2021 Championship Play-off Odds, Tips & Prediction

The favourites to win promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs this year are Brentford, at 7/4. The Bees have finished third in the table for the second consecutive season, and will be hoping to bounce back from their 2-1 play-off final loss to Fulham last season. Thomas Frank’s men enter the play-offs in scintillating form, having won their last four games on the bounce, and extending their unbeaten run to 12 games.

As per the norm for the Bees, they recruited incredibly during last summer's transfer window, having looked an even better side this season without the likes of now-England star Ollie Watkins, as well 25-year-old Algerian forward Said Benrahma.

The standout performer who was signed last summer to watch out for in Brentford’s play-off campaign is, of course, the devastating Ivan Toney. The forward has netted a total of 31 goals in the league this season, finishing as the league's top scorer and breaking the Championship scoring record in his debut campaign in the second tier. Toney has been linked with numerous moves away from Brentford, with Premier League sides such as Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and Everton all reportedly showing interest, but for the time being, he remains the number one man who can finally get Brentford their Premier League dream.

Defensively, the Bees are also solid, too, with defender Ethan Pinnock having a particularly solid season with his 39 appearances in the Championship helping the club to record 17 clean sheets across the season.

But it’s this simple: if Toney turns up, so do Brentford in next season’s Premier League.

Brentford’s opponents Bournemouth the second favourites for this year's competition at 9/4. Jonathan Woodgate will be hoping he can guide the Cherries straight back up to the Premier League after their relegation last season.

Bournemouth put together a good run off form after Woodgate’s arrival, however, losses against Brentford, Wycombe Wanderers and Stoke City in their last three games of the season saw the Cherries drop to the lowest play-off position in sixth. Now, Bournemouth have the toughest test of the four teams to overcome: an in-form Brentford over two legs.

On the back of winning the Championship Player of the Month Award for April, Arnaut Danjuma will be needed more than ever in the play-offs. The Dutchman scored or assisted 10 of Bournemouth's 18 goals in April, and throughout the season, Danjuma bagged 17 goals and created seven in 33 appearances for the Cherries.

If goals are to come for the south coast side, another man likely to get them would be Dominic Solanke. After netting just three times in 32 appearances last season in the Premier League, the striker has bagged 15 goals in 40 appearances in his most prolific league season to date and like Toney for Brentford, Bournemouth will need him on Monday.

Brentford are the clear 8/13 favourites to get past the Cherries, whose Championship play-off odds sit at 5/4.

The ultimate surprise packages of this year's Championship season has been Barnsley, who finished 5th place after fighting relegation the season prior. And, quite unbelievably they are now just 7/2 to be playing in the Premier League next season.

The Tykes managed to stay up on the final day last season after they scored an injury-time winner against Brentford to survive from relegation to the Championship. They’ll now be taking on Swansea in their semi-final legs.
Much of Barnsley’s success this season has to be credited to Polish defender Michal Helik, who arrived from KS Cracovia in the Polish Ekstraklasa for £750,000 last summer. He has excelled this season with Mads Anderson alongside him, with the two proving to be a great defensive partnership under Valerian Ismael.

Another player to look out for would be Daryl Dike, who arrived on loan from Orlando City in January. The Oklahoma-born striker has scored nine goals in 19 Championship appearances since his arrival. Dike’s form this season has earned him a call up to the United States senior team, and his physicality is going to be important on Monday against the South Wales outfit.

Barnsley at 11/10 to beat Swansea on Monday and priced at 4/5 to qualify for the final at Wembley.

After finishing the season in fourth, Swansea City are at 4/1 to earn themselves promotion back to the Premier League through the play-offs. The Swans come into their semi-finals on an inconsistent run of form, and have picked up just one win in their last five games and at 10/11 to qualify, they’re the underdogs on the night at 13/5, whilst at 4/1, the former Premier League outfit are the highest priced team to achieve Premier League status for next season.

Steve Cooper’s side had a good run of form at the start of the season which meant that their poor form towards the second half of the season didn’t take them out of the play-offs. For the Swans to get promoted back up to the Premier League, they would have to try and replicate some of their early-season form, which doesn’t seem as likely as it once did.

Winger Andre Ayew has proved vital again for the Swans this season, with the Ghana international bagging an impressive 16 goals in 43 appearances. Also, another Swans man to look out for is Marc Guehi, who has made 40 league appearances under Cooper this season. The on-loan Chelsea centre-back has been a real hit at the Liberty Stadium this year and he has been linked with moves away to Crystal Palace, Southampton, West Ham United and Newcastle United.

Chelsea have put a £20m price tag for a good reason, and he will need to turn up against players like Dike over the next week.

By Fred Dobberson