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Few would have expected Middlesbrough and Rob Edwards to have started this season as brightly as they have.
Boro had to fight against Bristol City for his services in the summer, but it looks as though they made the right decision, and six games into the campaign, they sit at the top of the Championship table.
A 2-1 victory over promotion chasing West Brom on Friday evening was a statement win, and now the Teessiders’ attention has already turned to next weekend’s long trip to Southampton.
However, with Sheffield United’s promotion chances hit, OPTA has made one early prediction about the race for the Premier League, and it’s good news for Middlesbrough supporters.
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Middlesbrough are the early favourites for promotion to the Premier League
Although we’re just under two months into the new season, the Championship table is slowly starting to take shape and we are seeing some surprise teams towards the top of the division.
Nevertheless, Edwards has been in this position before and knows how to get a team into the Premier League, having done so with Luton Town in 2022/23.
Now, OPTA have predicted that Middlesbrough have a 40.4% chance of winning promotion at the end of the season, making them the clear favourites.
Meanwhile, they have a 24.48% chance of finishing in first. However, their expected points is just 79.17 right now, while Leeds United needed 100 points to win the title last season.
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Boro have three tough fixtures coming up before the international break
We’ve got just three games to go in the Championship before the next international break, and for Middlesbrough, there is quite the set of fixtures coming up.
Will Still may be feeling the pressure at Southampton after a poor start and the visit of Boro next weekend will not be a welcome sight. However, this is an incredibly long away day for Edwards’ side, and that could be an issue.
The fast starting Stoke City then make the trip to the Riverside for a Tuesday evening clash, as Middlesbrough look to extend their lead at the top.
They then enter the international break with another trip to the south coast, with Portsmouth set to host Boro at Fratton Park. Similar to their clash against Southampton, the travel will be tough for those from the north-east and Pompey will be hoping to capitalise.