[ad_pod ]

Through his website FiveThirtyEight, leading sports data analyst Nate Silver has backed Dean Smith's Aston Villa to clinch a place in the Sky Bet Championship play-off places.

What's he predicted, then?

On a page predicting the outcome of the whole Championship table, Silver's website has placed Villa in fifth with 71 points, 10 adrift of West Bromwich Albion above but safely in the play-offs.

They are above Bristol City in sixth and Middlesbrough in seventh on goal difference, while Sheffield United miss out on automatic promotion by finishing third below Leeds United, with Norwich City holding on for the title.

After a few teething problems, Smith has hauled the Midlanders back into the promotion running since taking over from Steve Bruce and the club are currently in that fifth place after 11 victories in 27 to begin the reign of the boyhood Villan.

All that data now makes sense

With the form Villa are currently in, it's hard to argue with Silver on the prediction he's made - all the data available has been used to create it, after all.

Villa have won five of their last six in the league, pulling themselves up into the play-off places and not just sixth either - into fifth, so it's in their hands.

Unlike Bruce, Smith is showing all the signs that he's got what it takes to deliver a second play-off finish in a row and who would back against him at this stage?

Pl>ymaker FC Exclusive: Jermaine Jenas reveals he often received racist abuse after North London Derbies - Check out the video below...

Fans will only be hoping that their team can advance further than last year and finally return to the Premier League.