@Bugsy in short,
@shmmeee did a Gemini summary of teams who were top of the Championship after 12 games. 15/20 were promoted automatically.
Last season, Sunderland were the first team to be top after 12 games and go up via the playoffs.
As a percentage, that’s 76.2% of teams top after 12 games go up. The hype is real and the betting markets have shortened our odds massively.
If you liked that:
Final Outcome Probabilities Based on League Position (2004/05 - 2024/25)
| Checkpoint | Position Bracket | % Finish in Top 2 | % Finish in Top 6 | % Finish Mid-Table (7-21) | % Relegated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Games
| 1st-2nd | 64.3% | 88.1% | 11.9% | 0.0% |
| | 3rd-6th | 15.5% | 51.2% | 48.8% | 0.0% |
| | 7th-12th | 4.0% | 20.6% | 79.4% | 0.0% |
| | 22nd-24th | 0.0% | 0.0% | 28.6% | 71.4% |
| 20 Games
| 1st-2nd | 76.2% | 95.2% | 4.8% | 0.0% |
| | 3rd-6th | 10.7% | 60.7% | 39.3% | 0.0% |
| | 7th-12th | 1.2% | 13.1% | 85.7% | 1.2% |
| | 22nd-24th | 0.0% | 1.6% | 22.2% | 76.2% |
| 30 Games
| 1st-2nd | 88.1% | 100.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| | 3rd-6th | 7.1% | 77.4% | 22.6% | 0.0% |
| | 7th-12th | 0.0% | 11.9% | 88.1% | 0.0% |
| | 22nd-24th | 0.0% | 0.0% | 9.5% | 90.5% |
The data clearly illustrates how predictability hardens as the season progresses. After just 15 games, a team in the top two has a strong, but not guaranteed, 64.3% chance of securing automatic promotion. By the 30-game mark, this probability has solidified to a commanding 88.1%, and their chance of at least making the play-offs becomes 100%.