The favourites for Premier League promotion as Championship returns | OneFootball

The fight for Premier League promotion begins here as the Championship returns for the 2025/26 campaign.

Two promotion hopefuls kick things off on Friday night as Birmingham City host Ipswich Town at St Andrew’s, but there will be a host of teams who believe they can reach the promised land this season, if not automatically then via the play-offs.

What makes the new term so intriguing is that there isn’t one side who are so obviously better than everyone else like, say, Leeds United were last year, so we can probably expect a wide open race for the top spots.

We’ve had a look at the betting odds to see which clubs are considered the favourites to go up.

Premier League promotion betting odds in 2025/26:

=5. Leicester City – 4/1

The post-Jamie Vardy era is here. Leicester City are facing a brave new world without their batty talisman. Step up, Jordan Ayew…

The Foxes have been quiet on the transfer front so far this summer, with only Asmir Begovic coming through the door. They still have plenty of experienced heads who can navigate this division, while Patson Daka, not Ayew, will lead them amiably from the front. But the lack of signings is a concern, which is probably why they’re not considered the favourites for automatic promotion.

Ruud van Nistelrooy has been replaced by Martí Cifuentes, who oversaw 18th and 15th-placed finishes at QPR over the past two seasons.

=5. Coventry City – 4/1

Big Frank Lampard and Coventry City are back for another tilt at Premier League promotion after falling short in the play-offs in the last two years. The former Chelsea midfielder replaced popular, longtime manager Mark Robins last season and did well to get them to fifth.

The Sky Blues have trimmed the fat off the squad and brought in three new players, including Kaine Kesler-Hayden from Aston Villa. If they can continue the form they exhibited under Lampard in 2024/25 then they should definitely be in the mix, although automatics will likely be out of reach again.

4. Sheffield United – 9/4

Last season could not have ended in a more heartbreaking fashion for Sheffield United, losing the play-off final to Sunderland to a 95th-minute goal. To make it worse, they earned 92 points in the league, the most ever accrued by a team without gaining promotion. Gutting.

Chris Wilder has vacated the dugout (again), with Ruben Selles taking his place. They’ve lost Kieffer Moore, Vini Souza, Anel Ahmedhodzic and a clutch of loan players, and their incomings haven’t been the most inspiring (although Aston Villa loanee Louie Barry is one to watch out for). Still, they have the guts of a squad that has been there, done that. Can they do it again?

3. Birmingham City – 2/1

It’s been a hell of a long time since there was any blue sky thinking at Birmingham City, but the fanbase are willing to believe again after winning League One with an EFL record points haul of 111.

The new owners, which include former NFL star Tom Brady, are highly ambitious and their ultimate aim is the Premier League. Their recruitment certainly suggests so. The headline signing is former Celtic favourite Kyogo Furuhashi, costing them a reported £10 million from Stade Rennais. They’ve also brought in Bright Osayi-Samuel on a free transfer, loaned in Eirin Cashin from Brighton, and welcomed back academy graduate Demarai Gray.

The smart money says they will fall short of promotion from the Championship at the first time of asking, but they will certainly give it a right go.

2. Southampton – 7/4

Spirits are not high at St Mary’s Stadium following yet another miserable campaign in the Premier League in which Southampton earned just 12 points from 38 games. The Championship will, at least, offer some relief in that they can’t possibly be as bad this season.

The tedious trend of the same teams bouncing between the first and second tiers means Saints are likely to be in contention at the top end. They possess a good mix of youth and experience at this level, while Ben Brereton Diaz knows his way to go goal.

There’s a new head coach patrolling the sidelines as well; 32-year-old Will Still has taken his first job in England after impressing at Reims and Lens in France.

1. Ipswich Town – 5/4

Are Ipswich Town really the favourites to go back up? Is an instant return likely? They have, after all, lost their star striker after Liam Delap joined Chelsea. They are yet to land a replacement and their marquee signing up until this week was a 40-year-old Ashley Young. Meanwhile, they face a battle to hold onto Omari Hutchinson.

Perhaps the most important figure they have held onto, though, is manager Kieran McKenna. The Irishman masterminded back-to-back promotions to take them from League One to the Premier League, and you would be a fool to doubt him this time around.

Additionally, the Tractor Boys bought well last summer, acquiring solid talent who gave them half a chance of staying up but would also set them up well in the Championship; the likes of Sammie Szmodics, Jaden Philogene, Dara O’Shea, Chiedozie Ogbene, Jack Clarke and Jacob Greaves have all competed well at this level in the past. Plus, they have just signed Jens Cajuste from Napoli.

Read – The biggest non-Premier League transfers this summer

See Also – Five Premier League players impressing in pre-season

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