West Ham United have gone through a summer of soul searching but they are worthy favourites to bounce back as Championship title winners, according to the Racing Post's Dan Childs.
The Irons have retained a lot of quality and should be strong in the second tier but may face competition from Wolves, Burnley and Middlesbrough in the battle for automatic promotion, while a host of other clubs will fancy their chances of an extended season due to the expansion of the playoff places from four teams to six.
Championship Tips and Predictions
Outright Prediction: West Ham United (2/1)
Alternative Tip: Millwall top-eight finish (7/4)
Dark Horse Tip: Norwich to be promoted (6/1)
Opening Weekend Fixtures
Friday, August 14 - Wolves v Blackburn Rovers; Saturday August 15 - Bolton Wanderers v Preston North End, Bristol City v Millwall, Charlton Athletic v Derby County, Middlesbrough v Lincoln City, Norwich City v West Bromwich Albion, Portsmouth v QPR, Stoke City v Swansea City, Sheffield United v Birmingham City; Sunday, August 16 - Watford v Southampton, Burnley v West Ham United; Monday, August 17 - Cardiff City v Wrexham.
There are some fascinating fixtures to get the campaign up and running, starting with Friday night when Wolves mark their return to the second tier with a home game against Blackburn Rovers.
Saturday’s matches include a heavyweight clash between Sheffield United and Birmingham City, and the pick of Sunday’s games comes at Turf Moor where Burnley face West Ham United in a fixture between recently relegated sides.
The action concludes on Monday with a Welsh derby between newly-promoted Cardiff City and Wrexham.
Championship Favourites
West Ham have returned to the second tier for the first time since the 2011/12 season and they are just 2/1 to bounce back in style by finishing top of the pile.
The East London side were relegated alongside Burnley and Wolves, who are third and second favourites at 9/1 and 11/2 as they strive to succeed under their newly-appointed managers Nicky Hayen and Cesar Peixoto.
Other possible contenders include losing play-off finalists Middlesbrough and spygate perpetrators Southampton, who are quoted at 10/1 and 14/1.
Data-Led Championship Predictions & Analytics
When diving deeper into potential outcomes, advanced metrics like xGF (expected goals for) and clean sheet percentage give a more predictive edge than headline form.
Here’s what the data tells us about the leading contenders:
West Ham United averaged 3.7 shots on target in last season’s Premier League which was 14th in the division and appreciably higher than fellow relegated clubs Burnley (3.10) and Wolves (3.20).
Millwall like to play to their strengths by getting lots of balls into the penalty box, Their average crosses per Championship game last season (6.0) was the highest in the division.
Middlesbrough were gutted to lose last season’s play-off final but they topped the charts on several metrics across the Championship season, including average possession (59.5), total touches in opposition box (1455) and total corners (314).
Derby County finished just four points outside the playoffs but they clearly have a few issues in terms of a lack of discipline having finished second on average fouls per match (12.3) and second on total yellow cards (109).
Championship Outright Prediction
West Ham were relegated from the Premier League after losing out to Tottenham on a dramatic final day of last season, but they are well equipped to thrive at the lower level and will be tough to stop in the Championship title race.
There are financial challenges for all relegated clubs, but West Ham have sent out some positive signals by retaining head coach Nuno Espirito Santo and top scorer Jarrod Bowen, who has reaffirmed his commitment to the club.
A big fee was banked for Mateus Fernandes, but West Ham look well-placed to retain the core of a strong squad and make a few key additions before the transfer window shuts.
Wolves could be the main challenger having started their summer recruitment drive with the smart acquisitions of Kieran Trippier and Raul Jimenez.
But they won only three league games last season and may take time to rediscover the winning habit.
Alternative Tip
Another capital club who could be among the contenders are Millwall, who will be looking to kick-on after last season’s third-place finish.
The Lions operate within a tight budget but they have made a few early signings, including former Bristol City winger Mark Sykes, and have retained the bulk of their players from last term.
Millwall have a clear identity thanks to their physical, direct method of play under astute manager Alex Neil, and they have every chance of qualifying for the extended play-off format.
Dark Horses to Watch
Norwich City were absolutely flying in the second half of last season and they could be one of teams to keep an eye on in this season’s promotion race.
Belgian head coach Philippe Clement arrived in Norfolk last November and set about transforming the fortunes of the Canaries, who collected 41 points from their final 20 league games.
Clement’s side should be among the faster starters this term and they look overpriced 6/1 shots to claim a promotion place.
Another team to go well at a large price could be John Eustace’s Derby.
The Rams rose from 19th to eighth over the last two seasons and are of interest at 8/1 in the promotion betting.
Who Wins the Championship?
Coventry were a class apart in last season’s Championship and there is every chance of West Ham reaching similar standards to the Sky Blues across the 2026/27 campaign.
Relegation was a devastating blow for West Ham, but it is clear that they are planning for the shortest possible stay at the level below.
The Hammers have retained a Premier League level manager, plus a powerful, talented squad and their sensible decisions should be rewarded in nine month’s time.
Read more football betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
