If you're looking to the data experts to give you hope for Carlisle United's survival...it might be better to look elsewhere.

There is little optimism to be found in some of the number-crunching by leading football data analytics firm Opta.

Their predicted final League Two table makes gloomy reading for the Blues.

United currently sit bottom of the pile after 25 games...and that's where they are set to stay, according to Opta's calculations.

Their supercomputer simulates each game thousands of times and comes up with the probability of each team's final position.

They predict that Carlisle will finish on no more than 42 points.

That, according to their expected table, will see United six points adrift of safety.

The Blues, who are aiming to defy the odds after a major recruitment drive in January, are tipped to go down along with Morecambe, who are forecast to finish second bottom on 43 points.

Tranmere Rovers are predicted to escape in 22nd position, on 48 points, below other strugglers such as Accrington Stanley, Harrogate Town, Swindon Town and Newport County.

Barrow's recent poor form does not point them towards the drop, according to Opta, with the south Cumbrians set to finish 17th and some ten points above the drop zone.

At the other end, runaway leaders Walsall are unsurprisingly predicted to win the title by a 17-point margin, with AFC Wimbledon tipped to rise from fourth to second and go up automatically, along with Notts County.

The play-offs in the predicted Opta table will be contested by Crewe Alexandra, Port Vale, Doncaster Rovers and Bradford City, with Salford City just missing out.

Carlisle have a 69 per cent chance of being relegated according to Opta's calculations, with United set to gain 24 more points from their remaining 21 games.

Another frustrating finding comes in the data analysts' version of what the table should look like in terms of expected goals (xG).

That metric, which rates the quality of chances created, shows that Carlisle should be 17th based on things at both ends of the pitch.

United, by their reckoning, should have scored 26 goals and conceded 31, and be on 31 points.

Instead, the actual table sees the Blues on 18 points, having scored 19 and conceded 39.

The data and predicted tables can be found at the Opta Analyst website HERE