Championship Betting Predictions, Top Scorer, 1-24, Odds 2025/26

Read our expert insights, predictions and tips for the 2025/26 EFL Championship season as we look at odds for the winner, promotion, relegation and the top goalscorer, as well as a 1-24.

After a decent go at the predictions last season, we are back with this season's predictions for the upcoming Championship season. I have also signed up to stick my neck out a little more with a 1-24, so stay tuned for that.

Before we get into it, I will start (and repeat throughout) that the Championship is so difficult to predict, but I'm going to do my best anyway. I have reviewed the statistics, teams, and transfers, and I think I've compiled a decent list of odds.

The Championship always has a few shocks for us, so this year will probably be no different.

Who Will Win the Championship Title?

Looking at the Championship this season, things are undoubtedly difficult to call. But, would we have it any other way? The answer is certainly not. For years, I've believed that it is the best league in football for drama. This season, it should be no different.

Picking a winner is tough, but I feel it is difficult to look past Ipswich Town to spearhead the division and return to the Premier League for the first time of asking. Last season, they were clearly a class below other teams in the league.

However, it was a weird season, and they were, perhaps, a little flattered by other teams around them. Nevertheless, they have remained a strong outfit, retaining Kieran McKenna and most of the squad that took them up.

Losing Liam Delap is not a new issue, as this was likely expected from the start of their relegation woes. Nevertheless, they have invested well, bringing experience into a relatively young team. For me, they are a strong bet to win the division.

Below that, it is really difficult to really work out where everyone can or will finish.

However, I think the other automatic spot is more likely to go to Southampton than anyone else. It is difficult to overturn a squad like Southampton's in a few months. However, it is not impossible, and a fresh start should help with that.

Will Still - yes, the coach who went 14 games unbeaten without a UEFA Pro licence - is a great coach past the social media hype. In fact, few hires could have been made that were probably better than him.

With experience in Ligue 1 with Stade Reims and Lens - where he also managed a few games in the Champions League - he is a fantastic young coach with a high ceiling.

Whilst he has lost a few of the mainstays from the Premier League squad, this is not a bad thing and can be a positive. Some interesting signings have been made so far, and there is potential for more. There is time, indeed and Still can potentially get them going early on.

Who Will Gain Promotion From the Championship?

It is entirely possible that those two could be involved in the general race for promotion, of course. Likewise any of these teams could push for the title. There are so many teams that could push for the Top Six this season, and that is a bit problematic, in the best way.

Coming just below the title fight, I think it'll be Birmingham City, and it is a decision that I have not had any ease with. There is a very big chance that the Blues could push for the title, if not just an automatic spot.

Investment, this summer, has continued at the staggering rate of last year, and the money being pumped into the club is staggering, and that is without even considering the period before the new ownership.

Around £8 million has been spent this summer, but it could rise to a lot more in the final few weeks of the market if other signings finalise. Then, there are the considerations to make about players arriving like Kyogo Furuhashi, Tommy Doyle and Demarai Gray.

They should be well up there this season; it is difficult to see them not being.

Sheffield United could well follow them up in the league table this season, and the Blades are one of the stronger sides in the league. Despite reaching the Play-Off final last summer, they still had a bit of a reset this summer, and this will bring hopes of going one step further.

Chris Wilder's sacking can be monumental for the club, and Ruben Selles will be asked to immediately improve results and get the team flowing in a more attractive way - which they should have done last season.

I was slightly tempted to put Frank Lampard's Coventry City a place higher this season, and I think they could well have a fantastic season. The squad, on paper, is superb, and they have strengthened last season's foundations.

Wholesale changes have not arrived, but they did not need to. Lampard proved his credentials last season and with a better start, he could have had them in a better position at the end of the year.

Finally, I quite like the look of Norwich City's summer and I think they could pose a threat to the top six. There are several other teams that could have found a place in here, of course. However, I think that they may have a little more than the likes of West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough and Millwall.

Liam Manning is a superb coach, and he can provide a bit of stability to the Canaries this season. Recruitment on the pitch has also been strong, despite the loss of last season's two stars. Around £20 million has been spent, with Manning laying the foundations for a promising future.

Who Will Be Relegated From the Championship?

With the top end of the table looked at, now we need to look at the bottom side of the division, and there are some standout teams for me in the relegation picture, once again this year.

It feels bad looking at Sheffield Wednesday and condemning them to the bottom of the league. However, it feels nearly impossible for that reality to be avoided right now. The Owls have finally succumbed to the effects of terrible ownership - a sad state of affairs, indeed.

Danny Rohl's departure, partnered with only 16 squad players and a transfer embargo just reads horribly. It is admirable that some players have opted to remain at the club, but avoiding relegation this season just feels near impossible.

A club undergoing struggles this summer, as well, are Hull City, who have really started to turn on their ownership, understandably. Mistakes continue to be made, with no changes to the approach, which is only becoming frustrating for those involved.

Signings this summer have been largely interesting, with more unknown names arriving. However, it is not to say that they can't work. For Hull, the biggest issue may be the lack of unity across the board, and that can be costly.

Finally, there could be a shock at the bottom, and I think Preston North End may really struggle. The bottom end, past those two, is going to be quite a dogfight, I think, and Preston could be dragged into it.

Some interesting signings have been made, for not a lot of money, and there have been a lot of departures, so I think they could potentially struggle this year.

Who Will Be the Championship’s Top Scorer?

With other leagues, I've been quite confident putting forward suggestions about a top goalscorer. The odds start at 10/1 in the Championship, and I have little idea about how it'll actually go. I know, a great sign.

So, I'm going to list a few with the E/W markets and hope we can get a few nice prices and values.

Starting off with Sammie Szmodics, I think he'll have a great season in the Championship, especially in a more prominent role. With Ipswich likely to do well too, the price of 14/1 looks a real treat on Betway, with E/W pricing at four places.

Last season, Mihailo Ivanovic scored 12 goals in 37 games for Millwall, and I think that number can increase this year. The Lions could do very well this season, and he will be a big reason. The 22/1 price looks far too generous too. It is certainly tempting E/W again.

Josh Sargent also being available at 17/1 is a nice price; he's consistently hit around 15 goals, and that could increase this season with the pressure on him a little more.