Does the Editor-in-Chief of a journal usually follow the advice and recommendations of the associate editor/senior editor?
For a journal large enough to have multiple layers of editors, the EIC is unlikely to be directly involved in the processing of most articles.  Depending on the journal policy, the EIC may be formally required to approve all publications, but this would be a pro forma step in ordinary circumstances.  For some large journals, the an article may never cross the EIC's desk at all if there are no problems during the review process.

When the EIC would become involved is if there is a problem.  I think this would normally occur when an author protests against a rejection.  However, it is conceivable that an associate editor might escalate a problem that occurred internally, if there was some peculiar problem with the submission or the reviews.

In your case, if you are not aware of any unusual circumstances surrounding your submission, I would assume that the EIC will follow the judgement of the associate editor.