The EFL Championship promises intense action in the 2024/25 season, with Leeds United emerging as strong favorites to secure promotion back to the Premier League. The competition features recently relegated sides Burnley and Luton Town, who are both eager to bounce straight back to the top flight.
This season’s Championship race is particularly compelling with 46 grueling matches that will test the consistency and depth of all 24 teams. Sheffield United has made a strong start, leading the table with impressive defensive statistics, while Burnley and Sunderland follow closely in the promotion race.
The Championship’s reputation as one of Europe’s toughest leagues is well-deserved, offering two automatic promotion spots and an additional place through the playoffs for teams finishing third through sixth. With around 25 million spectators expected to attend matches this season, the stage is set for another thrilling campaign where anything can happen in the race for Premier League promotion.
EFL Championship Winner Prediction: Top Contenders for the 2024-25 Title
Leeds United have emerged as the clear favorites to win the Championship title in 2024/25, with bookmakers offering odds of +275, implying strong confidence in their promotion chances. The Yorkshire side’s status as frontrunners comes after their near-miss in 2023/24, where they finished third and lost in the play-off final.
Championship Winner Odds: Key Contenders
Recently relegated Premier League sides Burnley and Luton Town are considered the main challengers to Leeds’ title aspirations. Burnley have strengthened significantly during the summer transfer window, investing €34 million in promising talents like Mike Tresor, Maxime Esteve, and Andreas Hountondj.
The Championship’s notorious unpredictability means that while Leeds are favorites, the intense 46-game season could see multiple teams emerge as serious contenders for the title
Best goalscorers for Championship 2024/2025 Season
Tactical Breakdowns
Leeds: Daniel Farke’s Leeds team play in a fluid 4-2-3-1 formation, looking to dominate teams with slick, attacking football.
Sheffield United: Unlike his first spell in charge, Chris Wilder has adopted a 4-2-3-1 formation with Sheffield United this season, utilising wide players and good transitions.
Burnley: Burnley under Scott Parker have lined up in a 4-2-3-1, or a 4-1-4-1 formation thus far in the Championship. With a focus on possession-based football Burnley have averaged 55% of the ball in their matches so far this season.
Middlesbrough: Much like a lot of teams in the Championship, Boro set up predominantly with a 4-2-3-1 under Michael Carrick.
Player Impact Assessment
There is no doubt that there are some quality players plying their trade in this season’s EFL Championship, so with that in mind, here is a Championship starting eleven made up of some of the best players in the division.
Goalkeeper: Illan Meslier
Right Back: Jayden Bogle
Centre Back: Anel Ahmedhodzic
Centre Back: Rav van den Berg
Left Back: Dennis Cirkin
Centre Midfield: Josh Brownhill
Centre Midfield: Jobe Bellingham
Right Wing: Wilfried Gnonto
Attacking Midfield: Gustavo Hamer
Left Wing: Borja Sainz
Striker: Josh Maja
Manager Strategies
Leeds – Daniel Farke: When Daniel Farke’s teams are at their best, they play a possession-based game where positional play is paramount. He aims for his teams to move the ball into dangerous positions through slick combinations and interplay.
Farke is a detail-orientated coach who likes to work his players extensively, so that they adapt to his methods. His willingness to give young players a chance has also been a clear strategy of his throughout his coaching career.
Sheffield United – Chris Wilder: In a shift from the 3-5-2 that became synonymous with the Blades during Chris Wilder’s first spell, this current Sheffield United team is playing with a back four. He still likes his teams to be strong on transitions and using the wide areas to create space for his attackers.
Wilder also looks to dominate the game in his opponent’s half of the pitch which allows his creative attacking players to flourish.
Burnley – Scott Parker: Parker has set his side’s up to try and be dominant with the ball when he managed in the EFL Championship in the past.
He has been described as quite an intense coach and likes to have his teams play with dynamism, with wide wingers and attacking full backs. Out of possession, Parker generally likes his teams to recover the ball as quickly as possible.
Middlesbrough – Michael Carrick: Carrick has brought a possession-based game to Boro since he took over in October 2022. Playing out from the back, switching from a back four to a back three when in possession and utilising his creative players are all hallmarks of the former Manchester United midfielders teams in his Boro side, his first permanent job in football management.
EFL Championship Relegation Battle: Teams Fighting for Survival
The Championship is such a competitive league where a few good results can completely change the outlook for a club’s season. Conversely a run of some bad results can see a club easily get dragged into a relegation battle they may not have been expecting.
The 2024/25 should be as competitive as ever but here is a selection of some of the early favourites to be relegated to League One.
Portsmouth romped to the 2023/24 League One title last season with 97 points but have so far struggled with the leap to Championship level and find themselves as prime relegation candidates already after only nine matches.
John Mousinho’s team have yet to win this season, a stat that will have to change fast if they want to give themselves any chance at staying up.
Cardiff City find themselves as third favourites with many bookmakers to lose their Championship status this season and after their dismal start to the season, its easy to see why.
Their terrible start has already cost Erol Bulut his job as manager, and while caretaker Omar Riza has picked up 4 points from his three matches in charge, a more permanent decision on the manager will have to be made to help Cardiff’s survival chances this season.
Preston are another side that have already changed their manager, with former boss Ryan Lowe leaving after only one match. Paul Heckingbottom has taken on the challenge of lifting Preston up the table after their shaky start and has led them to two wins in his first seven Championship games.
Queens Park Rangers are currently priced at 10/3 with Betarno to be relegated to League One, making them the sixth favourite with that site to slip into the third tier of English football.
Marti Cifuentes’ team have only notched up one victory from nine games so far this season and are already looking likely candidates to be stuck in another relegation dogfight, as they were for so much of the 2023/24 campaign.
EFL Championship Playoff Predictions: Race for Promotion
With some heavy hitters in the Championship this season the race for promotion to the Premier League looks like being as exciting as ever in the EFL Championship. Leeds currently top the betting market as favourites to go up under Daniel Farke, but just who will earn promotion from the 2024/25 Championship season? Below we look at the likely promotion contenders.
Leeds United
After coming so close to automatic promotion last season many expected Daniel Farke’s men to romp to promotion this campaign. While they may still do that, they have had a shaky enough start to the season and sit fifth after nine games.
However, they possess arguably the best squad in the division and have a manger who knows exactly what’s needed to get a team up, so it would be a huge surprise if Leeds were not in the mix at the end of the season.
Sheffield United
A mass overhaul of the Sheffield United squad probably had many Blades fans fearing the worst at the start of the season, but once again Chris Wilder has shown his chops at this level by managing to mould a competitive squad together with the additions of some quality new signings.
The likes of Callum O’Hare and Harrison Burrows have been added to a squad that already contains Gus Hamer, Vini Souza and Anel Ahmedhodzic, meaning the Blades have a squad capable of returning to the Premier League at the first attempt. They currently sit 2nd after nine matches and would be top if not for their two-point deduction.
Middlesbrough
Michael Carrick’s team may be in ninth place in the table at the time of writing but they are still viewed as one of the main contenders to get promoted from the 2024/25 Championship.
That highlights the fact that their squad, which is packed with top talents such as Isiah Jones, Hayden Hackney and Rav van den Berg and their manager, are so highly rated by pundits and supporters alike.
They have been inconsistent so far, but the rest of the Championship is aware that if it clicks for Boro and they can get on a run of results, they might be hard to stop.
Burnley
Scott Parker’s Burnley are currently fifth favourites for promotion with Betiton, priced at 9/5, which is surprising considering the strength of the Clarets’ squad this season.
They may have lost the likes of Sander Berge, Dara O’ Shea and Wilson Odobert but they have added quality in Hannibal from Manchester United and the loan signings of Jeremy Sarmiento and Jaiden Anthony.
Scott Parker also knows how to get a team promoted to the Premier League so perhaps Burnley are being underestimated in the ace for promotion. Burnley sit third after nine games with 18 points.
Best Sites to Bet on EFL Championship
Betiton
Betiton is among the best sites to bet on the Championship with, as they offer customers a variety of markets at competitive odds. Examples of the advantages to betting with them include:
- Betiton’s trademark ‘Boostiton’ enables you to increase the amount you win on an accumulator by up to 77%, depending on the number of lines included in the bet.
- They will also allow a full or partial cash-out on your bet if it qualifies for either.
- Betiton offers customers an extensive live streaming and live betting platform so that you can top of all the action you are betting on.
If you sign up to Betiton today, you will receive a welcome bonus of a free bet to the value of £10 when you deposit and bet £15.
Check out the T&Cs below.
- The Sport betting welcome offer is for new customers only.
- Minimum bet to activate the free bet is £15.
- The free bet offer may not be used in conjunction with any other offer or promotion.
- The free bet must be used within 14 days of being credited to an account.
Betarno
Betarno is another sportsbook that offers punters an enhanced betting experience.
- Betarno is a solid choice for bettors because of its strong football markets and its competitive football betting odds.
- Offers bettors over 2,000 and hundreds of live betting markets each week.
- This site covers more than 55,000 sporting events and has 30,000 in-play markets each month.
Here, you’ll also find bespoke promotional offers pertaining to different sports, including football. Then there’s the welcome bonus, which offers a £10 free bet when you deposit and bet £15. Kindly read the T&Cs accompanying this offer.
Check out the T&Cs below:
- Players must make a minimum deposit of £15 and place bets to the value of £15 to receive their £10 free bet.
- The bonus is redeemable upon your first deposit.
- To qualify for the bet, the player must deposit using the sports cashier only.
- The free bet is a one-time stake of £10, with minimum odds of 1/2 and the stake cannot be returned.
How the EFL Championship Works: A Beginner’s Guide
The EFL Sky Bet Championship is the highest division of the English Football League, the (EFL), and the second highest tier overall in English club football, after the Premier League. The Championship is a rebrand of the old English First Division and is currently contested by 24 clubs every season.
The Championship format consists of every team playing 46 matches, that is each team plays the other 23 teams in the division twice, home and away. 3 points are awarded for a match win, one for a draw and zero for a defeat.
Teams are ranked in the League table by points gained, then goal difference, goals scored and then their head-to-head record. If two or more teams are equal in all these respects, then the sides are separated alphabetically, unless a promotion, relegation or a playoff place is at stake.
In this case, a playoff game would be held to separate the teams, although it must be said this has never happened since the rule came into place. After 46 games, the two teams that finish 1st and 2nd in the table automatically get promoted to the Premier League.
The teams that finish from 3rd to 6th position then enter a playoff competition, with the 3rd placed team playing the 6th placed team, and the 4th place side facing off against the 5th placed team. These two ties are played out over two legs with each team playing home and away.
The winners of the two ties then advance to the Playoff Final with the winner of this one-off fixture also gaining promotion to the Premier League.
The three teams that finish in the bottom three spots in the table, 22nd, 23rd and 24th are relegated to the third tier of English football, called League One.
Key Statistics for Your EFL Championship Predictions
To help with bets and tips on the EFL Championship it could be useful to know some of the key Championship statistics that have really come to the fore, so far this season. Sunderland and Sheffield United lead the table after nine games.
Both are on 19 points from nine matches, with Sunderland winning 6 games, losing 2 and drawing 1 and Sheffield United who have had 2 points deducted earning 6 wins and three draws from their opening 9 games, meaning they are the only unbeaten team in the Championship.
At the opposite end of the table, Cardiff and Portsmouth both have 5 points with Portsmouth—the only Championship side without a win.
So far in the 2024/25 Championship season, there have been 271 goals scored which works out at 2.51 per match. This is slightly down on last year’s total of 2.68 per match but there have only been nine rounds of fixtures to date this season.
Sunderland are the highest scorers in the EFL Championship with 18 goals scored, while Cardiff City are the lowest scorers with only 4 goals. Defensively, Sheffield United are the strongest team in this year’s Championship with only 3 goals conceded. Portsmouth have conceded the most with 20.
Of the 108 matches played so far in the 2024/25 Championship, 50% have resulted in home wins, 21% have been away victories, while 29% of the games have ended in a draw.
Blackburn and Derby see the biggest shift between their home and away results so far in the Championship with Blackburn scoring 3.00 points per game at home from 4 matches compared to 0.6 points per game away from home in 5 matches. Derby have also scored 2.4 points per game at home this season in 5 matches while scoring 0 points away from Pride Park.
West Brom have earned more points away from home so far this season with the Baggies earning 2.25 points away in 4 matches compared to 1.60 at home after 5 matches.
Sheffield United have seven clean sheets out of nine matches followed by Burnley, Leeds, Sunderland and West Brom with five each. Plymouth and Queens Park Rangers are yet to keep a clean sheet this season.
Making Informed EFL Championship Predictions: Expert Tips
When it comes to betting on the EFL Championship, blind luck will only take you so far. It is vital to gather as much information about the League and/or the teams you want to have a bet on before placing the bet.
To find out more about the League, visit The Real EFL Championship page where all the latest news about all 24 teams will be available.
The Championship is such an entertaining League that there will always be interesting betting angles to follow. Some sound betting strategies to follow before having a bet are:
- Learn as much about team stats as possible – This research method might enable you to pick up on any trends that are developing with certain teams throughout the season.
- Read as many blogs and opinion pieces as possible – Expert insight and opinion on all things Championship may help with any predictions you are going to make during the season.
- Reading about the latest news and information on certain teams might prevent you making the common prediction mistake of not finding out all the facts before placing a bet.
- Does the team have major injury problems, do they have a poor head-to-head record against the team they are playing. These are all things to be learned before having a bet.
EFL Championship Prediction Guide
The Championship is one of the most physically demanding leagues in the world with matches coming thick and fast for the players during the season. What that means for betting fans is that you will never be short of action to have a bet on once the action gets underway.
If you want to add an extra layer of excitement to watching the 2024/25 Championship season unfold, betting can be a great way to do so.
Understanding EFL Championship odds
When it comes to having a bet on the Championship, it is important to familiarise yourself with the most common and popular betting markets. The most popular betting markets when betting on the EFL Championship include:
- Match Winner Bet: This bet is simple as it only involves betting on the team you predict will win a single match.
- Outright Championship Winner: This bet involves selecting the team you think will win the 2024/25 Championship outright.
- Top Goal scorer: In this bet, you are betting on which player you predict will score the most goals in the 2024/25 Championship season.
Value Betting Opportunities
If the research has been done and a betting strategy developed, it may make it slightly easier to be able to spot the opportunities betting sites offer punters that seem to under value a team’s chances in a competition or in a match. Spotting these value bets can bring higher returns.
Risk Management Strategies
Although betting on football can be a thrilling way to add even more intrigue and buzz to a match, it is only fun when it is done safely and responsibly. Responsible betting is essential for a sustainable and rewarding betting experience so please set a budget to your bets and stick to it.
Historical EFL Championship Predictions
The EFL Championship has a distinctive charm and excitement that makes it one of the most watchable football divisions in club football. Financially, it is the wealthiest non topflight football division in the world and the ninth wealthiest football League overall in Europe.
It has also become the most attended second tier League in Europe, with over 12 million people going through the turnstiles of Championship clubs during the 2023/24 season.
In fact, the 2024 Playoff match between Leeds and Southampton had a higher attendance than the 2024 FA Cup Final between Manchester United and Manchester City, 85,862 – 84,814.
Since the restructured Championship came into being in 2004, fifty-seven teams have spent at least one season in the Division. Cardiff City have spent the longest time in the League overall with 19 seasons of Championship football under their belts.
Ipswich Town’s 15 years in a row spent in the Championship between 2004 and 2019 is the longest consecutive spell by a club. Bristol City, Preston North End and Queens Park Rangers have the longest consecutive runs of clubs in the 2024/25 Championship with each of them about to embark on their tenth season in a row in English football’s second tier.
There have been thirteen different winners of the EFL Championship, with seven teams, Norwich City, Leicester City, Newcastle United, Reading, Sunderland, Burnley and Wolves all winning it on two occasions.
Norwich and Burnley have gained the most promotions to the Premier League from the EFL Championship with four, while Fulham, Hull City, Sheffield United, Watford and West Brom have been promoted three times.
Rotherham United have suffered the most relegations from the Championship with five, while Wigan are next with four. Barnsley and Charlton have been relegated from the Championship on three occasions. Surprisingly, in the history of the EFL Championship, fourteen teams have been both promoted from the Championship and relegated out of the Championship.
Case Study: Most Surprising EFL Championship Outcomes
Unpredictability is a word commonly used with the EFL Championship and over the years the League has thrown up some surprises when it comes to sides earning promotion to the Premier League.
In 2009/10, Blackpool edged their way into a playoff spot in sixth place, one point ahead of Swansea in seventh to earn a shot at Nottingham Forest in the Semi-Finals. Having come through Forest, Ian Holloway’s team then came from behind twice to beat Cardiff in the Final to win a place in the 2010/11 Premier League.
During the 2016/17 season, Huddersfield Town caused something of a shock under their then boss David Wagner. Wagner who had been a former assistant to Jurgen Klopp in Germany led the Terriers to fifth place in the table after 46 matches, thus, earning a playoff Semi-Final against Sheffield Wednesday.
They defeated Wednesday on penalties to make the 2017 Playoff Final at Wembley, where they faced Reading. Again, Huddersfield would come through on spot kicks and earn their place in the 2017/2018 Premier League.
Luton Town created their own version of a football fairy tale during the 2022/23 season when they won promotion to the Premier League for the very first time, completing a remarkable journey from Non-League football to the Premier League in just nine seasons.
Luton’s promotion is all the more impressive when you consider that they lost their manager Nathan Jones to Southampton in November 2022. Rob Edwards who had been sacked by Watford came in and led the club to third place in the Championship table and a shot at the playoffs.
A 3-2 aggerate win over Sunderland, brought them to Wembley for a Final against Coventry, where they overcame the shock of their captain Tom Lockyer collapsing after eight minutes to beat Coventry on penalties.
There have been some great relegation escapes also over the years in the Championship. Times when it appeared a side was destined to go down only to somehow pick up enough points to rescue themselves. The most recent example of this is Sheffield Wednesday from last season, the 2023/24 campaign.
Wednesday had found themselves rock bottom of the Championship after 10 games, with just 2 points, without a win. It was the worst start by a team in Championship history. By the end of the season however, Sheffield Wednesday had finished 20th with 56 points, 3 points clear of the relegation zone.
Frequently Asked Questions about Betting on the EFL Championship
What factors are most important when making Championship predictions?
When it comes to making Championship predictions, the important things to look at are squad depth, a team’s overall form, a team’s performance history in the Championship and the manager that a team has can also be very important in making predictions.
How do home and away performances impact predictions?
How well a team performs at home or away can have a major influence when making predictions. If a team has a terrible away record, then the chances are, that team are very rarely going to be predicted to win when they are playing away from home.
How do Transfer Windows affect predictions?
What happens during a transfer window can affect Championship predictions. For example, if Leeds are predicted to get promoted but then in the January window, they lose 3 to 4 major players to bigger clubs, their chances of getting promoted will decrease.
Can I use these predictions for betting purposes?
While they shouldn’t be regarded as certainties, these predictions are here to provide readers with as much information about the Championship as possible.