We asked AI exactly how many points Bristol City need to secure play-off spot - here’s its intriguing response

Bristol City bridged the gap between themselves and the play-off places with a well deserved 2-1 victory at home to Norwich City on Friday night.

The Ashton Gate side took the lead against the Canaries through Mark Sykes in the early exchanges and reinforced their advantage during the first half when Nakhi Wells fired in a low driven shot to mark his first strike since returning from injury.

The result briefly took the Robins up to fifth in the table before Coventry with their 10th win in 12 games - and West Brom with their 18th draw of the season, climbed back into the top six.

Liam Manning’s men are eyeing promotion to the Premier League in this campaign and are currently sat in 7th place in the table and are only outside the play-offs on goal difference. Bristol City last reached the Championship play-offs under Gary Johnson in 2008 and now face eight huge encounters to seal their place in the top six. But just how many points will Bristol City need to clinch top six football? We asked AI and this was its intriguing response.

AI predicts the number of points Bristol City need to secure play-off spot

Using AI’s Grok tool we took a look at the estimated amount of points Bristol City would need to secure a potential place in the play-offs.

AI’s verdict: Historically, the points total required for sixth place has varied, but over the past decade, it has generally hovered around 70-75 points. For example:

• - 2018-19: 69 points (Millwall missed out, Derby qualified with 74)
• - 2019-20: 75 points (Swansea qualified)
• - 2022-23: 70 points (Sunderland qualified)

A common benchmark for a play-off spot is around 72-73 points, though this can fluctuate depending on the season's competitiveness. With 46 games in a Championship season, Bristol City have 8 games remaining. Starting from their current 57 points, they would need additional points to reach that typical target.

With 8 games left, there are 24 points still available (8 wins × 3 points = 24). To get 15 points, they would need approximately 5 wins (5 × 3 = 15), or a combination like 4 wins and 3 draws (4 × 3 + 3 × 1 = 15). For 16 points, they’d need something like 5 wins and 1 draw (5 × 3 + 1 = 16). This translates to an average of about 1.875 to 2 points per game, which is a strong but achievable pace for a team in the play-off hunt.

Can Bristol City make the play-offs?

Bristol City face a nail-biting battle to secure their place in the top six but have shown plenty of signs of their potential throughout the season.

The Robins are currently on international duty but have one more game this month which is away against a high-flying Burnley side with the best defensive record of any team in the division.

Liam Manning’s men follow that up with a home match against Watford before a huge six pointer against rivals West Brom. The Cider Army then finish the season with games against QPR, Sunderland, Luton, Leeds United and Preston North End.

Read More: The stunning sum of money Bristol City could earn if promoted as Robins close in play-off spot