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Remind me next time

The Championship season is just around the corner and will kick off at the end of July due to the World Cup being played in November. The 2022/23 EFL Championship season will be another marathon of second tier football with 24 teams battling for promotion to the Premier League.

Last season saw Fulham, Bournemouth, and Nottingham Forest earn promotion to the top flight. Meanwhile, Burnley, Watford, and Norwich City replaced the trio after being relegated from the Premier League.

In this article, we will explore the Championship odds for promotion and relegation from the second division. Let's looking at the upcoming Championship betting odds and the teams that bookies believe will earn the right to play top flight football the following season.

Championship Outright Winner Odds

Recent Premier League teams are backed by the bookies to earn promotion back to the top flight this season. Norwich City, Watford, West Brom, and Sheffield United are four of the early favourites to win the second division.

Fans know that the Championship is a marathon of football. It takes consistency to win the Championship. Last season, Fulham showed that financial might and consistently winning matches leads to winning the league.

Here is a look at the latest Championship outright winner odds:

Who Are the Favourites to Win the Championship this season?

Recent Premier League teams are the favourites to earn promotion to the Premier League by winning the Championship this term. The last two seasons saw recently relegated sides, Norwich City and Fulham, win the second tier.

Once again, bookies expect recently relegated sides to win the league. Norwich City are favourites to win the division just one season after being relegated from the Premier League. The Canaries won the Championship in 2020-21 before having a dismal season in the top flight.

Watford were also relegated last season from the top league one season after gaining promotion from the Championship. The Hornets, along with Fulham and Norwich City, have been a yo yo team in recent memory. Watford have the infrastructure and players to win the Championship once more.

West Brom fell off the promotion pace last season in the Championship as the season wore on. The Baggies began with manager Valerien Ismael but sacked the former Barnsley coach halfway through the campaign. Steve Bruce was signed to earn the club promotion, but West Brom never recovered. Bookies have West Brom at the best Championship odds of 10/1 to win the league. Bruce will manage the Baggies once more in 2022-23 after leading them to a 10th place finish last term.

Sheffield United qualified for the play offs last term before losing on penalties to Nottingham Forest. The Blades are expected to have another good season and are at the odds of 10/1 to win the division.

Middlesbrough are under the management of former Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder. After arriving at the club partway through the season, Wilder turned Middlesbrough's prospects for promotion around.

The Boro just missed out on the postseason after a poor run in their final six matches. A deep run in the FA Cup didn't help Middlesbrough's hopes of the promotion playoffs. Bookies have identified Middlesbrough as a potential outright markets winner at odds of 12/1.

Who Are the Play off Contenders this Season?

The previously mentioned teams aren't just outright winner contenders but they are also contenders for the play offs. One team that surprised onlookers last season was Huddersfield. The Terriers will hope to replicate their form in 2022-23.

Carlos Corberan's team defied expectations to finish third in the standings. Huddersfield reached the play off final before being beaten by Nottingham Forest.

Luton Town also defied the odds by reaching the play offs. The Hatters were beaten by Huddersfield in the postseason. After both sides had unexpected campaigns to reach the promotion postseason, it is likely that they will have a fall off in 2022-23.

One team to watch out for is Sunderland. Expectations are high on Wearside after the Black Cats finally earned promotion from League One to return to the Championship. Supporters and the club feel that their rightful place is in the Premier League. Sunderland could carry over the momentum of last season's promotion win to the contend for the play offs.

West Brom, Sheffield United, and Watford cannot be ignored as promotion contenders. Yet, one team that has been overlooked by many is Burnley. The Clarets were relegated from the first division at the end of the season.

There are some issues at Turf Moor including financial problems that could be helped by parachute payments for now. A number of players are likely to depart if they haven't already.

Goalkeeper Nick Pope is one player that has left already. He signed for Newcastle United. The club will be under the management of former Manchester City centre back Vincent Kompany when players report for preseason in July.

Who Are the Dark Horses?

Sunderland are a dark horse in this season's Championship. The Black Cats have waited years to return to the Championship and should take their opportunity with both hands - or paws. Alex Neil and company have a lot of work to do, however.

The Black Cats need to be brought up to spend in terms of the playing squad. The signings so far have not been too impressive and a host of players left after earning promotion due to contracts not being renewed.

Burnley are also a dark horse. The Clarets have sold one of the best goalkeepers of the last five Premier League seasons and go into the Championship as an unknown.

Vincent Kompany is a novice coach having spent just two seasons at the helm of Anderlecht in Belgium. Despite Anderlecht being the biggest club in Belgium, Kompany failed to win a trophy in two seasons. He posted a record of 42W-32D-18L with a win percentage of 46%.

Queens Park Rangers could be a contender for the play offs this season. The Hoops played well for the first half of last season, but after Christmas, fell off the pace due to injuries.

Queens Park Rangers ended the campaign 11th and nine points off of the top six. The Hoops have hired former Aston Villa assistant Michael Beale for the upcoming campaign. He has experience in Liverpool's academy and as Steven Gerrard's assistant at both Rangers and Aston Villa.

Stoke City may have finished last season in 14th place, but the Potters played good football at times under Michael O'Neill. The upcoming season is make or break for O'Neill.

Swansea City should also be better than last season. The Swans go into a second season with Russell Martin as manager. He didn't have much time with the team before the start of the 2021-22 campaign following his hiring. Now, Martin will have the chance to mould the side in preseason.

Which Team Are Favourites for Relegation?

The Championship odds for relegation favour Rotherham to return to League One. The Millers were relegated at the end of the 2020-21 season before earning promotion back to the second tier for the upcoming campaign. Rotherham currently lead the Championship relegation odds at 13/8.

Birmingham City finished the 2021-22 season in abysmal form. The Blues failed to win any of their last six Championship games. Thus far, Lee Bowyer has survived the sack. Birmingham City start the season with a difficult Championship game against Luton Town. A difficult start to the campaign could see the Blues fighting relegation early on.

Reading achieved safety by just four points last season. Had Derby County not been deducted 21 points, Reading would have suffered relegation to League One. Reading have hired Paul Ince to permanently manage the team after his work with the first team at the end of last season. Reading will play their 10th straight Championship season, which could be their last if results in Championship matches don't go their way.

Here are the latest Championship relegation odds:

  • Rotherham 13/8
  • Birmingham City 11/4
  • Reading 11/4
  • Bristol City 10/3
  • Wigan Athletic 4/1
  • Blackpool 9/2
  • Preston North End 5/1
  • Hull City 5/1
  • Cardiff City 7/1
  • Luton Town 7/1
  • Millwall 7/1
  • Blackburn Rovers 7/1
  • Sunderland 15/2
  • Queens Park Rangers 8/1
  • Coventry City 8/1
  • Burnley 10/1
  • Stoke City 10/1
  • Huddersfield 10/1
  • Swansea City 11/1
  • Middlesbrough 20/1
  • Sheffield United 20/1
  • West Brom 20/1
  • Watford 33/1
  • Norwich City 33/1

Which Teams Will Surprisingly Struggle This Season?

There are likely to be multiple struggling teams this season. Burnley are the first team to really stand out as a potential surprise struggler, however. The Clarets are fresh off of Premier League relegation. A new, slightly inexperienced manager in Vincent Kompany will take charge of the team.

Kompany's appointment shows Burnley's owners want to get away from the reputation the club had under Sean Dyche. However, with no experience in the division, Burnley could struggle early. At the end of the 2021-22 season, Burnley allowed 23 players to leave the club after their contracts had ended. It isn't a great start as Kompany tries to piece together a team on a small budget.

Huddersfield were expected to fight relegation last term. However, the Terriers surprised everyone by finishing third and reaching the play off final. This time around, Huddersfield should struggle to replicate their form from last season.

The same goes for Luton Town, who also made the play offs before being knocked out by Huddersfield. Luton Town are another small budget team in the Championship. Like Huddersfield, they punched above their weight in 2021-22. Luton Town's Championship promotion odds aren't great and are seen as a bit of a long shot to reach the Premier League. Another top six finish is likely out of the question and the Hatters should finish midtable.

Which Teams Were Relegated and Promoted Into the Championship?

Norwich City were relegated back to the Championship after one season in the Premier League. The Canaries now hold the record for the most relegations from the Premier League to the championship. Norwich City won the Championship in 2020-21.

Watford were also relegated back to the Championship after one season away. The Hornets were joined by Burnley. The Clarets' loss on the final day of the Premier League season sealed their fate. Burnley's six year stay in the Premier League came to an end in May.

The three teams promoted from League One to the Championship were Rotherham, Wigan Athletic, and Sunderland. The Black Cats reached the second division thanks to winning the promotion play offs in League One. Wigan Athletic stormed the League One title with 92 points, while Rotherham picked up 90 points on their way back to the Championship.

Which Teams Were Promoted and Relegated Last Season?

The 2021-22 Championship season was won by Fulham with 90 points. Bournemouth finished second with 88 points. The two promoted clubs showed the importance of strong financial backing to teams in the league. Nottingham Forest ended an over two decade wait to return to the Premier League by winning the promotion play offs.

Derby County were relegated to League One after an up and down campaign. The Rams were docked 21 points due to financial issues. Those 21 points sealed Derby County's relegation fate. Had Derby County not been penalised, they would have likely finished outside of the relegation zone.

Peterborough Untied were also sent packing back to League One. The Posh picked up 37 points from 42 games in the second tier. Barnsley were also relegated to League One after finishing dead last in the Championship standings. The Tykes took 30 points from 42 games. Barnsley are an example of the differences one season can make. In 2020-21, Barnsley made the promotion play offs. The following season saw Barnsley relegated to the third tier.

Players To Watch This Season

Blackburn Rovers striker Ben Brereton Diaz is one to watch this coming season. He had a brilliant first half of the campaign, helping Blackburn fight for a top six spot. Injuries and form derailed the second half of Diaz's season as Rovers missed out on the postseason. If he stays at Blackburn, Diaz could help them fight for the top six once more.

Although midfielder Sander Berge could leave Sheffield United, for now, he is one of the division's best central players. Berge is a tough tackler capable of making key passes. He will be a big part of Sheffield United's promotion push, if Berge remains at Bramall Lane after September 1.

Keane Lewis Potter is the object of transfer speculation with Premier League teams interested in him. Lewis Potter is just 21 years old and coming off of a breakout season with 12 goals in 46 Championship matches.

West Brom striker Daryl Dike is expected by many fans to blow up goalscoring charts this coming season. Dike arrived at the Hawthorns from Orlando City in January 2021, but injuries prevented him from playing much of the second half of the season. If fully fit, Dike is a striker that can bully centre backs. Don't be surprised if Dike leads the Championship top goalscorer charts.

Championship Top Goalscorer Odds

The Championship was led in goals by Fulham's Aleksandar Mitrovic last season with 43 goals. He set a new league record. Which player will be the Championship top goalscorer this season? Here is a look at the latest odds:

  • Teemu Pukki 6/1
  • Ben Brereton Diaz 7/1
  • Daryl Dike 7/1
  • Joel Piroe 9/1
  • Emmanuel Dennis 11/1
  • Ashley Barnes 14/1
  • Karlan Grant 14/1
  • Michael Obafemi 16/1
  • Billy Sharp 18/1
  • Danny Ward 18/1
  • Tyrese Campbell 20/1
  • Andreas Weimann 20/1

When Does the Championship Start?

The Championship season will begin on Friday, July 29 with Huddersfield hosting Burnley. The season begins extra early this year due to the World Cup 2022 being played in November.

The following day, July 30, the Championship's first round continues and doesn't end until Monday, August 1 with Watford hosting Sheffield United.

When is the Final Day of the Championship?

The 2022-23 Championship season will finish on Saturday, May 6, 2023.

When Are the Championship Play offs this season?

The play off dates have not been confirmed as yet. However, the play off semifinals will take place shortly after the season ends on Saturday, May 6, 2023. The play off final will take place at Wembley on Monday, May 29, 2023.

What Happens to the Championship during the World Cup?

The Championship will play until matchday 21 on November 12. After matchday 21, the league will pause for the 2022 World Cup. The Championship will return to action on Saturday, December 10, 2022. Teams will have less than a month off. Prior to the World Cup pause, the Championship will present six midweek matchdays.