Latest Championship Odds: Falling Short of Expectations

The ninth game of the 2026/27 Championship season has now been and gone. So, that means we can look back at the table and odds as they are, and see what the market is saying about Matchday 9.

Let's dive in!

Another Derby Draw for West Ham

After their exciting 2-2 draw with Millwall, the expectation was that West Ham would return to winning ways against QPR. The Hoops have been impressive this season, sitting in the play-offs for most of the campaign so far.

However, most expected the Irons to be a class above here. Unfortunately for them, though, this wasn't the case.

After falling behind after 18 minutes, Jarrod Bowen got the Hammers level and the expectation was that they'd push on and grab three points. So, the late penalty seemed like the game's destiny was taking place. Yet, Bowen missed and the follow-up shot was saved. A huge missed opportunity.

As it stands, the Irons are still the favourites to win the Championship this season; this is unlikely to change anytime soon. However, they're four points behind the league leaders and have drawn the most games of anyone in the 'title picture'.

In other words, draws need to be converted to wins. Once they do that, there will be no questions about their ability to win the league.

Title Six-Pointer Already

The other two favourites for the title were involved in a proper battle on Saturday, with Wolves heading to Teesside to face Middlesbrough. Both were expected to be involved in the title race this season and they have been so far. Before the game, though, it was the hosts who were showing slightly more of a fight.

At full-time, that feeling continued with the Red Army picking up another three points at home, continuing their excellent form at the Riverside. So far this season, they have only dropped points once - a draw against Millwall - winning the rest.

It's a testament to why they sit second in the division on 18 points and this weekend's win was huge. It proved, again, that they are able to beat a newly relegated Premier League side and Will Lankshear grabbing another goal is only a good thing for those who backed him to be the league's top goalscorer.

From a Wolves perspective, they won't complain too much. They're six points off the top spot and their only losses so far have come against West Ham and Boro - in other words, the only two games you'd really expect them to face a challenge in.

Whilst it's a big boost for Boro, it's not season-ending for the visitors and that's what we must take from this game. The bookies clearly haven't lost confidence too, Boro are 4/1 to win the title and Wolves are 5/1. If they were worried, those prices would be much further apart!

Conversations About Swansea?

Before the international break, Swansea were dominating headlines for sitting at the top of the Championship. A club who were almost 2/1 for a top 12 finish were sitting at the top of the league. So, against a Norwich side that were penned to fight for promotion, some expected things to shift. Yet, they didn't.

The Swans flew once again, grabbing a third consecutive win despite going 0-1 down. Goals from Moussa Kounfolo Yeo and Adam Idah were enough to turn the game around and it keeps them at the top of the league.

They're still 20/1 to win the league this season, and there may need to be a serious conversation about the price soon. Even in the promotion markets they're 4/1, which feels a little high considering how they're doing currently... As expected, though, they're 4/7 for a top eight spot, so it feels like the price has gone there.

Southampton Win the South Coast Derby

Southampton's biggest game this season would be against Portsmouth once again and whilst it wasn't a battering, it didn't matter. Simply winning that game would provide a huge boost - another one after the news of Tonda Eckert's suspended punishment - and they did just that.

It wasn't pretty, especially with the Saints down to 10 inside the first half. However, Eckert's side got the job done and picked up another three points. In fact, without the points deduction, they'd be sitting third and are clearly enjoying their football currently.

They're backable at 1/3 to be in the top-eight at the end of the season, and it feels inevitable even now.

Stoke Flying Under the Radar?

When you think of sides that could get a top-eight spot, it feels like Stoke are always dismissed, despite doing some pretty good business. This season, it was no different and by the end of the season, that may have been the right decision.

Nevertheless, they're currently flying under the radar a little bit. They've won five of their last six games, drawing the other, and a 2-1 win against Bolton this weekend, even after losing a man early on, showed they're clearly a side to beat,

3/1 for them to get into the top eight doesn't feel like a brilliant price, we must say. However, they're a team to keep an eye on.

General Picture

With the number of teams fighting for a play-off place, it's impossible to look at all of them. So, we're going to look at a few others quickly here.

We've already looked at QPR's draw with West Ham, so there's not much to be discussed. From the Hoops' perspective, though, it's a big point on the road with plenty of positives to take. Interestingly, Bet365 are offering 3/1 for them to finish in the top eight, whilst some are under 2/1...

West Brom faced Birmingham this weekend in a Midlands derby, and it would be the Bluenoses who'd leave the happier side, picking up three points and leapfrogging their rivals into the play-offs. They're now just 5/6 for a top eight spot, whilst the Baggies are now backable at 5/4.

Millwall have had a solid few weeks, despite what the form record would suggest. Two draws don't look great on paper, but they came against Middlesbrough and West Ham, so they hold a lot of value. This weekend's win against Preston was a good one too, under new management. Betway offering 21/20 for a play-off finish is quite nice...

New Manager, No Difference

Preston have had a rough season so far and this weekend's game was no different. Facing Millwall, with the return of Graham Alexander, it was hoped that things would change. However, it was another defeat.

Yes, it came against a good team in the Lions. Yet, the effect on the table isn't any different than if it had come against a bottom three side. If anything, getting a game like that out of the way is a positive, but there's little to show that it will be seen that way going forward.

They're 8/11 to go down this season with the Flutter brands, and it wouldn't surprise me if that price only got shorter...

Bolton Lose to 10 Men

When Bolton were given a man advantage against Stoke, the expectation would be that they got something from the game. However, the Potters' quality advantage showed and Bolton lost their third home fixture of the season.

Sitting in 17th, three points off the drop zone, they're not really in huge danger currently and their 9/4 price to go down reflects that.

Two Losses in a Row for Lincoln

A lot of the same can be said for Lincoln here; with a point more, they sit a place higher than Bolton and feel like they're only in the 'favourites' category for relegation because they're a newly promoted side. Nevertheless, here we are.

Losing to Sheffield United by three goals to nil is certainly a bit of a worry, though. Before this game, the Blades hadn't won a Championship game by more than a goal since April. So, it's slightly concerning, especially for a side whose defence has been pretty solid so far.

Again, though, they're not in huge danger.

General Picture

With one team below Evens to go down, it's clear that the relegation picture is pretty wide in the Championship this season. So, let's look at a few of them.

Starting here with the other promoted side, Cardiff had a huge chance to give themselves a bit of breathing room against a poor Blackburn Rovers side. However, they fell to a 2-1 defeat and that is a bit of a worry. They're a goal outside of the bottom three, yet they're 16/5... that feels too high of a price, I'll say that much.

Watford are also in danger; that cannot be denied. They beat Southampton on the opening day and their only other win has come against Preston. In their last five, they've lost four times, conceding nine times and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. They're 3/1 with the best football bookmakers and that looks somewhat appealing as well.

BetVictor have Derby at 3/1 to go down and that feels maybe a little high, too. Having won just once this season, they sit on just six points so far and there's not really any signs of them improving. It's another team to keep an eye on.

Then, we need to mention Norwich, who are also falling short of expectations. Like Derby - but times 10 - they were expected to be in the play-off discussion. Yet, they're in danger of going down this season. They've lost their last three games and have lost three other games, too. Maybe the 40/1 offered by PricedUp for them to be relegated is worth a look...