Championship 2023/24 Promotion & Relegation Odds

by Luke Andrews, 20 July 2023

In our series of previews for the 2023/24 season, we now focus on the Championship, the second tier of English football. Competition is fierce in this league, with plenty of teams with experience in the Premier League. We’ll share the latest bookies’ odds for promotion and relegation and the young players who could shine this season.

The English Football League Championship is usually known as the Championship in England and the Sky Bet Championship for sponsorship purposes. It is the top tier of the English Football League (EFL) and the second-highest league overall in the English hierarchy after the Premier League. For the 2004-05 season, the division was called the Football League Championship. It was previously known as the Football League First Division. As the stakes are high in this division, betting on the Championship is very popular, especially for fans whose teams have a chance of promotion.

Twenty-four teams from both Wales and England compete, making it a cross-border league.

The Championship winners and runners-up are automatically promoted to the Premier League. The clubs finishing third through sixth in the regular season compete in a play-off round, with the winner also gaining promotion to the Premier League.

The Championship’s three worst-performing teams are relegated to League One.

In today’s article, we take you through what is known to be the ruthless league, with sides putting in sweat, blood and tears to reach the promised land of the Premier League. We will do a Championship preview of the 23/24 season, scrutinising the contenders, the strugglers, and the promising sides. We will then look at the best odds betting sites and the standout youngsters who could catch the eye this season.

Odds on Promotion and Relegation from The Championship

Promotion From The Championship

The Championship promotion odds are highly in favour of the Premier League exiled sides, Leicester (11/8), Leeds (5/2), and Southampton (9/4).  Outside of those 3, other teams who have short odds on being promoted from the Championship are Norwich, West Brom, Middlesbrough and Watford – all of who are likely to be in contention for a play off place to win promotion from the Championship.

Championship 23/24 Relegation Odds

The odds on relegation from the Championship at bet365 favour Plymouth Argyle and Rotherham, while other potential teams worth betting on to be relegated are QPR, Huddersfield and Sheffield Wednesday. As the season progresses, the Championship relegation odds will change regularly, but it’s likely the same handful of teams will be fighting it out to stay in the league.

The table below shows the odds on all teams in the Championship to be promoted or relegated. It’s highly unlikely that the 3 teams from the Premier League will be relegated again, so their odds are a lot higher, but we’ll be sure to see a lot of twists and turns as the season progresses.

Championship 2023/24 – The Contenders

Let’s have a look at the clubs that are projected to win the EFL championship. We look at the clubs that had the best season the previous year but were outside the three that were promoted. Some teams demoted from the Premier League hope to return to the promised land quickly.

Leicester

Leicester currently have the shortest odds on being promoted from the Championship back into the top flight of English football. The Premier League Champions from 2015-16 and FA Cup Winners from 2020-21 have been relegated to the Championship after finishing eighth in the Premier League last season. The Foxes is arguably the most talented club to have been relegated from the Premier League, facing the drop with a roster of players Youri Tielemans, Jamie Vardy, Kelechi Iheanacho, James Maddison, and Harvey Barnes. A side that was in contention for European slots two years prior and finished eighth the season before last.

The relegation will hurt Leicester City as some high-profile players are expected to depart, with some already on their way. Maddison has moved to Tottenham while Tielemans moved to Villa are two high-profile departures.

I’m gutted, in fact devastated that I’m even having to write this post.

I’ve spent the last week reflecting on our relegation and I really don’t know what to say other that I am really sorry that we didn’t deliver this season, we failed you, plain and simple. pic.twitter.com/fdlSZp4mta

— Jamie Vardy (@vardy7) June 4, 2023

Jamie Vardy has decided to remain as the ever-loyal leader of the Foxes and is expected to lead the charge back to the Premier League. They hope they can still attract quality players to replace the departed world-class talents to reignite their campaign in the Championship.

Enzo Maresca, a former Pep Guardiola assistant, has left Manchester City to become the club’s new head coach, tasked with the obligation of guiding the King Power hopefully back to the glory of the Premier League.

Leeds United

Leeds United will make their first appearance in the Championship since winning the 2019-20 season under Marcelo Bielsa the following season. They astonished the league with 93 points that season, finishing 10 points ahead of second-placed West Brom.

They, like Leicester City, had an impressive season in the 21-22 season, finishing ninth, but their struggles in the 22-23 season, including a ten-game winless run in their final ten (eight defeats, two draws), saw them finish nineteenth and Championship bound.

The intriguing thing about Leeds is that, while their current roster may be more Championship-level than Leicester’s, there is likely to be less movement within the team, giving them a more substantial chance of winning the Championship.

Cole Palmer, Viktor Gyokeres, and Ryan Manning have all been linked with moves to Leeds. They might rapidly return to the Premier League if they can acquire players of a similar class and maintain others like Gnonto.

Leeds United has strengthened their squad for the 2023/24 season with several key additions. Ethan Ampadu, a 22-year-old Centre-Back, has been transferred from Chelsea for a fee of £7.10m, marking a significant investment for the club.

Leeds has also secured the services of Brenden Aaronson, a 23-year-old Attacking Midfielder from Union Berlin, although the transfer fee has not been disclosed. The team has further bolstered their defence by acquiring Robin Koch, a 27-year-old Centre-Back from E. Frankfurt, and Rasmus Kristensen, a 26-year-old Right-Back from AS Roma. Additionally, Diego Llorente, a 30-year-old Centre-Back, has also joined Leeds from AS Roma.

The midfield has been strengthened with the addition of Marc Roca, a 27-year-old Defensive Midfielder from Real Betis.

The total expenditure on these new arrivals for the 2023/24 season is £7.04m, while the income from player sales is £3.85m, leading to a net spend of £3.19m.

The Whites are still in the market for a new manager, having been linked with Daniel Farke, Patrick Viera, and Graham Potter. The decision will be critical as they eye to finish in the top two and gain automatic qualification.

Leeds United Championship 2023/24 odds – 11/8

Southampton

Southampton will be back in the Championship for the first time since the 2011-12 season. They finished second that year, and manager Nigel Adkins guided them to the Premier League. The Saints finished bottom of the table eleven points from safety, having struggled in front of goal, scoring just thirty-six goals and accumulating twenty-five goals.

Although James Ward-Prowse and Roméo Lavia have been linked with exits, Gavin Bazunu, Tino Livramento, and others are expected to stay on Southampton’s spine for the coming season. If they do a fantastic job hiring, they will have a terrific Championship squad the following year.

Southampton FC has made several strategic moves in the 2023/24 season to enhance their squad. The club has signed Shea Charles, a 19-year-old Defensive Midfielder from Man City U21, for a significant fee of £10.64m. In addition, they have acquired Ryan Manning, a 27-year-old Left-Back from Swansea, on a free transfer. The club has also brought in Mateusz Lis, a 27-year-old Goalkeeper from Göztepe, although the transfer fee has not been disclosed.

The total expenditure on these new arrivals for the 2023/24 season is £10.64m, while the income from player sales is £2.09m, resulting in a net spend of £8.55m.

Because they are now managerless, the appropriate option for a head coach will be critical to their success next season. The good news for Southampton fans is that Swansea manager Russell Martin seems to be the frontrunner for the job. His possession-based style of play, in which he focuses on his team pushing the opponent, appears to be a good fit for Southampton.

Southampton Championship 2023/24 odds – 5/2

Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough finished fourth in the Championship with 75 points, despite being only one point above the relegation zone when Carrick was recruited in October.

Carrick quickly reversed their fortunes, earning manager of the month in November. Before losing in the semifinals in the play-offs against Coventry, the club entered the play-off positions on December 29 and did not leave them until the end of the season.

Behind the scenes of our away kit shoot 🔵🟡📹 #UTB pic.twitter.com/xDC48eIJAd

— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) July 20, 2023

It will be interesting to see how Michael Carrick does as the club’s head coach in his first full season. They will need to hire very effectively if they are to have a chance of winning the Championship, even though Chuba Akpom and Darragh Lenihan will be crucial once again. Middlesbrough FC has made several new signings for the 2023/24 season.

The club has brought in Tom Glover, a 25-year-old Goalkeeper from Melbourne City, and Jamie Jones, a 34-year-old Goalkeeper from Wigan, both on free transfers.

They have also signed Alex Gilbert, a 21-year-old Left Winger from Brentford B, on a free transfer. In addition, the club has acquired Morgan Rogers, a 20-year-old Left Winger from Man City U21, Seny Dieng, a 28-year-old Goalkeeper from QPR, and Rav van den Berg, an 18-year-old Centre-Back from PEC Zwolle, although the transfer fees for these players have not been disclosed.

Middlesbrough has also signed Sam Silvera, a 22-year-old Left Winger from Central Coast, Martín Payero, a 24-year-old Central Midfielder from Boca Juniors, and Liam Roberts, a 29-year-old Goalkeeper from Barnsley FC, with undisclosed transfer fees.

Recruiting will be the most critical aspect in determining if Middlesbrough poses a threat further up the table this season. With Ross Barkley among the reported signings, there is reason to be optimistic because they might be in line for automatic promotion.

Middlesbrough Championship 2023/24 odds – 3/1

Championship 2023/24 – The Hopefuls

In this section, we take a look at the teams that could sneak between the contenders and outperform the best. We highlight some of the teams promoted from League One who could continue their impressive form and eyeing consecutive promotion and some teams that showed promise last season.

Plymouth Argyle

The winners of League One accumulated more than a century of points in an impressive campaign that saw them promoted to the Championship.

The Pilgrims were in League Two by 2011; they were promoted to League One in 2017 and again in 2020 after relegation the previous season. They can renew their Championship status after a decade and possibly achieve promotion.

Plymouth Argyle has to impress in a competitive league requiring them to bring their best game as they were not the best in numbers in terms of goals scored and conceded but were resourceful in getting the job done and ended up at the helm of the league. Their resilient nature of getting results despite not playing well would be a positive mentality to carry into the competitive division in which they won’t be the dominant force, and it would be impressive if they can steal wins in such situations.

Ipswich Town

The Tractor Boys had an impressive season despite finishing second; they performed better than the leaders Plymouth Argyle. They lost four games, the best record in the league, but they drew fourteen games, the highest number for the teams in the top five.

Ipswich’s goal in numbers was impressive as they had the best goal-scoring record with one hundred and one goals, which was twenty goals more than the second side, and they conceded just thirty-five goals which was the best record in the league.

Suppose they can match their performance last season and improve on killing games by converting the draws to one point into wins. Of the teams promoted, the Tractor Boys will likely outperform the big boys in the Championship in their quest to reach the Premier League.

Championship 2023/24 – Who is most likely to get relegated?

We emphasise the remnants from the previous season’s relegation battle. The following clubs, which had a poor record and just avoided relegation, would most likely struggle to find motivation in the forthcoming season. The promoted clubs from the lower leagues and the relegated teams from the Premier League do not always have a better chance of surviving or advancing to the EFL Championship. We believe it will take a lot of courage to get started and accomplish better than the previous season.

If you’re looking to bet on relegation from the Championship; we’ve highlighted a few teams who are likely to be struggling when the season ends, and are likely to be at the shorter end of the odds on being relegated.

Rotherham United

The Miller is constantly bouncing between English football’s second and third flight. They are struggling to maintain the Championship status this season as they keep hooping up and down League One.

Rotherham has been promoted to the Championship three times in the last five seasons, although they have also been relegated twice, finishing 22nd in the 2018-19 season and 23rd in the 2020-21 season.

Some key players have also left the squad on free transfers, including Freddie Ladapo, Micheal Smith, and Micheal Ihiekwe. Given that and their track record, they would need a special effort and consistency to maintain the Championship standard and stay afloat.

Birmingham City

The Blues are constantly towards the bottom of the standings, yet they always perform just well enough to avoid relegation. This trend is likely to continue this season.

Paul Richardson and Maxi Lopez are organising a consortium to buy the club. Thus, they will most likely have new owners shortly. The procedure, however, is taking longer than intended.

Furthermore, despite having a good squad that includes players like Troy Deeney and Dion Sanderson, Birmingham lacks a great player who can rocket them higher up the table. I expect them to be towards the table’s foot end.

Sheffield Wednesday are in talks with Troy Deeney over a player coach role.

[@MailSport] #WatfordFC pic.twitter.com/R86usONlYn

— WD18 (@WD18Fans) July 10, 2023

However, Troy might not be at the club for much longer, with Sheffield Wednesday showing interest in the player.

Cardiff City

The Welsh side finished twenty-first in the Championship table, just five points above the relegation zone.

They were the second poorest scorers in the division, scoring forty-one goals, with only the bottom of the league club, Wigan Athletic, scoring less (thirty-eight).

They will, however, depend on their impressive defensive record in the bottom third of the table.

The Bluebirds were in the Premier League in the 2018-19 season but seem far from repeating that fate.

They recently reported a huge loss, thus hindering their recruitment muscle which ruins their ability to impress this coming season. There is always the possibility of them exceeding expectations, but I’d wager if a Welsh club is celebrating promotion this season, it’s more likely to be Wrexham.

Millwall’s odds make for interesting reading as the best UK betting sites are offering them at the same odds for promotion as relegation (10/1), which could mean ecstasy or misery if you are a Millwall fan!

Championship 2023/24 – Youngsters to Watch

We highlight the outstanding Championship rising stars who could impress in the upcoming season. We start with the Championships’ Grealish, Alex Scot.

Alex Scott (Bristol City)

Jack Grealish and Guernsey-born Scott have been likened, and the midfielder shares some of Grealish’s habits, such as wearing his socks around his ankles and having good vision and ball control.

He has played more than 50 times for the West Country Club while still 19 and scored four goals. He competed for England in the UEFA Under-19 European Championship last year, which they won.

The 19-year-old is the Championship’s rising star and would be motivated to push his side to promotion to play alongside Grealish, who they have much in common.

Ryan Giles (Middlesbrough)

Ryan Gilles is now on loan from Wolves to Middlesbrough, but if he cannot play for the first team at Molineux, there is talk of a permanent transfer. The 22-year-old is versatile and has represented England’s under-20 national team. He is capable of playing as a flank defender or in midfield. He stands out as one of the best Championship talents and will long to get valuable minutes to impress his parent team.

Gabriel Sara (Norwich City)

Norwich City felt they needed to refresh their team after being dropped from the Premier League, and attacking midfielder Sara from Sao Paolo was one of the players they signed. Despite Dean Smith’s resignation as manager, it is uncertain what direction the club will take now, even though he has managed two goals and thirteen assists.

Rob Dickie (QPR)

Dickie was persuaded to turn down Premier League offers when he moved from Oxford United to QPR because it was thought that playing in the Championship would be better for his long-term development. It proved competent advice, as he has already made 80 appearances for the West London club and has established himself as one of the league’s most trustworthy defenders.

Jordan James (Birmingham City)

Although James has yet to match Jude Bellingham’s achievements, being only 18 years old, he has already established himself as a staple in their midfield. Jude Bellingham and James both went through the Birmingham academy system. He has played at the youth levels for England and Wales and is qualified to play for both.

The Championship 2023/24 season is expected to be one of the best we have ever seen, and with there is plenty of competition to claim one of the three promotion spots.

In my analysis, I’ve scrutinised teams with a solid chance of clinching the title and likely contenders for play-off qualification. I’ve also highlighted clubs that may be teetering on the brink of relegation, those that could encounter hurdles this season, and the dark horses that might spring a surprise.

For aficionados of football betting, I’ve highlighted the top picks according to bookmakers and provided pertinent statistics to aid them in selecting the most fitting market.

Our preview of the Championship 2023/24 season would be incomplete without drawing attention to some of the emerging talents in the division. These youthful, ambitious players are definitely ones to keep an eye on, given their proficiency and drive to succeed.

The Championship starts on Friday, August 4, with Sheffield Wednesday taking on Southampton. The game will be televised on Sky Sports Football with kick-off at 8 pm.