Rich Laverty shares his three predictions and season preview as the 2023/24 Championship gets underway.
2023/24 Championship Odds
The 2023/24 Championship season gets underway on Friday night, as Sheffield Wednesday take on Southampton at Hillsborough.
- For Scott Thornton's Sheffield Wednesday vs Southampton prediction, click here.
- Find Neil Macdonald's suggested Bet Builder for the Championship opener here.
Championship Predictions | Rich Laverty Tips
Leading football betting analyst Rich Laverty previews the Championship season and checks on the latest betting odds to arrive at three predictions (*suggested odds from 31/07/2023).
- Sunderland to be promoted 15/2
- Ellis Simms top scorer 20/1
- Birmingham City to finish top half 7/4
2023/24 Championship Preview
With the likes of Leeds United, Leicester City and Southampton dropping into the Championship this season, one of the world’s most competitive leagues is about to get even more difficult to get out of.
All three are well backed to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, but we know it’s rarely that easy and all three have lost key players from last season as they continue their respective rebuilds ahead of the big kick-off next week.
There are also several unknowns at play with all three under new management, with Daniel Farke, Enzo Maresca and Russell Martin all respectively looking to make big impacts with their new clubs.
Then there is the chasing pack. Michael Carrick made a big impact at Middlesbrough last season and they too are well fancied to make another go at it, while Coventry City and Sunderland are finding ways to replace the key losses of Victor Gyokeres and Amad Diallo respectively. Blackburn Rovers, who just missed out on a play-off spot last season, have lost Ben Brereton Diaz.
If the Championship taught us one thing last season, it loves a fairy tale, with Luton Town promoted to the Premier League for the first time after a thrilling play-off final against Coventry City. There will be plenty of pretenders, but what of the new faces coming up from League One?
Ipswich Town are well fancied to make a splash with low odds to reach the play-offs on their return to the second tier, while Sheffield Wednesday offer an unknown under new head coach Xisco Munoz. Plymouth Argyle are widely tipped for a tough season, with Rotherham United many of the bookies favourites to go down despite surviving last season.
Many will be hoping for a better season. QPR were at one point a promotion hopeful before struggling to survival with a game to spare, while Birmingham City under new owners will be hoping for a climb up th table from 17th.
And what of the old timer Neil Warnock, back for another crack after pulling Huddersfield Town away from the relegation zone? One thing is for sure, it’s set to be another unpredictable season in the chase for a Premier League spot.
2023/24 Championship Odds
Who are the favourites to win the Championship?
Leicester are the bookmakers' favourites to make an immediate return to the Premier League as Championship winners (best price 4/1). James Maddison has made a big money move to Spurs but record goalscorer Jamie Vardy (10/1 joint Golden Boot favourite with Patson Daka) is expected to stay at the King Power having reportedly rejected a move to Saudi Arabia.
Championship Promotion Odds
| Club | Best Price | Worst Price |
|---|---|---|
| Leicester | 7/5 | 10/11 |
| Leeds | 9/4 | 13/8 |
| Southampton | 13/5 | 2/1 |
| Middlesbrough | 4/1 | 12/5 |
| Norwich | 5/1 | 10/3 |
| Ipswich | 11/2 | 7/2 |
| West Brom | 11/2 | 7/2 |
| Watford | 6/1 | 4/1 |
| Stoke | 7/1 | 4/1 |
| Sunderland | 7/1 | 5/1 |
*Odds updated at 09:00 on 04/08/2023.
Championship Relegation Odds
| Club | Best Price | Worst Price |
|---|---|---|
| Roterham | 7/4 | 6/4 |
| Plymouth | 5/2 | 15/8 |
| QPR | 5/2 | 15/8 |
| Huddersfield | 7/2 | 11/4 |
| Cardiff | 16/5 | 11/4 |
| Sheff Wednesday | 7/2 | 3/1 |
| Birmingham | 9/2 | 7/2 |
| Hull | 11/2 | 7/2 |
| Preston | 5/1 | 9/2 |
| Bristol City | 13/2 | 5/1 |
*Odds updated at 09:00 on 04/08/2023.
Rich Laverty Championship Betting Tips
Sunderland to be promoted 15/2
It can be tough to recover from a play-off loss, and Sunderland will wonder what could have been had they got past Luton Town in the semi-finals, but Sheffield United proved a play-off loss doesn’t have to have a detrimental effect on your hopes for the season.
Amad Diallo will be a huge loss, but Sunderland have kept other key parts of their squad together and added some exciting talent from abroad, as well as young Jobe Bellingham from Birmingham City. It wouldn’t be a shock if they were to push again perhaps through the play-off route again this season.
Ellis Simms top scorer 20/1
There will be a lot of pressure on former Everton youngster to replace the goals of Victory Gyokeres for Coventry City, but if the glimpses of him in the Premier League are anything to go by he could be a diamond at this level. Others such as Jamie Vardy and Patrick Bamford offer lower odds, but at 20/1 Simms feels like a good outside shout if Coventry City can keep their momentum from the end of last season.
Birmingham City to finish top half 7/4
While many teams offer low odds for a top half finish, 7/4 most places for Birmingham City feels like it’s worth a chance. Under new owners, there is some fresh hope for the Blues who finished 17th last season and their recruitment looks smart on paper to at least get into that top 12, if perhaps a play-off push may be beyond them.
Dion Sanderson, Lee Buchanan, Ethan Laird and Tyler Roberts have all come in for good money, while Koji Miyoshi adds some unknown qualities and Siriki Dembele could be a real smart acquisition from Bournemouth if he can find his previous Peterborough United form.
