended up. Finishing sixth means Nathan Jones' side placed a distinctly applaudable 13.5 places above where they should have been expected to based on the value of their players and the total cost of their squad.
The study, undertaken by number-crunchers at BettingOdds.com, shows how good a job Jones and his players have done so far. They will be aiming to continue the good work and stay on course for an unlikely tilt at the Premier League by overcoming Huddersfield Town in the play-off semi-finals with the first leg on Friday night.
Incidentally, the Terriers come second on this particular list after a season of overachievement themselves. Town finished third in the regular table and in doing so improved on their expected position by a score of 10.25.
The study used an algorithm that broke down team value into individual position (goalkeeper, defence, midfield and attack) to produce an average weighted score (the four average values of each individual positional field ranked in ascending order, combined and divided to produce an average) and measured it against their final position in Championship.
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Coventry City, who fell just short at the play-off hurdle, came third in this particular list after a strong campaign. Mark Robins' side finished 12th but were in contention for the top six until the final few weeks of the season.
In terms of under-achievers Birmingham City gain the unwanted place of 24th on this list. Lee Bowyer's side, who suffered a miserable campaign but ultimately finished in 20th place, had a Team Value Points Predicted Position of 10.25, but ended with a difference of -9.5.
Derby County were second-bottom with a difference of -8 but it is important to remember they were handicapped by a 21-point deduction. The same goes for third-bottom Reading (-7.5) who were docked six points.
West Bromwich Albion are arguably the biggest name near the bottom. The Baggies were expected by many to go straight back up after relegation from the Premier League in 2020-21. But Albion could only muster a 10th-placed finish and ended up with a difference of -6.5 to finish 20th on this particular table.
Baggies' boss Steve Bruce, who only arrived at the Hawthorns in February, admitted after the season finished that much better is needed from his side in 2022-23.
"This season has not been good enough," he said. "Looking back on the three months, it was the first month where I didn't make the impact I would have liked.
"We have got good players in the club and my challenge is to put a squad together that is capable of getting us to where we want to get to. We've got a big summer ahead."
Championship Teams Ranked By Position To Team Value
1. Luton Town - Position 6th (Predicted Position 19.5) Difference +13.5
2. Huddersfield Town - Position 3rd (Predicted Position 13.25) Difference +10.25
3. Coventry City - Position 12th (Predicted Position 19.75) Difference +7.75
4. Blackpool - Position 16th (Predicted Position 22.5) Difference +6.5
5. = Nottingham Forest - Position 4th (Predicted Position 7.5) Difference +3.5
5. = Millwall - Position 9th (Predicted Position 12.5) Difference +3.5
5. = QPR - Position 11th (Predicted Position 14.5) Difference +3.5
8. Middlesbrough - Position 7th (Predicted Position 8.75) Difference +1.75
8. Blackburn - Position 8th (Predicted Position 9.75) Difference +1.75
8. Peterborough - Position 22nd (Predicted Position 23.75) Difference +1.75
11. Sheffield United - Position 5th (Predicted Position 6.25) Difference +1.25
12. Fulham - Position 1st (Predicted Position 2) Difference +1
13. Preston North End - Position 13th (Predicted Position 13.75) Difference +0.75
14. Hull City - Position 19th (Predicted Position 18.75) Difference -0.25
15. Bournemouth - Position 2nd (Predicted Position 1.5) Difference -0.5
16. Swansea City - Position 15th (Predicted Position 13.75) Difference -1.25
17. Cardiff City - Position 18th (Predicted Position 13) Difference -5
18. Bristol City - Position 17th (Predicted Position 11.75) Difference -5.25
19. Stoke City - Position 14th (Predicted Position 7.75) Difference -6.25
20. West Bromwich Albion - Position 10th (Predicted Position 3.5) Difference -6.5
21. Barnsley - Position 24th (Predicted Position 16.75) Difference -7.25
22. Reading - Position 21st (Predicted Position 13.5) Difference -7.5
23. Derby County - Position 23rd (Predicted Position 15) Difference -8
24. Birmingham City - Position 20th (Predicted Position 10.25) Difference -9.5
