A predicted League One table makes for good reading if you are of a Lincoln City persuasion.
The Imps have been placed in second, an automatic-promotion spot, by a recent table made using Opta’s probability model.
What Has Opta Predicted?
The standings by Opta, puts Michael Skubala’s side higher up the table than the fourth-place they currently sit in.
The prediction has put Lincoln City only behind big-spenders Birmingham City, who currently rule the roost in the third tier. The Blues currently sit pretty on the table’s summit, with 22 points from their opening nine games, heading into the latest international break.
Wycombe Wanderers (currently fifth), Bolton Wanderers (currently 13th), Huddersfield Town (currently ninth), and Exeter City (currently seventh) occupy the play-off spots on the predictions.
Then come Welsh outfit Wrexham, who fall from second in the current standings to just outside the play-off places in the ‘super computer’s’ results.
Darrell Clarke’s Barnsley, Steve Bruce led Blackpool and Darren Ferguson’s Peterborough United round out the top ten. Meanwhile, Reading and Stevenage make up the rest of the top-half, with the latter the only side other than Birmingham to be predicted to finish in the position they currently occupy.
Good News for Lincoln City, Or Does it Not Matter? – Opinion
I fall into the latter of those two camps, as despite the intelligence and skill that goes into making these Opta AI predicted tables, they are merely that. A prediction.
What it does is gives League One fans something to talk about, and that is a good thing for Lincoln City. They are riding the crest of a strong early season wave, with a recent win over Leyton Orient and academy product Jovon Makama signing a fresh contract adding to the feel-good factor around the LNER Stadium.
The only table that matters is that one that will be produced at the end of the season, so let’s see how close to the latest predictions it does eventually fall.