Leeds go top to slash Championship promotion odds

Leeds Go Top to Slash Championship Promotion Odds

Goals in either half from Wilfried Gnonto and Dan James saw Leeds United to a 2-0 home win over Millwall that sent them top of the league and cut their Championship promotion odds.

Leeds are now also the shortest odds to win the Championship that we have seen all season at 9/4 with most bookies. Although, Leceister are still the favourite at 1/2.

Daniel Farke's men are now just 1/5 to secure a return to the Premier League after wrapping up an eighth straight Championship victory at Elland Road. Leeds took full advantage of Leicester City being otherwise engaged, with the Foxes beaten 4-2 at Chelsea in an FA Cup quarter-final.

But the bookmakers remain convinced that Leicester will shake off a sticky period of form and book one of the two automatic promotion places. Enzo Maresca's team have seen their cushion at the top of the table eroded by one win in five, but they are still 1/14 shots to nail promotion.

Ipswich Town moved a point behind Leicester - who now have a game in hand - thanks to a 6-0 crushing of relegation-threatened Sheffield Wednesday at Portman Road. Kieran McKenna's men have won four on the bounce at home, but despite netting 16 times in that run their goal difference is still significantly worse than both Leicester and Leeds. That helps to explain their Championship promotion odds of 11/10 going into the Easter double-header after the break.

Southampton did not play at the weekend and their Championship promotion odds of evens reflect the fact they have played two games fewer than Leeds and Ipswich. The Saints might be nine points outside the top two, but Leicester away is one of their remaining league games. They play Middlesbrough and Ipswich over Easter, but two home 2-1 losses in four days against Hull City and Millwall might yet prove the key slip-up in their bid for an automatic promotion place.

With the top four seemingly set in stone, the annual scramble for play-off places continues. West Brom's 2-0 win at home to Bristol City at the weekend leaves them eight points clear of seventh spot, with the Baggies now at 1/2 in the Championship top six finish betting odds.

Occupying the sixth spot is Norwich City (now just 11/8 for a play-off place) thanks to Saturday's 3-0 win away to Stoke City. David Wagner's Norwich have won three of their last four and are in good shape to book their spot in the play-offs, but the chasing pack remain right on their tail.

Firmly in the hunt are Hull City, though four draws in a row have dented their Championship play-off race betting odds. The Tigers (2/1) play Stoke at home and Leeds away over Easter.

FA Cup heroes Coventry City also have a game in hand and are 15/8 for a top-six finish, though that upcoming Wembley date with holders Manchester City might yet prove to be a distraction. 

Saturday's goalless draw at home to Blackburn Rovers ended Middlesbrough's three-game winning run but their top-six finish betting odds of 25/1 could yet be good value.