Date experts predict Preston North End's final league position, as well as Sheffield United, Sunderland and others

A dominant display from Ryan Lowe’s side saw them overcome their fiercest rivals with a 3-1 win, setting North End up for an under-the-radar play-off push in their final six games of the season.

The Lancashire club sit 10th in the league currently on 56 points, with just one defeat in nine and five points behind East Lancashire side Blackburn Rovers, however according to FiveThirtyEight, chances of promotion to the Premier League seem unlikely.

Analysts believe that Preston have just a three percent possibility of making the play-offs and that Lowe’s side will finish the season in 13th place on 64 points.

This would match the position and the points that PNE finished on last season and the ‘supercomputer’ sees North End only picking up eight points from their final seven games.

In three of their next six matches, the trio the only Saturday games, Lowe’s side face top six opposition, with trips to Millwall and Sheffield United either side of hosting Blackburn Rovers on April 22 in a 5:30pm kick-off live on Sky Sports, which could be make or break for either sides’ promotion hopes.

However, it’s Jon Dahl Thomasson’s men who are predicted to occupy the final play-off spot, something which they missed out on last season.

Millwall, the other side currently on 61 points as things stand, in fifth, are also tipped to make the post-season, with Middlesbrough and Luton making up the top six in reverse order, flipping current standings. Burnley – as looks likely – are expected to win the league comfortably, with Sheffield United holding out for second place despite a bit of pressure of late for the Yorkshire outfit.

Things are predicted to go from bad to worse for Wigan Athletic after their points deduction and cash flow problems, with a rock bottom finish expected. Blackpool and Huddersfield Town are also supposedly about to join them in League One, according to the analysts.

If PNE are to prove the data experts wrong, a win against struggling QPR next up could go a long way to jumping them up the table and close the gap on the play-offs, this Friday, 3pm.

FiveThirtyEight’s predicted Championship table:

Team Predicted Points

1st – Burnley 99 (+51)

2nd – Sheffield United 87 (+31)

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3rd – Middlesbrough 79 (+28)

4th – Luton Town 79 (+16)

5th – Millwall 73 (+12)

6th – Blackburn Rovers 71 (-1)

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7th – Norwich City 68 (+12)

8th – West Brom 68 (+10)

9th – Coventry City 68 (+7)

10th – Watford 65 (+4)

11th – Sunderland 64 (+8)

12th – Stoke City 64 (+12)

13th – PNE 64 (-9)

14th – Swansea City 60 (-3)

15th – Bristol City 57 (-3)

16th – Birmingham City 56 (-9)

17th – Hull City 55 (-13)

18th – Reading* 54 (-21)

19th – QPR 49 (-26)

20th – Rotherham United 48 (-15)

21st – Cardiff City 48 (-17)

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22nd – Huddersfield Town 46 (-22)

23rd – Blackpool 42 (-23)

24th – Wigan** 41 (-28)

*could be hit with a six-point deduction

**hit with three-point deduction