Battle for Elite Status: 2025–26 English Championship Winner Odds & Betting Predictions (8 August 2025 – 2 May 2026)
It’s that time of the year again, as all of the big European Championships start in early August. Another exciting EFL Championship is in the making after Sunderland won a dramatic playoff game last season. Leeds United and Burnley both finished the 2024–25 season with 100 points and qualified for the EPL, so which teams should we expect to qualify next season?
English Championship 2025–26: Football Season Betting Preview
The 2025–26 EFL Championship full schedule has some interesting early matchups, as Ipswich Town will clash with Birmingham City in the opening game, while Southampton will clash with the newly promoted side, Wrexham, in a fun matchday 1 game. The EFL Championship kicks off on August 8, 2025, and ends on May 2, 2026. The competition consists of 24 teams, as always, and they are fighting for the top three spots to join the Premier League next season.
ℹ️ Tournament:
English Championship Season 2025/26 (Sky Bet Championship)
⚽️ Venues:
Stadiums Across England & Wales
🗓️ Dates:
8 August 2025 – 2 May 2026
EFL Championship 2025/26 Format & Overview
The EFL Championship is the second-tier competition in England, and it runs in the promotion/relegation style with the Premier League and EFL League One. The championship features 24 teams, each of which plays every other team in the tournament for a total of 46 regular-season games. After the season ends, the top two teams qualify directly for the Premier League, while the 3rd to 6th teams play in the championship playoffs for the last qualifying spot.
The EFL Championship usually kicks off in August and runs until May. Leeds United, Burnley, and Sunderland were promoted to the Premier League this season to replace Leicester, Southampton, and Ipswich Town. Luton Town, Plymouth Argyle, and Cardiff City were relegated to the EFL League One, while Birmingham City, Wrexham, and Charlton Athletic joined the EFL from League One.
History of the English Football Second Division
The second division football league in England was founded in 1892, but this season will be the 10th edition after the rebranding to the EFL Championship. Leicester City won eight second-tier championships, which is the most by any English club. Manchester City are in second place with seven trophies, while Leeds United, Norwich City, Sheffield Wednesday, and Sunderland have won five titles each.
Previous Winners of the EFL Championship
Here’s a list of the last five EFL Championship winners, with only Norwich City and Burnley winning the title more than once in the last 10 years:
2024/25 – Leeds United
2023/24 – Leicester City
2022/23 – Burnley
2021/22 – Fulham
2020/21 – Norwich City
25/26 Championship Odds & Favorites
Here’s a look at the 2025–26 EFL Championship winner odds and the favorites to win the title from the new soccer season bookies:
Ipswich Town
Best odds:
5.0 (4/1)
4.1
100% up to $500 on 1st deposit and 50% up to $250 on 2nd deposit
It shouldn’t take long for the Tractor Boys to get back to the Premier League with this squad. Ipswich Town sold Liam Delap to Chelsea in a ÂŁ30 million deal, and they are expected to sign another striker in this transfer window to replace him, while Julio Enciso returned to Brighton after his loan ended. Other than that, they have kept most of their Premier League squad and should finish in the top six, at least.
Southampton @ 6.0 (5/1)
The Saints are coming off one of the worst EPL seasons in history, having gotten relegated with seven games left in the season. Southampton sacked Ivan Juric and signed the young, promising coach, Will Still, who had a 19-game unbeaten streak with Reims two years ago. The Saints sold one of their best players, Jan Bednarek, to Porto, and sold Kamaldeen Sulemana to Atalanta in a good deal. They signed Damion Downs, who had 14 goal contributions in the last Bundesliga season with Köln, and he will be a much-needed addition for the team.
Birmingham City @ 8.0 (7/1)
Birmingham City secured promotion back to the EFL Championship immediately being relegated to League One last year. The Blues are having a quiet transfer window so far, having only signed Kyogo Furuhashi from Celtic. Birmingham City have a tough run of fixtures to start the season, facing Ipswich Town, Blackburn Rovers, and Leicester City in August, so if they can overcome those matches with decent results, then they should have a good season.
Sheffield United @ 9.0 (8/1)
Sheffield United were this close to winning the Championship play-offs last season, having lost 2-1 to Sunderland after they were ahead until the 75th minute. The Blades have looked impressive in the pre-season, winning four consecutive games and scoring 17 goals. They haven’t signed any notable players yet in this transfer window, and they sold Vini Souza to Wolfsburg in a ÂŁ15 million deal.
Coventry City @ 13.0 (12/1)
The Sky Blues finished 5th in the EFL Championship last season and lost to Sunderland in the playoff semifinals. They have looked good under coach Frank Lampard so far, and they are expected to do even better when they sign one or two more players. Coventry City have a good run of fixtures in August, so they can get nice momentum at the start of the season and never look back.
Ipswich Town had some good results in the Premier League last season, and they are big favorites to return to the big league next year. The Tractor Boys have a very balanced squad, with Leif Davis, Dara O’Shea, Jacob Greaves, and the new signing, Ashley Young, in defense, while Conor Chaplin and George Hirst are among the top five favorites to win the Golden Boot in the offense.
The best sportsbookies for the EFL Championship believe that Ipswich Town are the favorites to win the title, and we expect that to happen, especially with the experience that they gained from playing in the EPL last season. Ipswich Town won every game in the preseason comfortably so far, so they are ready for a great season in the EFL.
Sheffield United’s impressive preseason form is a good sign for them, especially after finishing 3rd last season with 90 points, and they had a top-four defense and attack as well. The Blades have kept most of their squad from last season, and they are expected to replace Vini Souza in the upcoming days with another midfielder. Sheffield United have one of the best squads in the EFL Championship, and they will most likely finish in the top six, if not in the top two.
The best football betting sites in the UK have great odds for Oxford United to get relegated this season. The Yellows finished 17th in their first season in the EFL Championship, having been promoted from League One in the 2023-24 season, and they have one of the weakest squads in the league. They won only one of their four friendly games before the season, and they didn’t make any signings to help them improve on last year’s results.
Recommended Egland Championship 25/26 Predictions
Ipswich Town to Win Outright
Best odds:
5.0 (4/1)
4.1
100% up to $500 on 1st deposit and 50% up to $250 on 2nd deposit
Ipswich Town are looking good to win the league and go straight back to the Premier League. Make sure to use our 25/26 EFL Championship season predictions and bet on them at the betting sites in England to have more fun watching the event.
Tawfeek is a passionate sports fan from Egypt who likes the English Premier League and American leagues. With a deep knowledge of how odds work, he is always ready to deliver content that pays off for readers, offering plenty of underrated betting tips and predictions to consider.
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