The odds on Preston to be relegated from the Championship have drifted from 1/12 to 2/9 with BetAhoy, with six of ten bookmakers easing their odds.
The odds on Preston to be relegated from the Championship have drifted out from 1/12 to 2/9 with BetAhoy, and for anyone with a soft spot for Deepdale that is a welcome bit of breathing room.
Six of ten bookmakers have eased their odds on Preston to be relegated from the Championship.
Even after the drift, 1/4 with Bet Victor is the best price available on Preston.
Preston are still the favourites, with Derby next at 1/1 with Bet Victor. Charlton follow at 15/8 with Unibet.
Midfielder Greg Docherty joined Preston on a free transfer on 6 November and is eligible for Saturday's home game against Southampton.
Nobody has confirmed exactly what caused the drift, but the timing lines up neatly with some business done at Deepdale. On 6 November, Preston completed the signing of Greg Docherty on a contract running until the end of the season, and he was handed the number 5 shirt. The club's current manager brought him in on a free transfer to add central midfield depth, physical presence and vocal leadership. That is exactly what a side priced as favourites for the drop needs: a bit of steel in the engine room and someone in the middle of the park who will organise the players around him.
Docherty had been a free agent since leaving Charlton by mutual consent at the end of the summer transfer window, so he arrives ready to go rather than needing a long settling-in period. For our money, that is the clearest reason bookmakers have nudged Preston out. Six of ten bookmakers easing their odds is not a wholesale rethink, but it shows the trade accepts that a squad with more bite in midfield is harder to send down. Keep it in perspective, though. Even at 1/4 with Bet Victor, the implied probability on Preston going down is still heavy, so this is a club that remains firmly in the firing line.
Championship Relegation odds
Best odds 1/4 with Bet Victor, worst 1/7 with Betfred. Bet365 matches the top price, while Unibet and QuinnBet sit closer to the short end, so it pays to shop around if you fancy Preston going down.
Last updated: 7 November 2026, 00:32 UK time
Odds below are live and may have changed since publishing this article.
Who is favourite to be relegated from the Championship?
Preston are the favourites at a best price of 1/4 with Bet Victor, and the drift has done nothing to change the order at the top of the market. Derby are the closest challengers at 1/1 with Bet Victor, which tells you the trade still sees a clear gap between Preston and the rest. The Docherty signing has made Preston a little less short. It has not taken them out of trouble.
Preston – 1/4 with Bet Victor. They have drifted out from 1/12 with BetAhoy, but they are still the clear favourites after the arrival of Docherty.
Derby – 1/1 with Bet Victor. Hosted Bolton at Pride Park on 6 November and sit second in the betting.
Charlton – 15/8 with Unibet. Faced Bolton at The Valley on 3 November and host Sheffield United on 7 November.
Watford – 3/1 with Bet Victor, Bet365 and QuinnBet. The longest price of the four sides quoted here.
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How do Preston avoid relegation from the Championship?
The first real test comes quickly. Southampton visit Deepdale on Saturday, with kick-off at 15:00 GMT, and Docherty is eligible after his registration went through on Friday. If the new man brings the presence and leadership he was signed for, and the home side look more stubborn through the middle, this drift could become a longer ease out. One signing does not fix a relegation fight on its own, though. Until results back it up, Preston remain the side everyone else in this market is measured against, and anyone looking through the wider Championship odds should treat that 1/4 as the price of a team still fighting to stay up.
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