Championship: Sheffield United Still Not Favourites While Bottom Teams Struggle - Odds Watch

Despite winning on Matchday 21 - being one of nine teams to - Sheffield United's odds to clinch the Championship title have not changed, even if Leeds United were one of the teams to drop points.

Sheffield United Odds Unchanged Despite Gap

While writing this, I still struggle to understand why there is such a gap between Sheffield United and Leeds United's odds. After a 2-0 win against Plymouth Argyle this weekend, the Blades are now top of the league by three points, but there has not been much change, if any in their odds and they still remain at 3/1 to win the league.

It is understandable why Leeds remain the favourites to win the division, but the fact that the two teams are not closer despite the gap emerging is somewhat baffling. Perhaps, the bookies still think that the South Yorkshire outfit will drop off.

In West Yorkshire, there will not be much panic at all, in fact, far from it. A draw against Preston - after going behind - is a passable result, especially considering it was a dreaded early kick-off. A three-point gap can be overturned.

Whilst struggling to understand the gap in odds, I don't think the price of 3/1 is worth getting on yet. Chris Wilder's side have a very difficult Christmas period, so it may be one to revise in the New Year, but the odds could be much different by then.

Premier League Spots Are Heavily Contested

As expected, there are several teams vying for a place in the promotion picture in the Championship and ignoring the top two clubs, there are six teams fighting for four (maybe five if we include the second place spot) places.

Burnley could - and I'm not sure how much I'm on board with this myself - get themselves involved in the title race this season. However, issues have been too frequent, and I feel like they still lack something, perhaps another thing we need to revise in January.

You could, perhaps, also throw Sunderland into the conversation, given they have been very solid throughout the season. Once again though, I'm not fully on board with them, so that's why we are discussing the chances of them getting a promotion, rather than the title.

We then have a pack of four aside from that mix: Blackburn Rovers (who lead on 37 points), then we have Middlesbrough, Watford and West Bromwich Albion.

I'm still most confident about Middlesbrough in this group, and I really like the chances of them getting promoted, and then Blackburn would follow, although it is worth mentioning I'd rather Burnley or one of the title picture teams above them.

For Watford, I'm not completely sold on them, and I doubt I will be until later in the season, I think Carlos Corberan will not be with the Baggies come May, given the links to several clubs, so that puts me off a bet there...

Strugglers Struggle More Each Week

The relegation picture has not really thrown us much this season, and it is quite a closed-off scene, with the odds suggesting as much as well.

Hull City remain rooted to the bottom after losing again this weekend, and they are in a really, really precarious situation now. With each week, I'm losing hope about their chances, making 5/2 look quite attractive, but there is a saving grace that we will get to.

Portsmouth are also in a similar position and once again, I cannot see them getting much better over the course of the season, so I'm looking at their odds already. The same goes for Plymouth Argyle who are, in my eyes, almost at a point of no return.

The saving grace for these clubs, and I'm including them all, is the gap outside of the relegation area. There are just six points between Stoke City in 17th and Hull in 24th, so if there is a good - or even average - spell between now and the end of the season, there could be something salvaged.

Either way though, there is a clear split occurring in the league, and those at the bottom are getting further away.