New boost in Leeds United promotion bid expected amid fresh obstacles for key rival and change

Another big boost in Leeds United's bid for an immediate Premier League return is firmly expected amid fresh obstacles for a key promotion rival.

Third-placed Leeds will seek to net a seventh consecutive league win in Tuesday night's Championship clash at Swansea City, from which the bookmakers confidently think Daniel Farke's side will leave with all three points.

Sixteenth-placed Swansea bagged their first victory under new boss Luke Williams with Saturday's 1-0 win at promotion-chasing Hull City but Leeds are strong odds on favourites to leave South Wales with another win.

The Whites are hovering around the 1-2 marker with some firms and are no bigger than 8-13 whereas Swansea can be backed at 9-2. The draw, meanwhile, is on offer at 10-3.

Leeds looked to be heading into the division's second automatic promotion place on Saturday as Southampton trailed at home to Huddersfield Town only for the Saints to fight back and record a 5-3 victory.

But Russell Martin's second-placed side now face the notable double challenge of back to back away games against sides chasing the play-offs places, starting with Tuesday night's clash at 13th-placed Bristol City.

Southampton are odds-on favourites to beat the Robins but not as short as Leeds are at Swansea. The Saints are near the even money marker at 5-6 to beat a Bristol City side who are 7-2. The draw is available at 11-4.

Just three days later, Southampton will then face fifth-placed West Brom at The Hawthorns in a contest for which the Saints can be backed at odds against at 5-4.

West Brom are just 11-5 whereas the draw is a similar price at 5-2. Southampton are currently one point ahead of Leeds and with a game in hand but the bookmakers think that it is more likely that the Saints will drop points in their next two games than Leeds.

The Whites will follow tonight's clash at Swansea with a Saturday afternoon trip to 15th-placed Plymouth Argyle for which United are again firm odds-on favourites at 1-2 in facing a Plymouth side who are 11-2 shots.

Fourth-placed Ipswich Town are now three points below Leeds after their weekend 2-2 draw at home to West Brom, albeit with a game in hand, and the Tractor Boys visit Millwall on Wednesday night.

Ipswich are favourites but odds against at 23-20 against a Millwall side at 27-10. The Tractor Boys then visit Swansea on Saturday afternoon, for which they are even money favourites.

But in an automatics landscape change, the bookmakers already think that the battle to finish in the division's second automatic promotion place is now a two horse race, just shaded by Southampton.

Leaders Leicester City are long odds on favourites to win the division at 2-9 but there is then very little between second favourites Southampton at 9-1 and third favourites Leeds at 10s.

Fourth favourites Ipswich are now all the way out to 50-1, after which there is an even bigger gap to 500-1 chances West Brom.