Championship Predictions & Betting tips

2023/24 Championship Predictions

The Championship, also known as the Sky Bet Championship for commercial reasons, is the second tier of English football. It is one of the toughest leagues to compete in but there is a massive prize at stake. Promotion to the English Premier League can see a club earning millions of pounds so everyone wants to achieve that. It's an exciting league with so much at stake and one that is great to be placing bets on. Our teams of betting experts will produce excellent and totally free previews throughout the season aiming to get you as many wins as possible.

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Championship Title Prediction: Who will win the 2023/24 Championship?

It's been a thrilling league season so far as we approach the final quarter of the 2023/24 campaign. Leicester City, playing in the second division for the first time since 2013/14 after being relegated last year, were flying high but a recent losing streak has allowed both Leeds (also relegated from the Premier League last season) and Ipswich to get back into the title race. The Foxes are still the oddsmakers' favorites as they are tied with Leeds for first-place and hold a game in hand advantage. It's a three-way battle that is sure to come down to the final days of the season to determine which team will be crowned champions. There's also the matter of automatic promotion as one of the current top three will be left out in the cold and made to face the gauntlet that is the promotion playoffs.

Southampton represent the third relegated team from the Premier League last season and are currently battling for position in the playoff spots. The Saints sit comfortably in fourth-place and with two games in hand over third-place Ipswich who they currently trail by eight points. Barring a red-hot run of form to end the season, Southampton could be looking at the unenviable task having to navigate the notoriously tricky promotion playoffs as their only shot of an immediate return to top-flight English football.

As we tipped earlier in the season, we're sticking with Leicester to win the league. The Foxes simply have the most complete side in the division with the likes of Dewsbury-Hall, Mavididi, Ricardo Peireira, Issahaku and, of course, club legend Jamie Vardy. 

Odds to win the 2023/24 Championship (matchday 39)

• Leicester City - 1.61
• Leeds United - 2.87
• Ipswich Town - 11.00
• Southampton - 21.00
• West Bromwich Albion - 1001.00
• Norwich City - 2501.00
• Hull City - 4001.00
• Coventry - 4501.00
• Preston North End - 4501.00

Odds taken from bet365.com

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Who will be promoted from the Championship?

It's not all about winning the Championship title. Finishing second or winning the play-offs will see a club promoted to the promised land of the Premier League. As you can see from the odds below, it's come down to four main contenders to secure promotion. We believe Leeds will continue their hot form down the stretch and the overall strength of their squad should see them over the line in the second automatic promotion spot. Ipswich are having a fantastic season after winning promotion from League One last year and have a legitimately good shot at securing an incredibly rare back-to-back promotion to the Premier League. However, we believe Southampton have the better shot at securing promotion if it comes down to those two teams in the promotion playoff. Therefore, our selections to be promoted from the Championship are: Leicester City, Leeds United and Southampton.

Odds to be promoted from the Championship (matchday 39)

• Leicester City - 1.062
• Leeds United - 1.14
• Ipswich Town - 1.90
• Southampton - 2.00
• West Bromwich Albion - 8.00
• Norwich City - 12.00
• Hull City - 15.00
• Coventry City - 15.00
• Middlesbrough - 101.00
• Preston - 101.00
• Cardiff - 251.00
• Watford - 501.00
• Bristol City - 501.00
• Sunderland - 751.00

Odds taken from bet365.com  and vbet.co.uk.

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Who will be relegated to League One?

Just as many sides from the Premier League don't take too long to make their return, there's a similar situation at the foot of the table. Sides promoted from League One often find it difficult to stay in the Championship for any length of time, as has been shown by Wigan Athletic last season. It's been a dreadful campaign for Rotherham United who's 20 points earned after 38 games has them with one foot already in League One. As for the other two relegation positions, it's certainly a bit closer. Sheffield Wednesday are currently the team with the most ground to make up although they sit just one point behind Huddersfield in 22nd and Birmingham in 21st. Fans of the latter will be particularly frustrated as a horrid stretch of only one point earned in their last six games has thrust the Blues directly into a relegation scrap in the home stretch of the season.

A handful of other clubs aren't out of the woods yet, either, as QPR, Stoke City, Plymouth and Blackburn all remain within three points of the bottom three. There are sure to be a few twists and turns to end the campaign and as such, we're going to stick with our early season prediction of: Rotherham, Huddersfield and QPR as the three relegated teams!

Odds on Being Relegated to League One (matchday 39)

• Rotherham United - N/A
• Sheffield Wednesday - 1.72
• Huddersfield Town - 2.75
• Birmingham - 3.00
• QPR - 3.50
• Blackburn - 5.00
• Plymouth - 5.00
• Stoke City - 8.00
• Millwall - 13.00
• Swansea City - 81.00
• Bristol City - 101.00
• Sunderland - 101.00
• Watford - 251.00
• Middlesbrough - 501.00

Odds taken from bet365.com

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Who will score the most in the 2023/24 Championship?

Samuel Szmodics is the slight favorite to take the golden boot and holds a three-goal lead atop the standings. However, he's not an out-and-out striker and Blackburn are a mid-table club. Whittaker is in a similar situation as he usually lines up either on the wing or in the attacking midfielder slot depending on the formation implemented. Plymouth are also 15th in the standings with 53 goals scored, meaning there is likely going to be less goal scoring chances overall. The same applies for Szmodics as Blackburn have racked up just 48 total goals. We believe there's value in backing Adam Armstrong at the current price. The 27-year-old is second in the standings with 18 goals, three behind first-place. Southampton are a much more talented squad than Blackburn and Plymouth and have also scored 73 goals on the campaign, one of only four teams in the league to reach the 70+ mark so far. Our selection for 2023/24 Championship top goalscorer: Adam Armstrong!

Odds on Top Goalscorer

• Samuel Szmodics (Blackburn) - 1.90
• Adam Amstrong (Southampton) - 3.25
• Morgan Whittaker (Plymouth) - 8.00
• Crysencio Summerville (Leeds) - 15.00
• Jamie Vardy (Leicester) - 41.00
• Conor Chaplin (Ipswich) - 67.00
• Josh Sargent (Norwich) - 67.00
• Haji Wright (Coventry) - 81.00
• Will Keane (Preston) - 101.00
• Jack Clarke (Sunderland) - 101.00
• Nathan Broadhead (Ipswich) - 101.00
• Joel Piroe (Leeds) - 126.00

Odds taken from bet365.com

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Beginners Guide to how the English Championship works

There are 24 clubs playing in the English Championship. That's four more than are in the Premier League. Each club faces the other 23 home and away. Therefore there are 46 matches to be played and then three more if you want to win the play-offs.

Three teams each season will be promoted to the Premier League. The top two are promoted automatically, then the sides finishing third to sixth compete in the play-offs. The winner of that then takes their place in the top league in England. The bottom three sides are relegated to League One

At the end of the English Championship season this is what happens: 

• The club finishing first wins the title and is automatically promoted to the Premier League.
• The side in second place also win automatic promotion.
• Third to sixth take part in the play-offs. The semi-finals see the sixth place side take on the team finishing third and the teams finishing fourth and fifth face each other. The semi-finals are played over two legs.
• The winners of the semi-finals meet in the play-off final at Wembley with the winners promoted to the Premier League.
• The bottom three sides in the table after 46 games are relegated to League One.

There is so much to play for in the English Championship. This explains why making predictions on matches in this league is so popular. With midweek and weekend fixtures throughout the season, you'll love betting on the English Championship.

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How to predict Championship matches

The Championship is considered to be quite an unpredictable league. Last season, only Burnley and Luton Town lost less than ten of their 46 league matches. Sheffield United were promoted despite having been beaten 11 times. There are a number of factors that you should consider before betting on games in the English Championship. 

• Check the form of each Championship side
• Take into account the clubs' fixture lists
• Take note of the list of players absent from the Championship
• Look at the psychological context of the Championship match
• Analysis of the latest Championship statistics

These five tips will help you when making predictions of matches being played in the Championship. Let's look at them in a little more depth.

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Consider the form of each Championship side

The form of a team - and its key players can also be one of the biggest indicators of the outcome of a match. Teams that have won their previous matches, or whose key players are in the middle of a scoring streak should perform better than a team that is going through a rough patch, or whose star player is going through a bad patch. Analyzing the previous performances of the team as a whole and the best players on each team is a crucial step in creating your Championship football predictions.

Take into account the clubs' fixture list

English football can get very busy at times. There are 46 league games to play (and that's before the play-offs start) and it's common for teams to be playing not just at the weekend but also in midweek too. Then there's the FA Cup and Carabao Cup games that can be played. Last season, Sheffield United won promotion but also reached the FA Cup semi-finals. The sheer number of games they had to play did see their form dip. Always look to see how many games a side is playing in a short period of time.

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Take note of the list of players absent from the Championship

It's important to know the team news for the game you wish to bet on. With a heavy fixture list, it's likely that injuries will be picked up. Sides may decide to rotate their squad to cope with all the games they have to play. Make sure you know if key players are going to be included or are being left or out injured.

Look at the psychological context of the Championship match

How important is the Championship match you want to bet on? This is particularly a factor in the latter stages of the season. A club that has no chance of promotion but is safe from relegation may start experimenting with their line-ups. If the game is a vital one, then both sides will be determined to win the match and field their strongest possible line-ups.

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Analysis of the latest Championship statistics

Statistics are so important when you want to bet on a football match. Make sure you know which clubs are in good form and those that are struggling for wins. Which clubs can't stop scoring and who are the ones who can't buy a goal? Is a team struggling for home wins or getting poor results on the road? Which strikers are in top form and who are the clubs that just can't stop conceding goals? Knowing these facts can help you have a great deal with your Championship bets.

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What not to do for your Championship predictions

When making your predictions on the Championship, there are certain practices that you should not do. They can hinder your chances of making a successful bet. Here are the main ones that we advise you definitely don't do when making your predictions on the next Championship games. 

• Not analyzing the Championship game
• Betting on a side's reputation not their current form.
• Failing to compare odds at different sites and not getting the best available
• Betting on a Championship match that has nothing at stake.
• Chasing losses - never a good idea whatever the league.
• Taking boosted odds but not wondering why they are being offered
• Not checking the team news
• Betting repeatedly on your favorite team

It's amazing how many times these examples of poor betting behavior take place. Don't fall into the trap and begin betting this way.

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Championship predictions: statistics you need to know

As we have previously mentioned, statistics are so important when you are deciding who to place bets on. Look for trends as they can tell you a great deal about the Championship. Here are the most important statistics from the current 2023/24 Championship season:

• An average of 2.75 goals per game are scored
• 44% of matches are won by the home side
• 23% of games are drawn
• 33% of matches are away victories
• 55% of games see over 2.5 goals scored in them
• Both teams score in 56% of matches
• 86% of games have under 2.5 goals scored in the first half
• The most popular final score is 1-1, seen in 11.1% of matches
• 29.5% of matches are goalless at half time
• 46% of goals are scored in the first half
• 54% of goals scored come in the second half of games
• Home teams average 1.50 goals scored per match
• Away teams average 1.26 goals scored per match

In short: how to make the right Championship predictions?

You need to take care if wanting to make hopefully profitable Championship predictions. Researching a game is top priority, know the team news, judge correctly how important a game is and look at the fixture lists of both sides. 

Remember that Sportytrader's betting experts will be covering a large number of games throughout the season. The predictions are totally free and well-researched. They will definitely help you in deciding the prediction you need to make for a match. 

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Our Championship Predictions of the moment

Best odds to bet on the Championship

27 Apr 2024 - 09:00 Blackburn - Coventry City

1 2.2

X 3.74

2 3.4

27 Apr 2024 - 09:00 Bristol City - Rotherham

1 1.39

X 5

2 9.5

27 Apr 2024 - 09:00 Cardiff - Middlesbrough

1 4.2

X 3.77

2 2.01

27 Apr 2024 - 09:00 Huddersfield Town - Birmingham

1 2.32

X 3.5

2 3.32

27 Apr 2024 - 09:00 Millwall - Plymouth

1 2.21

X 3.5

2 3.8

27 Apr 2024 - 09:00 Norwich - Swansea

1 1.68

X 4.33

2 5.25

27 Apr 2024 - 09:00 Preston North End - Leicester

1 6.2

X 4.2

2 1.53

27 Apr 2024 - 09:00 Sheffield Wednesday - West Brom

1 3

X 3.39

2 2.48

27 Apr 2024 - 09:00 Southampton - Stoke

1 1.79

X 4.5

2 4.2

27 Apr 2024 - 09:00 Watford - Sunderland

1 2.41

X 3.36

2 3.25

27 Apr 2024 - 14:00 Hull - Ipswich Town

1 3.25

X 3.76

2 2.2

29 Apr 2024 - 14:00 Preston North End - Leicester

1 5.3

X 4.3

2 1.67

30 Apr 2024 - 14:00 Coventry City - Ipswich Town

1 3.75

X 4

2 2.15

04 May 2024 - 06:30 Leeds - Southampton

1 5.46

X 1.3

2 6.23