Championship Tips 2025-26: Read our season preview including 1-24 prediction for every team

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·28 July 2025

Championship Tips 2025-26: Read our season preview including 1-24 prediction for every team

EFL Championship

Will Ipswich's Portman Road be the scene of Championship title-winning celebrations?

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Betfair's Championship tipster Jack Critchley finished last season in profit on his weekly tipsheet, and he shares his 1-24 for predictions ahead of the 2025-26 season including his verdict on the relegated Premier League teams, as well as Wrexham and Birmingham, who are both aiming to go from League One to top-flight in successive season...

1st - Ipswich - 4/1

Ipswich will start as favourites for the title, and although they may not be the universal choice among Championship bettors, they appear to be the team with the fewest red flags. True, they accumulated just 22 points in the Premier League last season; however, they were still fighting towards the end of the campaign, picking up points against Everton and Bournemouth, suggesting that it was down to a lack of quality.

The highly rated Kieran McKenna remains in charge, and they have retained the core of the squad that helped them secure promotion two seasons ago. Jacob Greaves and Dara O'Shea will keep things ship-shape at the back, whereas Harry Clarke and Leif Davies will provide plenty of ammunition. Jack Clarke and Jaden Philogene, if motivated and fit, can be unplayable at this level, and Azor Matusiwa is tasked with being a slightly younger and potentially more agile Sam Morsy.

McKenna has been linked with other vacancies, but he is sticking around and believes in this squad of players. An imminent return to the top flight awaits.

2nd - Southampton - 5/1

It's been a forgettable 12 months for Southampton, who returned to the Championship with a whimper. Russell Martin wasn't backed and then was dispensed with, followed by a questionable appointment, before the club was stabilised in the final few weeks of the season.

Bouncing back from that campaign is never going to be easy, so it is vital that this summer's refresh can wipe the slate clean. Will Still finally arrives in English football and will be tasked with ensuring that there is no hangover from the 2024-25 campaign. He has shown tactical versatility and flexibility during his recent spells at Reims and Lens and is blessed with a fantastic squad for this level, despite the almost inevitable sales of Aaron Ramsdale and Tyler Dibling.

The Saints will benefit from Shea Charles' Championship experience, and he, alongside Ronnie Edwards, is likely to feature prominently in the starting XI. They've made a couple of interesting additions, including the mountainous Damion Downes, and it's easy to forget that they have the perennially-injured, but potent Ross Stewart on their books too. If they can get half a season out of the Scot, they will surely get enough goals to fire them to promotion.

3rd - Birmingham - 13/2

Since Knighthead and Tom Wagner took over at Birmingham, there has been a wave of optimism surrounding the club, and they now appear to be doing things in the right way. They spent healthily to glide their way out of League One last season, setting a new points record in the process, and they are widely expected to continue that momentum in the second tier.

Chris Davies has yet to manage at this level, but the coach has learned plenty from his time with Brendan Rodgers, and he showed plenty of adaptability last year. He's been backed heavily in the transfer market with new additions including Kyogo Furahashi and Bright Osayi-Samuel catching the eye.

Brum have a wealth of attacking options, but they also look sturdy at the back. Should the injuries start to bite, they have enough depth to cover most positions with Championship quality. The addition of a vociferous home crowd, who are fully back on board with the club's ownership, will also help in their quest for back-to-back promotions.

4th - Norwich - 14/1

Following the failed experiment of Johannes Hof Thorup, Norwich have turned to a known quantity in Liam Manning, who swaps Ashton Gate for Carrow Road. The East Anglian-born is known for his meticulous detail, and he should be able to get many of last season's under-performers back on side.

Borja Sainz has left, and Josh Sargent appears to be following him out of the door in the coming weeks, yet the Canaries have a hugely talented squad, including new addition Mathias Kvistgaarden, who is an exciting prospect from Brondby. Another season of second-tier football for Oscar Schwartau and Amankwah Forson will improve their development, whereas the additions of Jakov Medic and Harry Darling should help to eliminate defensive errors.

Manning tends to be faithful to his preferred XI, and he will be hoping that his squad can stay largely injury-free. If they do, his side should be able to book themselves a play-off spot.

5th - Sheffield United - 15/2

Despite guiding the Blades to yet another play-off final, Chris Wilder was relieved of his duties this summer. The boyhood fan had plenty of supporters, and the knives will be out for new boss Ruben Selles if the club make a slow start to this campaign.

Selles has dealt with some difficult situations during his managerial career in the UK, and he is renowned for developing young players. As a result, we can expect the likes of Sydie Peck, Oli Arblaster and Ryan One, who have caught the eye during pre-season, to get plenty of minutes under the Spaniard.

Sheffield United are moving in a different direction this season, particularly when it comes to recruitment, and it may take a few weeks, possibly months, to find any sort of rhythm this season. Nevertheless, when everything starts to click, I fully expect them to challenge the top six.

6th - Coventry - 11/1

Coventry reached the play-off semi-finals last season, but they were unable to get past an organised Sunderland outfit. The Sky Blues have some fantastic talent within their squad, including goalscoring midfielder Jack Rudoni, new keeper Carl Rushworth, and talented wideman Ephron Mason Clark, yet there are questions about Lampard's tactical nous.

His tenures tend to rely on individual brilliance and players stepping up as opposed to rigid tactical discipline, and that approach will get results against many of the weaker teams in the division; however, it may not be quite enough to better last season's finish.

There's a lot to like about this Coventry squad, and with the addition of Kaine Kesler-Hayden and the improvement from Victor Torp, they will undoubtedly be one of the most exciting teams to watch in the second tier. That may just be enough to sneak into the top six.

7th - West Brom - 18/1

Everything is far more stable off the field at the Hawthorns, and that has brought some much-needed positivity to the beleaguered Baggies fanbase. The hierarchy has opted to appoint rookie manager Ryan Mason, with the 34-year-old having picked up a wealth of experience working under various managers, including Ange Postecoglou and Jose Mourinho.

They will be hoping to get a full season out of US striker Daryl Dike, who, alongside new addition Aune Heggebo, should give the Baggies a little more thrust in the final third. There is plenty of excitement surrounding the development of Isaac Price, and the defence has been bolstered by Nat Phillips and George Campbell.

There are still plenty of questions to be answered, including the head coach's credentials, yet there are plenty of reasons to be positive in the Black Country.

8th - Middlesbrough - 18/1

Michael Carrick's spell at the Riverside came to an end in the summer, and he is replaced by former Luton boss Rob Edwards, who successfully guided the Hatters to the Premier League. The Welshman was unable to stop Luton's malaise; however, he has proven adept at building on the work of previous managers and taking things to the next level. Boro fans will be hoping he can follow a similar blueprint to Carrick, playing easy-on-the-eye football, but help to stop the Teessiders from conceding highly preventable goals.

At the time of writing, any enthusiasm for Middlesbrough may be tempered by very few incomings, and with Rav Van Den Berg, Hayden Hackney and Finn Azaz all having been linked with moves away, this squad could look vastly different on the opening day of the season.

Nevertheless, Edwards is starting from a strong base, and the squad is undoubtedly talented. Boro will have money to spend, so we can expect some movements late in the window, with Edwards also likely to be backed in January too.

9th - Millwall - 28/1

Millwall finished two points shy of the top six under Alex Neil last season, and many are expecting them to kick on this time around. Unfortunately for the Lions, this year's Championship looks incredibly competitive once again, and I worry about their squad depth, particularly if Mihailo Ivanovic starts well and begins attracting interest in January.

Nevertheless, the Bermondsey side will be tough to beat and highly competitive throughout the campaign. They have some exciting youngsters in their squad, such as Zak Sturge, Camiel Neghli, and Ra'ees Bangura-Williams, who should make them competitive and enjoyable to watch. Massimo Luongo is a sensible addition in midfield too.

I expect a period of flirting with the top six and, unfortunately, another near miss for Alex Neil's men.

10th - Leicester - 11/1

Predicting Leicester is far from straightforward. On one hand, the Foxes return to the Championship with a hugely talented, albeit slightly bloated, squad which includes energetic right-back Ricardo Pereira, powerful midfielder Wilfried Ndidi, and the ever-reliable Jordan Ayew. On the other hand, there is the looming prospect of a nine-point deduction and question marks over the ownership of the club.

It took the club several weeks to settle on Marti Cifuentes as their manager for the 2025-26 and that feels like a decent appointment. The Spaniard worked wonders with a limited squad at QPR and was extremely popular with the supporters until he was placed on gardening leave in April.

Anything could happen at the King Power this season, but the pending points deduction tempers enthusiasm, and they may not be able to overcome that handicap.

11th - Derby - 33/1

Derby left it fairly late to clinch their survival last season, with the appointment of John Eustace helping to hobble over the line. The former Birmingham boss is a major positive for the Rams, and he has used his influence to attract players with whom he has previously worked, including Andreas Weimann, Owen Beck, and Danny Batth. Carlton Morris and Patrick Agyemang both arrive to help with the club's chronic lack of firepower, and although the latter may need time to acclimatise, the former has proven form at this level.

Under Eustance, the East Midlands side won't be easy to score against, and they are likely to use set-pieces to their advantage. He averaged 1.50 PPG since taking over in February and lost just twice in their last 11 matches, both by a single goal margin.

Progression is expected with a full season working under the former midfielder.

12th - Watford - 28/1

Watford's instability in the dugout belies this summer's transfer business, which looks to be fairly smart. The Hornets started early with Marc Bola, Hector Kyprianou and Nathan Baxter all arriving in Hertfordshire; however, the additions of unknown quantities such as Nestory Irankunda, Othmane Maamma and Luca Kjerrumgaard have captured the imagination of the fans.

The squad is exciting and unpredictable, yet far less is known about new manager Paulo Pezzolano, whose last job was at Rayo Valladolid. The Uruguayan is described as a 'promotion specialist'; however, it's also been suggested that he is a little stubborn, and he failed to adopt a pragmatic style upon promotion to La Liga.

I think they'll be one of the most exciting teams to watch in the Championship this year, but far too much unpredictability.

13th - Wrexham - 22/1

Wrexham are aiming to continue the fairytale with a third successive promotion. Having managed the step up to League One with relative comfort, this latest leap looks far trickier. The Welsh side are heavily backed and their transfer business looks good with Josh Windass, Ryan Hardie and Danny Ward adding Championship nous and Lewis O'Brien adding some class to their midfield. They have splashed out on Liberato Cacace and have been linked to Keiffer Moore, too.

The major doubts for me surround the ability of manager Phil Parkinson to get the best out of this group. Nobody can knock the former Colchester and Bolton boss on his achievements so far, but his overall record at this level is fairly poor.

Wrexham may need another season, and potentially another manager, to write the next chapter of their fairytale.

14th - QPR - 50/1

QPR have a new man at the helm. Julian Stephan would have been a marquee appointment five or six years ago; however, the Frenchman struggled during his return to Rennes, and he will need to prove himself in England. The common theme in Stephan's recent tenures appears to be a significant drop-off, and he has struggled to turn things around, so a bright start may be followed by a QPR slump in 2026.

They have signed well, and the additions of Kwame Poku and Amadou Mbengue look savvy. Their squad has flair, and it should be relatively solid, but there isn't a lot in reserve.

I'd expect them to be more consistent than last season, but I'm not expecting miracles this time around.

15th - Stoke - 28/1

Like everybody else, I have struggled to predict Stoke for the last five seasons. The Potters have shown potential in pre-season, made a handful of decent signings and then defied our expectations by finishing in the lower bottom-half of the table.

The Staffordshire outfit should be a little better under Mark Robins this season, but it's hard to have confidence in a club who have just sold Wouter Berger at a loss. They do have some good experience in the squad and one of the best goalkeepers in the division in Viktor Johansson, yet I'm struggling to get excited by them.

A few more additions are likely, with Aaron Cresswell, Maksym Taloverov, and Ashley Phillips having already joined to bolster the back-line. Divin Mubama, Robert Bozenik and Sorba Thomas are the only attacking additions so far and they need further reinforcements in the final third.

16th - Bristol City - 22/1

Many believe that Bristol City overachieved last season with Liam Manning guiding the Robins to an unexpected sixth-place finish. Unfortunately, they may have to revert back to their usual spot in mid-table under new boss Gerhard Struber. The Austrian is fondly remembered for his spell at Barnsley; however, the Tykes' survival wouldn't have happened with Wigan's financial issues, and he has struggled to hold down a job since leaving South Yorkshire.

Nevertheless, there are plenty of positives with the Robins' midfield looking particularly well-stocked; however, they lack attacking flair, and the injury to Max O'Leary means that Joe Lumley is likely to start as number one in BS3.

Emil Riis will enjoy playing in Struber's high-energy system; however, several players may need time to adapt and expectations have potentially been raised following last season's success.

17th - Swansea - 28/1

There has been plenty of off-field coverage of Swansea this summer, with both Luka Modric and Snoop Dogg investing in the club. On the field, the club have opted to stick with Alan Sheehan, who has largely impressed during his caretaker spells. The Irishman lost just three of his 12 games in charge of the club, one of which came against Burnley, and he has helped to solidify the Swans since taking over from Luke Williams.

Cameron Burgess was a superb start to the summer business, with Ethan Galbraith and Zeidine Inoussa also joining the defender in South Wales. The summer signings look sensible, and they should make the squad stronger, yet there is a lack of robustness to this squad, and they are only one or two injuries away from being down to the bare bones. Ben Cabango has already picked up an issue and will miss the first few weeks.

Further additions are expected, and they will need cover across various positions.

18th - Blackburn - 40/1

Following a shaky start, Val Ismael appeared to be steadying the ship at Ewood Park. He oversaw four wins in his last five, including a victory over Sunderland and an impressive draw with Sheffield United. That gives the fans plenty of optimism heading into this campaign, with many believing that the players are finally buying into Ismael's unique approach.

Yuri Ohashi has looked sharp in pre-season; however, Callum Brittain has been linked with a move away, and there are a few lingering doubts about the suitability of new signings such as Dion De Neve. It remains to be seen whether the Belgian and fellow new arrival Sidnei Tavares can acclimatise quickly to the Championship.

Blackburn should be entertaining to watch, and I'm expecting them to start quickly, but when the injuries start to hit, the squad could start to look a little threadbare.

19th - Portsmouth - 50/1

Continuity has been the order of the day at Fratton Park this summer. There have been very few changes at the club, with John Mousinho remaining in charge and just three new signings coming through the door at the time of writing. Last season, Pompey used home advantage to collect the majority of their points, and they are likely to follow a similar blueprint this time around. They were dealt an extraordinarily tough fixture list for August and September; however, this season's schedule appears to be a little kinder.

If they can keep Colby Bishop and Jacob Murphy fit, they should score a few goals, and the arrival of John Swift adds further experience to the squad. Mousinho must find a way to manage his side's schedule this season, with Pompey losing six of their 12 midweek matches and picking up just a single victory on a Tuesday night.

There will be the inevitable peaks and troughs, yet they should have enough quality to keep their heads above the drop zone.

20th - Oxford - 80/1

Oxford defied the pre-season odds and expectations last season by clinching survival with a game to spare. The Yellows survival was materminded by Gary Rowett, who made his side much tougher to beat, particularly at the Kassam. They lost just four times at home during the second half of the campaign and conceded an average of just 1.26 goals per game.

Wholesale changes are not required this summer and the club have opted for a little bit of fine tuning with the additions of Brodie Spencer, Luke Harris, and Brian De Keersmaecker. The latter will provide more competition and aggression in the middle of the park and that should enable them to pick up slender victories against many of their bottom half rivals.

I fully expect many of their games to be tight and tense with Rowett's men coming out on the right side of those matches enough times to just about preserve their Championship status.

21st - Charlton - 66/1

Charlton clinched promotion via the League One play-offs ending their five-year absence from the second tier. They finally have stability off-the-field and at boardroom level, with the majority of the drama taking place in the dugout. Love him or loathe him, Nathan Jones is able to get players on side with the Welshman possessing an excellent record of getting teams into Championship, yet, he still needs to prove himself at this level.

The Addicks have bolstered their squad with Blackpool duo Sonny Carey and Rob Apter, with Jones' trusted alies Amari Bell and Reece Burke also arriving in South London. Tanto Olaofe arrives for a substantial sum and the club have also splashed out on League One's top goalscorer from last season, Charlie Kelman. They also have Matt Godden and the injury-prone Miles Leaburn to provide firepower.

Charlton are likely to pick up the majority of their points at the Valley, and Jones will have them fighting for every point. It might be enough to save them.

22nd - Preston North End - 50/1

PNE almost sleepwalked their way to relegation last season and they will need to avoid a repeat of that alarming dropoff in 2025-26. Paul Heckingbottom has addressed this issue with some fairly smart recruitment including Odeluga Offiah, Daniel Iverson and Thierry Small. There are some concerns over the fitness record of Jordan Thompson and striker Daniel Jebbison has a patchy record in front of goal, although his most productive spell came whilst working under Paul Heckingbottom.

Preston's squad is serviceable, however, it doesn't look good enough to propel them to the next level. Heckingbottom is a solid Championship manager and will demand high standards from his players.

Outside of Offiah, their defence looks susceptible and they need more from their forward line. Their spell in the second tier could come to an end this time around.

23rd - Hull - 40/1

Hull clinched their survival last season under Ruben Selles, who was relieved of his duty just weeks later. The club appointed the relatively unknown Sergej Jakirovic, who impressed at Kayserispor, but has a fairly modest record elsewhere. The Tigers have added Reda Laaloui and defender Semi Ajayi, yet the squad still looks badly undercooked and there has been little clarification on the prospect of a transfer embargo. They struggled for goals last season and with striker Kyle Joseph admitting that he's been carrying an injury, they deperately need to address that issue.

There is still time for the club to add to their squad before the deadline, however, they have missed out on several targets and that doesn't bode well for the forthcoming campaign.

Jakirovic may turn out to be a decent hire, however, owner Acun Ilicali's recent record with managerial appointments suggests otherwise.

24th - Sheffield Wednesday - 125/1

A crisis continues to engulf Sheffield Wednesday with Dejphon Chansiri having been unable to sell the club, despite plenty of reported interest. Staff have gone unpaid for several months and a handful of players, including Michael Smith and Josh Windass have walked away for free in recent weeks.

The squad looks threadbare, although Ike Ugbo, Bailey Cadamarteri and Liam Palmer are seemingly sticking around. Nobody knows whether Danny Rohl will be in charge of the club on the opening weekend and there is an embargo which forbids the club to pay a fee for new recruits.

There is a possibility that a takeover is completed prior to deadline day, however, the club are starting the season with a significant handicap and relegation to League One awaits - little wonder they are just 4/11 to go down this season.