Cardiff City will miss out on League One title with shock team touted for success by supercomputer

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While most EFL viewers are glued to the action in the Championship, it’s worth noting that the League One campaign is shaping up to be another cracker this season.

With big teams like Luton Town, Cardiff, and Plymouth Argyle going down, and sleeping giants Bradford City and AFC Wimbledon coming up, we’ve got quite the assembly of teams in the third tier this year.

After six games this season, it is Cardiff City who sit at the top of the League One table right now with five wins and a draw.

Our pre-season predictions for League One had Cardiff down as a team that would miss out on the top six, but they’ve surprised us so far. And yet, it’s another team that are being tipped to pip them to the title this season.

• READ MORE: Luton Town join exclusive club in League One for unwanted reason, promotion is a must

Stockport County can win the League One title in 2025/26

We’ve been keeping a close eye on the Opta supercomputer predictions, and now that we’re six games into the season, the data-driven model has updated its expected outcomes for the end of the campaign.

Now, the supercomputer predicts Stockport County will win the League One title with a haul of 80 points. Cardiff are backed to finish second, three points behind Dave Challinor’s side.

Stockport missed out on promotion last season via the play-offs, but they’re now given a 24.42% chance of lifting the title (compared to Cardiff’s 18.78%), as well as having a 40.84% chance of going up automatically.

Getting promoted at all would be a huge feat for Stockport, given they were playing in the National League as recently as the 2021/22 campaign.

Meanwhile, the play-off places are expected to be filled by Luton Town, surprise packages Lincoln City and Stevenage, and big-spending Huddersfield Town.

Suffice it to say, with 12 new Huddersfield Town signings this summer, Lee Grant would be disappointed not to finish in the top two if this supercomputer forecast is correct.

• READ MORE: Dave Challinor left ‘bewildered’ as Stockport County suffer ‘mind-blowing’ defeat vs Bradford City

Plymouth Argyle are set for a disastrous season

While the likes of Bradford, Barnsley, and Doncaster Rovers may be disappointed to see Opta tipping them to slip out of the promotion race and ending up around midtable, it is Plymouth Argyle fans who will be the most annoyed if the supercomputer does get this right.

Argyle have been predicted to finish right down in 19th place this season, and currently have just a 1.38% chance of getting promoted.

Tom Cleverley has had an awful start to life on the South Coast, with just one win and five defeats at his new club.

Plymouth are now facing the very real possibility of being stuck in a relegation battle, with Opta giving them a 25.06% chance of going down.