Aside from the EPL winner, one of the big questions in the world of sports is who will win the EFL Championship – and there seems to be one standout team. It seems that bookies are unanimously favouring Leicester to clinch the title – and get promotion back into the Premier League – and they’ll be desperate for it.
Leicester’s £40 million transfer of James Maddison to Tottenham, along with parachute payments, has left them with plenty of money to buy new players, whilst retaining most of their current squad. As such, many see them as the clear favourites to win the Championship this season.
However, they aren’t the only ones touted to do well. Leeds and Southampton are seen as the second and third favourites by many as well – which aligns with the fact that they, too, have their parachute payments for their summer spends. However, football is a funny game – and history has certainly shown that not all three relegated teams manage to make a next-season return to the top tier. We are sure that at least one of these teams will have a more challenging season than they expect.
So, what are the options? Well, an outsider choice to win the Championship could be Middlesbrough – who reached the playoffs last season and have demonstrated a lot of progress under Michael Carrick. Provided they can retain the former Manchester United midfielder for the entire season, we should certainly see a competitive run for them – and the latest Championship odds for them are pretty tasty.
Which Teams Will Be Promoted to The Premier League?
Maybe a bit of an easier question to answer is which teams might be promoted – as there is a bit of leeway here. One of the standout names here is Middlesbrough – who many think have a good chance of promotion this season – and the odds are pretty good as well, so it’s an attractive choice if you fancy putting money on them and think they could enjoy another strong season under Carrick. However, other top contenders are those clubs that all have Premier League experience… Norwich and West Brom.
Then we can’t ignore Kieran McKenna’s newly-promoted Ipswich squad. They may be freshly promoted to the Championship League, but they are playing well and certainly are in with the chance of back-to-back promotions. It may not be a surefire choice, but if you are looking for a bit of a dark horse, then it’s definitely well worth a look.
The Championship often delivers a surprise contender for promotion, even if they don’t actually achieve it, and the Tractor Boys could well do a good job in the 2023/24 season.
Which Teams Will Face Relegation?
Based on what the bookies think, the odds suggest there’s a 25% likelihood that Neil Warnock could be in trouble this season. Although he worked wonders to rescue Huddersfield Town from relegation last season, the bookmakers aren’t as confident in his success this time – and this time they might not be so lucky. However, despite this Rotherham and Plymouth are considered more likely to be relegated than Huddersfield – followed by QPR, Cardiff and Sheffield Wednesday.
There are quite a few names thrown into the mix in fact – which shows exactly how difficult it is trying to predict relegation from the Championship. Then we also have to factor in the persistent concern of financial troubles, with EFL clubs like Reading, Sheffield Wednesday, Derby and Birmingham all having faced point deductions in recent seasons due to financial issues. It wouldn’t be surprising if another club falls afoul of financial constraints in the future.
Which Teams Will Have a Bottom Half Finish?
If you are looking for more value bets in the Championship, then it’s a good idea to consider clubs that are expected to reach the playoffs but could end up underperforming.
Coventry had a shot at Premier League promotion last season and are expected to have a top-six finish this time. However, most think that Mark Robins’ team might have missed their biggest opportunity.
Millwall also took bookmakers by surprise with their play-off contention in 2022/23, but they could also experience a setback. Despite finishing eighth last season, it looks as though they won’t make the top 10 this season. Similarly, Blackburn is expected to have another middling season in the Championship after their flirtation with the play-offs last year.
As you can see, the Championships is anything but predictable. While many agree that Leicester City are favourites to win, how the rest of it will play out is anyone’s guess!
