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Supercomputer Predicts Outcome of Wrexham’s Playoff Push Ahead of Coventry Clash

The Red Dragons are within striking distance of a top six finish.
The Red Dragons have continued their remarkable rise.
The Red Dragons have continued their remarkable rise. | Photo by MB Media/Getty Images

Wrexham’s first Championship campaign in 43 years is shaping up for a dramatic finish that will determine the team’s playoff fate.

After a dismal start to April knocked the Red Dragons’ out of the playoff places, back-to-back wins have once again fueled their promotion dreams. Phil Parkinson’s men toppled Stoke City and then Oxford United to reclaim sixth place with two games left to play.

Except seventh-place Hull City remain level on points with Wrexham, which means the Welsh outfit cannot afford any blunders to close out the season. A perfect end will be anything but easy, considering they are heading to newly crowned champions Coventry City at the weekend, before ending their campaign against playoff contenders Middlesbrough.

Here’s how Opta’s supercomputer predicts the Red Dragons’ chances of securing a place in the Championship playoffs.


Supercomputer Predicts 2025–26 Championship Playoff Race

Wrexham
Wrexham are back in the playoff places with two games left to play. | James Gill-Danehouse/Getty Images

Pos.

Team

Current Points

Expected Points

Playoff Percentage

2

Millwall

79

82.58

57.08

3

Ipswich Town

76

82.15

51.82

4

Southampton

76

79.23

93.22

5

Middlesbrough

73

78.45

97.58

6

Hull City

70

72.73

48.44

7

Wrexham

70

72.40

48.46

8

Derby County

66

68.80

2.68

Atop the table, Coventry City have already secured their long-awaited Premier League return. Millwall are in pole position to finish second and become the second team automatically promoted, but Ipswich Town are putting the pressure on. Opta predicts both teams to finish with around 82 points, but gives the current runners-up the edge.

Whichever team falls short gets the consolation of competing in the playoffs, alongside the clubs that finish fourth, fifth and sixth. The supercomputer rates in-form Southampton and Middlesbrough to easily qualify, giving the former 93.22% odds and the latter 97.58% odds of keeping their Premier League dreams alive.

The big battle comes between Hull and Wrexham for the final playoff spot. Despite the Red Dragons currently sitting in sixth place, they are pegged to drop to seventh come the end of the season by Opta. The Tigers are predicted to make the playoffs instead.

The margins are incredibly minuscule, though, which should give fans plenty of hope. Hull is expected to finish with 72.73 points compared to the Red Dragons’ 72.40. There is also only 0.02 separating their playoff percentages.

One swing in the final two games of the season could upend the predictions and see Wrexham sneak into the playoffs, but only if they win both of their remaining games.


When Can Wrexham Secure a Place in the Championship Playoffs?

Since there are only two games left in the season, Wrexham will likely have to wait until the final matchday to find out their fate. It could come down to a photo-finish between the Red Dragons and Hull for sixth place.

The good news for fans is that both teams kick off their final matches of the season the same time (12:30 p.m. BST / 7:30 a.m. ET / 4:30 a.m. PT), so they will know once the final whistle sounds on Saturday, May 2 whether the Red Dragons did enough to snag a place in the playoffs.

Should both Wrexham and Hull end the season level on points, as they are now, goal difference will be the difference-maker. At the time of writing, Parkinson’s men have the edge with a +6 goal difference compared to the Tigers’ +4.


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Amanda Langell
AMANDA LANGELL

Amanda Langell is a Sports Illustrated FC freelance writer and editor. Born and raised in New York City, her first loves were the Yankees, the Rangers and Broadway before Real Madrid took over her life. Had it not been for her brother’s obsession with Cristiano Ronaldo, she would have never lived through so many magical Champions League nights 3,600 miles away from the Bernabéu. When she’s not consumed by Spanish and European soccer, she’s traveling, reading or losing her voice at a concert.

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