EFL Championship 2026/27: Read our early preview and favourites to win the title?
The race for promotion to the Premier League is shaping up to be one of the most competitive Championship seasons in recent memory. Three recently relegated Premier League clubs headline the betting, while ambitious sides such as Middlesbrough, Birmingham City and Wrexham all believe they have what it takes to challenge for the title.
As ever, the Championship promises twists, managerial changes and plenty of transfer activity, but the early betting market already has a clear favourite.
Who is the Betting Favourite to Win the EFL Championship?
According to recent odds at Oddschecker, West Ham United are the betting favourites to win the EFL Championship, with an implied probability of around 31%, while Wolverhampton Wanderers are next in the market at roughly 14% and Burnley sit around 11%.
- West Ham United 9/4
- Wolverhampton Wanderers 11/2
- Burnley 11/1
- Middlesbrough 11/1
- Birmingham City 14/1
West Ham Favoured for an Immediate Return
West Ham begin life back in the Championship as clear favourites to bounce straight back to the Premier League. Relegation was a bitter disappointment for a club that had become an established top-flight side in recent years, but the Hammers still possess one of the strongest squads in the division and are expected to retain a number of Premier League-calibre players.
History suggests parachute payments and superior squad depth often prove decisive in the Championship, and bookmakers have made West Ham the team to beat. The biggest challenge will be adapting quickly to the relentless 46-game schedule, where physicality and consistency are often just as important as quality.
Wolves Looking to Bounce Back
Wolves are second favourites after suffering relegation from the Premier League last season. Despite the disappointment, they remain one of the division's strongest outfits on paper and have the resources to mount an immediate promotion push.
With Premier League experience throughout the squad, Wolves are expected to be among the Championship's highest scorers if they can keep hold of their key attacking players before the transfer window closes.
Burnley Eye Another Promotion
Burnley know exactly what it takes to escape the Championship, having earned promotion from the division in recent years. Their latest Premier League stay proved short-lived, but much of the infrastructure that previously delivered success remains in place.
The Clarets may lose one or two standout performers during the summer, yet they are still expected to challenge near the top of the table thanks to a settled core and a squad built to compete over a demanding campaign.
Middlesbrough Among the Best of the Rest
After falling short last season, Middlesbrough once again find themselves among the favourites. Boro have consistently been around the play-off places in recent years and will hope greater consistency can turn them into genuine automatic promotion contenders.
The club has strengthened key areas during the summer and enters the campaign with optimism that this could finally be the year they return to the Premier League.
EFL Championship Betting Trends
According to Oddschecker data from the last seven days, West Ham United have attracted the strongest support in the Championship winner market, accounting for 32.9% of all bets placed. Norwich City are the second-most backed side with 13.0%, followed by Queens Park Rangers on 8.9%. Middlesbrough have received 8.2% of bets, while Burnley round out the top five with 6.8%, highlighting strong early confidence in the Hammers' chances of an immediate return to the Premier League.
