EFL CHAMPIONSHIP 2026/27 BETTING PREVIEW

EFL betting tipster Louie Truman has given his free betting tips for the EFL Championship. He’s also included betting odds and some of the best football betting offers.

EFL Championship 2026/27 Betting Preview | Best Bets & Predictions

Key talking points from last season obviously include Leicester, who were 6/4 to gain promotion back to the Premier League. However, Leicester City head into the 2026/27 season in League One after suffering back-to-back relegations from the Premier League and Championship. A difficult campaign, combined with a six-point deduction and inconsistent performances, saw the Foxes drop into the third tier for just the second time in their history.

Southampton will hope to put last season's "Spygate" scandal behind them. The Saints were expelled from the Championship play-offs due to admitting to spying on Middlesbrough's training sessions before their semi-final. It was one of the biggest talking points of the season, and they start this season with a –4 points deduction.

Relegated West Ham will look to bounce back; the Hammers are the current favourites to win the title, priced at 15/8 on BetMGM. Wolves (11/2) and Burnley (11/1) join West Ham at the head of the title market, with the three relegated sides looking to make an instant Premier League return.

West Ham are my pick to finish top of the Championship this season. Although relegation is never easy to recover from, they enter the campaign with a squad that is stronger than almost every other team in the league.

The Hammers still have players who are capable of deciding matches on their own. For example, Jarrod Bowen has confirmed he’s going to remain at the club. The transfer window is still open, meaning they could lose important players, while adapting to life outside the Premier League is rarely straightforward. Despite those concerns, I still believe West Ham has enough quality and experience to come out on top.

Betting Tip: West Ham to win the league – 15/8 - BetMGM

Burnley enter the new season with high expectations, and it's easy to understand why. They have a strong squad, good financial backing and recent experience of winning promotion from the Championship. Although there are a few unknowns following the managerial change, I believe Burnley will cope well with the transition.

Burnley heads into the new campaign under new management after appointing Nicky Hayen as their new manager. The Belgian coach replaces Scott Parker, who left following the club's return to the Championship. Hayen arrives from Genk and now has the task of leading Burnley back to the Premier League. For me, they are good enough to secure automatic promotion. I expect them to finish second behind West Ham.

Betting Tip: Burnley to gain promotion – 11/4 - BetMGM

This season marks the introduction of a new Championship play-off format. Instead of four teams, six can secure a place in the play-offs, with the clubs finishing between third and eighth.

Middlesbrough should once again be one of the strongest teams. They don't have to deal with adapting to a new division, and that could help them get off to a fast start. Although I think West Ham and Burnley will secure automatic promotion, I can see Boro going up via the play-offs.

With the departure of Rob Edwards, Kim Hellberg became Boro’s head coach halfway through last season, and he did a good job guiding them to the play-offs and reaching the final due to the spy gate situation. Hellberg will aim to bounce back from last season; I expect Middlesbrough to have a good campaign.

Betting Tip: Middlesbrough to gain promotion – 3/1 - BetMGM

Lincoln are the current favourites for relegation. The League One champions are priced at 4/5 to make an immediate return to the third tier. Following Michael Skubala's move to Bristol City, the Imps head into the new season with Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw in charge.

Lincoln could face a difficult first season back in the Championship. While Cohen and Shaw know the squad well, stepping up from assistant roles to lead the club is a significant challenge. An experienced Championship manager may have reduced some of the uncertainty, although their familiarity with the players could help ease the transition. The Imps haven’t done much in the market, and I can see them going straight back down.

Betting Tip: Lincoln to get relegated – 7/10 - BetMGM

Charlton showed plenty of promise early last season before their performances dropped off. Their defensive organisation should keep them competitive, but I question whether they have enough attacking quality. Alongside Lincoln, I think they're one of the most likely sides to go straight back down.

Betting Tip: Charlton to get relegated – 5/4 - BetMGM

Blackburn Rovers are another side I think could find themselves in a relegation battle this season. They've finished in the bottom half of the Championship in recent years, and there are still concerns over the club's long-term direction. Too often they've relied on individual moments of quality rather than consistently strong performances, and that approach may not be enough this season. Recruitment will be crucial, but unless they strengthen well, I believe Blackburn have a chance of finishing in the bottom three alongside Lincoln and Charlton.

Betting Tip: Blackburn to get relegated – 9/2 - BetMGM

Raúl Jiménez stands out as one of the highest-quality forwards. Having spent years playing at Premier League level, he should be capable of adapting quickly to the demands of the division. If he remains available for most of the season, I think he'll be one of the league's top goal scorers. Last season, Jiménez averaged 0.37 goals per 90, and he scored nine league goals.

Betting Tip: Raúl Jiménez to become top goal scorer – 7/1 - BetMGM

Jarrod Bowen heads into the season with an excellent goalscoring record. He was one of the Championship's standout forwards during his time at Hull City, scoring 52 goals in 117 appearances, and has since backed that up with multiple strong Premier League campaigns. He looks like a genuine contender to finish among the league's top scorers. I think both Bowen and Jiménez have a solid chance of becoming the league’s top goal scorer.

Betting Tip: Jarrod Bowen to become top goal scorer – 9/2 - BetMGM