Sheffield United kicked off their 2022/23 EFL Championship campaign with a 1-0 defeat to Watford at Vicarage Road on Monday night.
Jao Pedro’s 56th minute goal was enough to secure the three points for The Hornets with the Blades now turning their attention to their first home game this weekend against Millwall.
United are tipped for a promising season in English football’s second tier but defeat on the opening day of the season has seen their predicted chances of mounting a title challenge take a hit.
The result has seen them drop down the predicted final league table of the FiveThirtyEight supercomputer - which uses Forecasts and Soccer Power Index (SPI) ratings to show each teams percentage chance of winning the title, reaching the play-offs and being relegated.
The statistics also provide a predicted points tally that each team will finish on when the regular season wraps up in May 2023.
The supercomputer predicts that Paul Heckingbottom’s side will end the season on 78 points but what would that mean for their league position and what are their chances of out performing their current prediction?
Here is how the supercomputer predicts the 2022/23 EFL Championship table will look at the end of the season as of Tuesday, August 2 with the first round of fixtures now completed:
1. WATFORD, ENGLAND - AUGUST 01: Rob Edwards Manager of Watford celebrates the win during the Sky Bet Championship between Watford and Sheffield United at Vicarage Road on August 1, 2022 in Watford, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Win Championship: 23%, Promoted: 47%, Play-offs: 34%, Relegated:
4. WATFORD, ENGLAND - AUGUST 01: Rhian Brewster of Sheffield United during the Sky Bet Championship between Watford and Sheffield United at Vicarage Road on August 1, 2022 in Watford, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Win Championship: 12%, Promoted: 33%, Play-offs: 34%, Relegated: 1%