Supercomputer predicts how League One promotion race will unfold for Birmingham, Rotherham, Huddersfield and Barnsley

Birmingham City will begin life in League One at home to Reading on the opening day of the 2024/25 season.

The EFL have revealed the fixture schedule for all 72 member clubs, and Blues begin at St Andrew's against another former Premier League team. Reading have fallen on hard times and have still not resolved their ownership issues, which over the last few seasons have seen them dealt points deductions.

In previous years, the Royals would have been considered potentially contenders for promotion, but right now they will be focusing on just surviving as a club. Former Southampton boss Ruben Selles is in charge down there, and the match will represent two teams who will want to get back to their glory days.

The Grosvenor Sport SuperComputer have cast their predictions, and it makes for good reading. They believe that Birmingham at the end of May will be lifting the title. Blackpool, who were relegated at the time time as Birmingham from Premier League are tipped to join them in the Championship.

As for the outcome of the two other teams relegated from the second tier last season, well Rotherham United aren’t even being tipped for a play-off spot. The Milers have been busy in the transfer market, but the supercomputer believes Steve Evans’ men will finish 10th. It’s better news for Huddersfield Town though as after appointing Michael Duff, they believe the Terriers will finish fifth.

The SuperComputer is a probability model, not determined by human predictions or bias. What happens is the SuperCoputer estimates the outcome of each remaining fixture based on a team’s current strength (based on factors such as league position and form) and market betting odds. The machine then simulates the remaining games in a season 1,000 times and constructs an average league table from the 1,000 simulations, to rule out anomalous results.

Here’s the table in full, with Birmingham City's predicted finish compared against the likes of Wrexham, Stockport County, Barnsley and Bolton.

24th: Burton Albion - 35 pts (-31 GD)

23rd: Cambridge United - 40pts (-25)

22nd: Shrewsbury Town - 42pts (-33)

21st: Crawley Town - 42pts (-31)

20th: Mansfield Town - 46pts (-9)

19th: Wrexham - 47pts (-16)

18th: Leyton Orient - 53pts (-12)

17th: Northampton Town - 54pts (-7)

16th: Wigan Athletic - 54pts (-6)

15th: Bristol Rovers - 55pts (-11)

14th: Reading - 58pts (-9)

13th: Stevenage - 62pts (-3)

12th: Charlton Athletic - 63pts (-2)

11th: Exeter City - 64pts (-1)

10th: Rotherham United - 67pts (+5)

9th: Stockport County - 72pts (+1)

8th: Barnsley - 73pts (+15)

7th: Wycombe Wanderers - 73pts (+17)

6th: Peterborough United - 74pts (+12)

5th: Huddersfield Town - 83pts (+27)

4th: Bolton Wanderers - 86pts (+33)

3rd: Lincoln City - 87pts (+26)

2nd: Blackpool - 93pts (+26)

1st: Birmingham City - 96pts (+34)