Where Sunderland, Plymouth Argyle, MK Dons and Oxford United will finish in League One promotion race - according to 'experts'
This weekend saw a couple of pivotal results in League One - but what do they mean for Alex Neil and Sunderland’s play-off hopes?
By Joe Buck
Published 11th Apr 2022, 11:03 BST
Updated 12th Apr 2022, 08:43 BST
A last-gasp Elliot Embleton winner saw the Black Cats come away from the Kassam Stadium with a crucial three-points.
The win helped Alex Neil’s side solidify their hopes of a playoff place come the end of the campaign ahead of a crucial Easter weekend of football to come.
Sunderland have just five games left of the season and are hitting form at the right time to aid their playoff hopes.
But will they do enough between now and their final game away at Morecambe on April 30 to secure their spot in the playoffs? Or is a fifth-straight season in League One being predicted for the Black Cats?
Here is how the ‘data experts’ at FiveThirtyEight predict the 2021/22 League One table will finish and whether or not Sunderland will be in the playoff picture at the end of the campaign:
Sunderland have just five games left of the season and are hitting form at the right time to aid their playoff hopes.
21. 4th: Plymouth Argyle
Despite losing Ryan Lowe midway through the season, Plymouth have put together an impressive run of results, including winning seven of their last eight games, to put themselves firmly in the playoff picture - chances of a playoff place: 89%, chances of promotion: 23%, chances of finishing 4th: 38% Photo: GLYN KIRK
After a seriously impressive run of form, MK Dons currently find themselves in 2nd place having capitalised on Rotherham’s slip-ups. However, the experts don’t believe they will stay there and tip Dons to narrowly miss out on automatic promotion this season - chances of just a playoff place: 55%, chances of promotion: 60%, chances of winning League One: 4%, chances of finishing 3rd: 45% Photo: Pete Norton
For much of the season, Rotherham have been runaway leaders of the league but they have won just one of their last six league matches, meaning their chances of automatic promotion isn’t so clear cut as it was just a few weeks ago - chances of just a playoff place: 46%, chances of promotion: 65%, chances of winning League One: 10%, chances of finishing 2nd: 45% Photo: Catherine Ivill
Wigan have been the main beneficiaries of Rotherham’s struggles and are six points clear of 3rd place with six games of their season to go - chances of just a playoff place: 3%, chances of promotion: 98%, chances of winning League One: 86% Photo: Alex Burstow