The five favourites for Championship promotion | OneFootball

There’s a massive game in the Championship tonight as Coventry City host Middlesbrough.

The division’s top two go head-to-head in a fixture that could have huge implications on the race for promotion. Ahead of that fixture, we’ve looked at how the bookmakers assess the race for promotion to the Premier League.

Championship promotion odds and favourites

5. Hull City – 9/2

Hull City are fifth in the table and fifth favourites for promotion, as things stand. The Tigers ended last season 21st in the Championship but have been transformed under new head coach Sergej Jakirović this time around.

Oli McBurnie has been a fine addition on a free transfer from Las Palmas, with the Scottish striker scoring 12 times. His partnership with Joe Gelhardt (10 goals) has Hull in the play-off positions and pushing for more. Hull have not played in the Premier League since 2016-17.

4. Millwall – 11/4

Millwall, in contrast, have never played top-flight football in the Premier League era. The South Londoners’ last top-flight campaign was in 1989-90, and Millwall have spent the following 35 years floating between the second and third tiers.

However, confidence is increasing that their wait can end. Millwall have risen to third in the Championship and have lost just one of their last 10 in the league.

3. Coventry – 2/5

Runaway leaders earlier in the campaign, Coventry have wobbled since. Two wins in eight have seen The Sky Blues slip to second, though a win over Middlesbrough tonight would reclaim top spot.

Frank Lampard has done an incredible job with Coventry, having inherited a team battling for survival last season before leading the club to the play-offs. Now, in his first full season, automatic promotion is the target and a place in the Premier League for the first time since 2001.

Coventry are comfortably the league’s leading scorers, with 63 goals.

2. Ipswich Town – 4/9

The pre-season favourites for promotion, Ipswich, remain right in the hunt. Kieran McKenna’s team spent heavily in the summer, armed with a war-chest following the sales of Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson for a combined £67.5m.

Their business included the Championship record signing of Sindre Walle Egeli, though the teenager’s impact has been limited. Ipswich has the joint-best defensive record in the division, alongside Stoke.

1. Middlesbrough – 1/4

Middlesbrough have combatted the loss of head coach Rob Edwards to keep climbing under successor Kim Hellberg.

Boro have won six straight games to surge to the top of the table, ahead of tonight’s huge clash at Coventry. A win this evening would give them a five-point buffer over The Sky Blues and an eight-point lead over the play-off places. It’s a massive night for Hellberg’s side.

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