Here we take a look at the Championship's outright winners' odds following the conclusion of the English Football League season.
The 2022/23 campaign saw some big names return to the Championship, as the likes of Leicester City, Leeds United and Southampton were relegated to England's second tier from the Premier League, while Plymouth Argyle, Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday were promoted from League One
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Leicester’s somewhat shock relegation just seven seasons after their Premier League title win leaves fans wondering whether they’ll immediately bounce back up to the top flight. The last time they were relegated to the Championship, Leicester spent nine seasons in the second tier, a feat they won’t be looking to repeat.
The Foxes have the best odds of winning the Championship, especially if they keep ahold of their talented squad. Leicester have a number of starting international players that should help The Foxes dominate the Championship. This season has been a shadow of what Leicester are capable of, something that may be seen in their pursuit of the top spot in the Championship.
Leeds were another victim of relegation from the Premier League after only three seasons back in the top level of English football. When Leeds were relegated back in the 2003/04 season it took a shocking 13 seasons to win promotion back to the Premier League, a bad omen for the coming Championship season.
However, Leeds are among the likely candidate to win the Championship as their last two seasons in the league were amongst their most successful ever in the Championship. When Leeds won their promotion in the 2019/20 season they did so by outright winning the Championship and the season before resulted in a third-place finish, eventually falling victim to the Play-offs.
Middlesbrough had an impressive 2022/23 Championship season which sees them with good odds to win the entire thing next season. Middlesbrough finished fourth this season on 75 points, 26 points behind an incredibly dominant Burnley.
Like many before them, Middlesbrough fell victim to the harsh mistress that is the Play-offs. Middlesbrough drew Coventry City, where after a 0 - 0 draw in the first leg, the Boro suffered a 1 - 0 loss in the second leg leaving them with yet another season of Championship football. However, their performances throughout 2022/23 makes them a likely candidate to challenge for the Championship title.
An 11-year stint in the Premier League came to an end this season for Southampton after a last-place finish. With only six wins and 25 points, The Saints booked their place in the Championship, a league they spent five seasons in the last time they were relegated back in the 2004/05 season.
After such a long stay in the Premier League and a strong squad, Southampton have good odds to not only win the Championship but to at least win automatic promotion back to the top flight.
Ipswich are a somewhat shock choice to win the Championship, having just been promoted to the league. After a second-place finish with 98 points in League One, Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich won promotion back to the Championship after a four-year absence from the league.
This impressive showing in League One has made Ipswich a potential contender for a Championship win or automatic promotion. Though a wildcard shout, the current state of the Championship is very unpredictable, meaning that a newly promoted team could definitely be in the conversation for an outright win.
Norwich have had an underwhelming season this year. Despite being touted as one of the teams most likely to be promoted after their relegation from the Premier League, The Canaries finished an uncharacteristic 13th with just 17 wins and 62 points.
However, due to the closeness of the Championship this season, Norwich’s 13th place was only seven points adrift of the Play-off places. This means that with some squad improvements and a new season, Norwich can and are likely to be amongst the top of the Championship, as they have been as one of the yo-yo teams from the Premier League and the Championship.
Watford were another yo-yo team that struggled this season after their relegation from the Premier League. Since their relegation from the Premier League in the 2019/20 season, Watford have spent every other season in the top flight and the Championship, though they have never outright won the Championship.
However, after their underwhelming 11th-place finish, The Hornets look to win the Championship outright, and are likely to do so. Watford have a strong squad despite the loss of Joao Pedro to Brighton and therefore look like a challenger for the title.
West Brom finished ninth in the Championship this season, with 18 wins and 66 points, putting them just three points off the Play-off places. This was an improvement on the previous campaign where they finished 10th and despite these lower finishes, West Brom are still likely to challenge for the Championship title, or at least automatic promotion or the Play-offs.
The Baggies could also be considered a yo-yo club, although it usually takes them two seasons to earn their promotion back. After two seasons in the Championship already, West Brom should be more than ready to challenge for the Championship.
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