Latest Championship Odds: Swans Flying High After Five

The fifth game of the 2026/27 Championship season has now been and gone. So, that means we can look back on the table and odds as they are, and see what the market is saying about Matchday 5.

Let's dive in!

West Ham Remain Favourites

It hadn't been the best start to life in the second tier for West Ham United, but they can now shout about back to back wins. It's a much needed six points to really kick start their campaign and whilst they've not been the best value for money yet, they seem to have warmed back up.

Seven goals scored - including four against Wolves last week - in two games, is a statement from the Hammers and you'd feel rather positive if you were in Claret and Blue right now. At 15/8, it's no surprise that the market is warming to them to win the Championship title even more this season.

Wolves Disappoint in Local Rivalry

Wolves haven't played Birmingham in eight years, so this fixture promised to be a big one for both clubs. In hindsight, it's not really a surprise that the game finished as a draw, but Wolves will certainly be left the more disappointed of the two.

Taking the lead twice, they dropped points after a dismal own goal - it's worth a watch, honestly - and it's those sorts of errors that put them in the Championship in the first place.

Saying that, a point at St. Andrew's is a strong result, especially in a derby... We won't be too harsh on the result, but they need to be a little less mistake-prone moving forward!

Middlesbrough Continue Fine Form

Before the season, Middlesbrough were well backed for promotion and it's no surprise why. They've got a fantastic squad and whilst they've not always shown it this season, they have the quality to just get by in games.

So, their win against QPR this weekend has left me thoroughly impressed. As Kim Hellberg admitted, they had a semi-fit Will Lankshear available and he still made the difference. He's now got five goals in five games and our top scorer bet is looking LOVELY as a result.

It's a huge win against a QPR side who've looked pretty solid so far, and they're tough to contest as a title contender right now. That 5/1 for them to win the division is only going to drop if they continue like this...

Swansea Flying High

I can't put them in the title race section just yet, but Swansea are making it difficult to overlook them at this stage. They're the current league leaders and one of only two teams to be unbeaten so far this season.

11 points from five games, they've settled into a really nice rhythm this season under Vitor Matos and whilst this week hasn't been the flashiest in terms of results, they've been incredibly solid. A 2-0 win against Watford in midweek is a solid start, but it's their draw against Wrexham which left me most impressed.

The Red Dragons have been well backed for a play-off spot and the Swans have gone under the radar. However, it's them who are flying. At this rate, the price we took on them in pre-season is looking incredibly generous and their aspirations are on the rise. They're now 5/4 for a Top Eight spot, that could certainly go...

Millwall Bounce Back

After a rough week for Millwall - where they conceded eight goals in two games - they needed a win and a home game against Bolton Wanderers offered them a perfect chance of that. Thankfully for our tips, they eased to victory.

A 4-0 win with two red cards, it was surely one of the games of the weekend. A much needed win for the Lions, they have re-solidified their claims for being in the Top Eight at the end of the season and they'll hope to follow this result up with more points.

The past week must be a blip if that's to be the case.

Bristol City Beat Struggling Burnley

Bristol City have bounced back incredibly well in the past three games. Opening with a loss and a draw, some may have thought they were wrongly backed this season, but back-to-back-to-back wins proves otherwise.

Their latest win was the most impressive, too, beating Burnley at Turf Moor. Don't get me wrong, the Clarets have looked woeful so far this season, but on stature, they should've been a more difficult game.

Yet, here we are, discussing yet another Bristol City win. It's tough to overlook their credentials given what they've shown already this year. The fact that Ladbrokes (and it's sister site) are offering almost 3/1 still for a top eight finish feels generous...

Lincoln Leave It Late

Lincoln were most people's favourites to go down this season and they looked to be in danger after the first few weeks. Nevertheless, they're turning it around a little bit. A win and a draw in their two previous games were solid, but a loss was expected against Southampton.

Yet, it didn't arrive. Instead, an 87th minute equaliser did, to stop those expectations from playing out. It's a huge result for the Imps, as it keeps their momentum going against a very good side in the Saints.

As a result of their recent form, the bookmakers are constantly re-assessing their price and they're now as high as 4/5 to stay up this season...

Preston Grab Derby Day Win

Another side who've opened this year terribly is Preston North End, but they showed signs of life this weekend against Blackburn Rovers in a Lancashire derby. Rovers haven't exactly been consistent yet this season, so this was a huge chance for Preston to get something and they did.

A brace from Callum Lang was enough for the Lilywhites to grab all three points, which were much-needed. It takes them off the foot of the league and gives them something to build on moving forward. You can't deny it's a big result, but they need to act on its impact...

Cardiff Struggle to Adjust

Coming up to the Championship from League One is tough, we've seen it countless times before and we'll continue to see it. So, it's not really a major surprise that Cardiff are struggling to adapt - especially with the style of football which they play.

After three draws, they've lost both of their last two games and this weekend's came against another relegation threatened side in Portsmouth. It's a huge game to lose this early on and they'll be feeling the impact of that for a while, you'd think.

General Picture

We could mention 10 teams in this section, really. There are plenty of struggling teams or teams that are getting by, but could fold soon. So, it's best to do a run-through of several teams.

Starting off, we have Burnley, who sit bottom. The Clarets are 20/1 with BetVictor to go down, but they should maybe be lower. They're yet to win a game, concede goals like there's no tomorrow and are showing no signs of turning it around. Saying they're in danger now may be an overreaction, but they're certainly not safe.

After starting with four points, Bolton Wanderers have lost each of their last three games, seeing their odds shorten to 11/10 to go down with the best football bookmakers.

It's also probably worth mentioning Watford, who are 6/1 for the drop. They've not won since the opening day and they've lost their last two games. In fairness, they've had difficult fixtures, but they need to get back on track quickly.