Supercomputer predicts who will be promoted alongside Coventry after Boxing Day Championship action
Coventry City extended their lead at the top of the Championship to an impressive eight points after a 1-0 win over Swansea City on Boxing Day.
The Sky Blues are chasing a return to the Premier League for the first time since the 2000-01 campaign, and their relentless run of form has put them in a fantastic position to achieve that aim.
Lampard’s Coventry side have lost just one of their last 10 games, and that came against fellow promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town, who they meet again on Monday night.
The Tractor Boys were held to a 0-0 draw away at Millwall in their Boxing Day encounter, while second-placed Middlesbrough fell to the same fate at home to Blackburn Rovers.
The fight for promotion from the Championship continues to be fierce, and there are already another round of important games on the horizon.
Ipswich pipped to second automatic promotion spot in the Championship
Ipswich have high hopes in the Championship this season after they were relegated from the Premier League last term.
Kieran McKenna’s men put in a valiant effort in the top-flight, but were ultimately unable to avoid an immediate slide back into the second tier.
They have got their campaign firmly back on track in recent weeks after a slow start to the season, but their trip to face Coventry stands as another huge test of their credentials.
Monday night sees the division’s top four teams go head-to-head, as Middlesbrough welcome Hull City in a meeting between the second and fourth-placed teams.
| Rank | Team | Expected Points | Promotion Chance |
| 1 | Coventry | 92.37 | 97.68% |
| 2 | Middlesbrough | 79.02 | 46.18% |
| 3 | Ipswich | 75.04 | 23.96% |
| 4 | Hull | 70.17 | 6.18% |
| 5 | Preston | 69.73 | 5.88% |
| 6 | Bristol City | 69.53 | 6.18% |
Ipswich’s resurgence is not yet enough to convince Opta’s supercomputer that they will be able to catch Middlesbrough and earn automatic promotion, as they are still predicted to finish just four points behind the Teesiders.
Kim Hellberg’s side are labelled with a 46.18 per cent chance of promotion, but even that is a far cry from the staggering 97.68 per cent that is attributed to Coventry.
Ipswich are viewed as the most likely victors in the play-offs, as their 23.96 per cent chance of promotion is far greater than any of the other contenders.
Hull find themselves assessed an equal 6.18 per cent chance to Bristol City, who currently sit sixth in the table.
Coventry’s one-sided record vs Ipswich
Lampard’s success with Coventry has seen Premier League sides show an interest in his services, but his team could be about to meet their match on Monday night.
The Sky Blues were dismantled 3-0 in their visit to Portman Road at the start of December, in what was comfortably their heaviest defeat of the campaign so far.
| Date | Competition | H/A | Result |
| 6 December 2025 | Championship | A | 3-0 L |
| 8 February 2025 | FA Cup | H | 4-1 L |
| 30 April 2024 | Championship | H | 2-1 L |
| 2 December 2023 | Championship | A | 2-1 L |
| 7 March 2020 | League One | A | 1-0 W |
That defeat was the latest in a long line of one-sided results between the two teams, which have seen Ipswich emerge victorious in each of their last four meetings.
Expand that out further, and Coventry have beaten their upcoming opponents just twice in their last 11 clashes in all competitions.
That record is certainly daunting for the Midlands outfit, but Lampard and Co. will surely back their unbeaten home record to put an end to that dismal spell on Monday.