The Premier League might be the most popular football league in the world, but the lower tier English Football League (EFL) Championship doesn’t fall far behind. In fact, the league broke records for attendance at Championship live games in the 2023/24 season. More than 12 million people bought tickets to games into the league, transforming it into the second highest attended league in Europe behind the Premier League. Below is a look at the Championship, at the new entrants into the league, betting on the league and at who might win the league this season.
The Second Tier
The Championship is the second tier in the English league football system, but the top tier in the EFL itself and consists of 24 different clubs. At the end of each season, the top two teams in the league receive automatic promotion to the Premier League, whereas the teams that finish in the third to sixth places must battle it out in the playoffs for the final Premier League promotion spot. At the other end of the table, the teams who finish in the bottom three places move down to League One.
Last season, it was bad news for Burnley, Sheffield United and Luton Town, who all waved goodbye to the Premier League and will start the upcoming season in the Championship. Meanwhile, in League One, it was jubilation for Portsmouth, Derby County and Oxford United, who all have Championship football to look forward to when the new season begins.
Who’s Looking Good For The Title Though?
Sports betting fans in the UK or elsewhere who enjoy wagering on football games will be keeping a close eye on the favourites to win the Championship this year, looking to make use of the most free bets on offer at online sportsbooks.
Six teams may have vacated their spots in the Championship, but the remaining teams won’t just let them have their way in the league. West Yorkshire team Leeds United enter the new season still stinging from their third place Championship finish last season after losing to Southampton in the playoff final. They’ll start as the hot favourites (at 7/2) to win the league title and break back into the Premier League. They’ll be hoping their signing of defender Jayden Bogle from fellow Championship residents Sheffield United will give them a boost.
If Leeds don’t lift the title, bookmakers fancy new ex-Premiership arrivals Burnley (8/1), Luton (11/1) or Sheffield United (12/1) to finish top of the table, making it a short stay for them in the Championship.
The replacement of Vincent Kompany, who left in May to manage Bayern Munich, with former England midfielder Scott Parker will be key in Burnley’s Championship fortunes. Parker has helped both AFC Bournemouth and Fulham make the climb from the Championship into the top flight in recent years.
Despite the bookmakers optimistic outlook, Luton could find life in the Championship difficult without midfielder Ross Barkley. The signing of Shandon Baptiste from Brentford could remedy that, however.
Sheffield United spent a miserable last season in the Premier League and finished at the very bottom of the table. However, manager Chris Wilder knows the Championship like the back of his hand and will help the club to feel right at home in the league, which could see them move back up at the end of the season. The club won’t get off to the best start though, as the league will deduct two points from them relating to a default on payments in the 2022/23 season.
Opening and Closing The Season
In the opening games of the season, which begins on 9 August 2024, Derby County will be feeling confident against Blackburn Rovers, who finished 19th in the Championship, with 53 points, whereas the Rams finished second and amassed 92 points in their league campaign.
The next day, Sheffield United will square off against Preston North End, which they might find a tougher prospect. The Lancashire side crafted 63 points and a 10th place finish in their 2023/24 league campaign, unlike the Blades who scraped just 16 points together in the Premier League.
On the last day of the season, Sheffield United will meet 2023/24 strugglers Blackburn while Luton take on the daunting prospect of 2023/23 fifth-place Championship finishers West Bromwich Albion, and Burnley go up against Londoners Millwall, who finished with 59 points and placed 13th at the end of last season.
The start of the 2024/25 Championship is near and bookmakers are predicting promotion for at least two of the new arrivals from the Premiership. Leeds United, however, missed out narrowly on that step up to the next level and will be looking to correct that. They’re the ones who could make life difficult for the league newcomers and the rest of the Championship. They probably will.