Welcome Leeds United boost expected and Whites predicted to have big last laugh

Leeds are heading for Saturday’s final day of the Championship season with their automatic promotion hopes dangling by a very thin thread – and over if Ipswich Town avoid defeat at home to Huddersfield Town. Even a point against the relegation-destined Terriers would be enough to take Kieran McKenna’s side up in the division’s second automatic promotion spot and the bookmakers fully expect that to happen.

The Tractor Boys are an eye-wateringly short best-priced 1-4 to beat Saturday’s final day visitors and as short as 1-5 with some firms. Huddersfield are 12-1 shots to bag a victory that would take Leeds up if they also beat Saturday’s final day visitors Southampton.

But Ipswich are monster odds-on shots to bag either a victory or a draw, McKenna’s side 1-18 to avoid defeat against the Terriers with the draw on offer at 11-2. That would then be that but the bookies also expect Leeds to at least end the season with a welcome boost by beating Southampton.

More importantly, they also think Farke’s Whites will end the season with the last laugh of winning the play-offs. Southampton are heading to Elland Road having lost three games on the bounce, consigning Russell Martin’s side to a fourth-placed finish.

Another defeat is expected at Leeds who are odds-on with every bookmaker to take all three points. The Whites are no bigger than 3-5 but as short as 1-2 with some firms. Southampton can be backed at 9-2 to leave LS11 with a victory with 7-2 on offer about the draw.

But the bookmakers think Farke’s side will end the season with a win, followed by the pain of still being consigned to the play-offs but then ultimately winning them. Leeds and Southampton would meet in the play-off final if both win their semi-finals upon Ipswich going up in second place behind already crowned champions Leicester City.

But Leeds are rated the next most likely team to bag promotion after Ipswich who are now 1-33 to seal automatic promotion or 1-40 to go up considering that the Tractor Boys could yet end up in the play-offs. Leeds, who are now 16-1 to finish in the autos, are 11-8 to end the season with promotion, marginally shorter than Southampton at 15-8.

The bookies believe strongly that it will be one from the Whites or Saints as there is then a big gap in the market to Norwich City at 11-2 and West Brom at 6s. Hull City, who are 50s to go up, are expected to miss out on the top six altogether.