Supercomputer predicts tough year for Wigan Athletic in League One this season

The hypothetical machine - hailed as 'a probability model, not determined by human predictions or bias' - believes the campaign with end in relegation to League Two for Ryan Lowe's men.

Latics are predicted to finish on 43 points, recording six wins, 25 draws and 15 losses, which would see them finish in 22nd place - five points adrift of the safety mark.

According to the Supercomputer prediction:

* Cardiff will win the league;

* Wycombe will be promoted to the Championship;

* Plymouth, Reading, Stockport, and Lincoln City will reach the play-offs;

* Bradford, Wigan, Peterborough and AFC Wimbledon will be relegated to League Two.

Both of Latics' derbies against local rivals Bolton Wanderers are predicted to be tight affairs, with a 1-1 and a 2-2 draw being played out in the simulation.

VBET’s Supercomputer predicted the outcome of each individual fixture based on the strength of the teams playing and their overall chances of winning fixtures based on betting market odds.

All while accounting for underdogs winning a percentage of matches, and these odds were increased for derby fixtures, which are more likely to produce an underdog winning.

The machine then simulates these variables hundreds of times and produces an average league table based on these simulations.

Here is the predicted 2025/26 League One table, simulated by VBET’s Supercomputer:

TEAM PTS (GD)

1 CARDIFF CITY 83 (+26)

2 WYCOMBE WANDERERS 75 (+22)

3 PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 75 (+15)

4 READING 74 (+25)

5 STOCKPORT COUNTY 73 (+15)

6 LINCOLN CITY 73 (+10)

7 HUDDERSFIELD TOWN 71 (+21)

8 LUTON TOWN 69 (+11)

9 BLACKPOOL 66 (+2)

10 BOLTON WANDERERS 65 (+5)

11 LEYTON ORIENT 65 (+3)

12 BURTON ALBION 64 (-13)

13 DONCASTER ROVERS 60 (+3)

14 BARNSLEY 59 (+3)

15 STEVENAGE 55 (-3)

16 ROTHERHAM UNITED 54 (+1)

17 MANSFIELD TOWN 50 (-9)

18 PORT VALE 50 (-12)

19 EXETER CITY 50 (-23)

20 NORTHAMPTON TOWN 48 (-16)

21 BRADFORD CITY 45 (-22)

22 WIGAN ATHLETIC 43 (-9)

23 PETERBOROUGH UNITED 40 (-16)

24 AFC WIMBLEDON 40 (-39)