Championship Play-Off Winner Odds: Southampton 6/4 favourites to seal Premier League return

The fight to reach the Premier League turns up a notch as Leeds United, Southampton, West Brom and Norwich City compete in the Championship play-offs.

Leicester City and Ipswich Town claimed the two automatic promotion spots and now all eyes are on the play-offs as a third team bids to reach the promised land for next season.

We look at the latest odds ahead of a thrilling conclusion to the 2023/24 campaign.

Championship play-off fixtures

Semi-Final: First leg

• Norwich City v Leeds United, Sunday 12th May (12:00)
• West Brom v Southampton, Sunday 12th May (14:15)

Semi-Final: Second leg

• Leeds United v Norwich City, Thursday 16th May (20:00)
• Southampton v West Brom, Friday 17th May (20:00)

Championship play-off final date

The Championship play-off final will be played on Sunday 26th May at Wembley Stadium.

Championship promotion odds

Southampton - 6/4

Most sides that assemble a 25-match unbeaten run would fancy their automatic promotion chances but in the end, Southampton fell quite a way off the pace of the top two.

Three successive defeats ended the Saints' hopes of automatic promotion, but a 2-1 win over Leeds at Elland Road will have renewed confidence in Russell Martin's charges.

In fact, their final day victory was the first time they recorded less possession than their opponents in a match since 30th September. Their opponents on that day? Leeds United. Southampton were triumphant on both occasions and both accounts are proof that there is more to this Saints side than their ability to dominate the ball.

In Adam Armstrong, they have the most productive player in the Championship and Martin has an array of attack-minded personnel at his disposal that can make a difference in tight encounters.

They won both of their meetings with West Brom this season and will be encouraged by the recent poor form of their opponents, with the Baggies winning just two of their eight matches following the March international break.

Southampton are 4/7 to reach the final at Wembley and 6/4 favourites to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.

Leeds United - 13/8

Leeds' tally of 90 points and a +38 goal difference would have been enough to seal automatic promotion in four of the previous six Championship seasons, which speaks volumes of the spectacular seasons Leicester and Ipswich enjoyed.

After finishing best of the rest, the Whites are 13/8 to seal an immediate return to the top flight via the play-offs, though they will need to arrest an alarming slump of form that threatens to derail their Premier League ambitions.

Daniel Farke's side picked up just four points from a possible 18 in their concluding six matches and a 2-1 defeat to fellow play-off competitors Southampton on the final day may have handed the Saints a psychological advantage.

Farke will reacquaint himself with his former employer Norwich in the semi-finals and though his team have wilted of late, the German tactician knows he possesses the individual flair and incisiveness to power their way to Wembley.

Crysencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto, Georginio Rutter and Joel Piroe all have the ability to punish opponents and their attacking exploits can paper over Leeds' defensive vulnerabilities.

The Yorkshire club are odds-on favourites at 4/11 to progress from their semi-final.

Norwich City - 5/1

Norwich City will be hoping to join their East Anglian rivals Ipswich in the Premier League, a fixture the top flight has not witnessed since 1995.

Such was the commanding advantage they had built-up in the play-off race, the Canaries could afford a three-game winless run to conclude the regular season and now David Wagner's outfit will be looking to cause an upset in knocking Leeds out of the play-offs.

There were doubts over whether Wagner's tenure would last beyond November as Norwich slumped to 17th in the table but to the German's credit, he's galvanised a squad that boasts an impressive blend of youth and experience.

Stalwart Kenny McLean anchors the midfield, while Brazilian Gabriel Sara has excelled in his second season at Carrow Road. Norwich supporters have had to be patient with Josh Sargent but the American international is now demonstrating Premier League qualities.

Norwich are 2/1 to qualify from their semi-final tie and will be looking to draw upon their success in the 2014/15 play-offs where they beat Ipswich and Middlesbrough to reach the Premier League.

West Brom - 6/1

Like Norwich, West Brom eventually crept over the line and booked their play-off spot after a final day victory over Preston. Given they had occupied 5th position for 22 consecutive weeks, it would have been a travesty for them to have finished anywhere else.

Carlos Corberan deserves immense praise for his handling of the club's off-field uncertainty at the start of the campaign and with a new ownership regime at the helm, it appears there are brighter days ahead at The Hawthorns.

In Corberan, they possess arguably the most talented manager in the play-offs and the former Huddersfield boss will need all of his knowledge and expertise to conquer Southampton over two legs.

And the underdog tag may work in West Brom's favour, with the Albion priced at 5/4 to make a Wembley appearance for the first time since 2008.