QPR Championship Odds: R’s expected to rise into top half

This summer couldn’t feel more different for QPR. After two seasons of narrowly avoiding relegation, a wave of optimism has enveloped Loftus Road and that is mainly down to Marti Cifuentes, who saved them from League 1 and now has them hoping for a top-half finish.

There shouldn’t be any relegation concerns this term with Cifuentes at the helm, and below I’ve taken a look at the QPR Championship Odds, as many consider the R’s to be outsiders for the play-offs. 

Last Season: 18th

Top Scorer: Illias Chair, Lyndon Dykes (7)

Transfers In: Zan Celar - FC Lugano (£1.5m), Paul Nardi - Gent (free), Hevertton - CF Estrela (free), Liam Morrison - FC Bayern II (free), Daniel Bennie - Perth Glory (undisclosed). 

Transfers Out: Sinclair Armstrong - Bristol City (£2.5m), Chris Willock - Cardiff (free), Jordan Archer - Portsmouth (free), Albert Adomah - Walsall (free), Joe Gubbins - Southend (free), 

First Game: West Brom (H)

Prediction: 11th

Championship Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Championship Odds page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices.

It’s actually fairly difficult to judge where QPR are as a club at this moment of time. After 18 months of chaos and misery, they looked destined for relegation, yet they stumbled upon a manager who has turned the ship around and ended the campaign in a fine vein of form. 

In my eyes, they are certainly not going to be troubled by relegation this term, due to the progress they have made under Cifuentes, but I don’t think they have enough to make the play-offs either. A top-half finish will mark genuine progress, and perhaps they can build from there.

The club is still working under obvious financial regulations, and cannot spend the same amount of money as their rivals in this division. And although I have a huge amount of faith in Cifuentes, this summer transfer window hasn’t filled me with huge confidence. I’m a massive fan of Sinclair Armstrong, and although he is raw, there’s clearly a lot of talent in that young forward.

Losing him to Bristol City is a blow, although they recouped a decent fee, while Chris Willock joining QPR on a free caught me off guard somewhat. I’ve been a big fan of his, and he is clearly a talented creator, but his work-rate has been called into question at times, and a lack of effort won’t fly under the Spanish boss. 

Other departures this summer have been Asmir Begovic, Andre Dozzell and Osman Kakay as QPR look to turn the page on back-to-back relegation battles. In their place the likes of Paul Nardi, Hevertton and Liam Morrison join from across Europe, while a decent chunk of change has been spent on Slovenian international Zan Celar.

Football Odds

The striker featured at Euro 2024 and scored 40 goals in 95 appearances for Swiss outfit Lugano, so there is hope that he will be a more clinical option than the outgoing Armstrong. The squad that has stayed from last campaign certainly proved their worth, with Lyndon Dykes, Steve Cook and Jack Colback all bringing huge experience to the squad. 

Ilias Chair is the star on the pitch, and is allowed to keep playing for the club after a Belgian court reduced his prison sentence to community service. That’s a boost for Cifiuentes, as on pure footballing ability, I think Chair gets into any side in this division. 

The January arrival of Lucas Andersen certainly helped them out, and their form in the second half of the season was astronomical. They took 32 points from their final 19 league games, a total that would have put them fourth in the form table over that period.

Although that is a staggering statistic, I’m not getting as carried away with QPR as some others. There’s a decent number of squads stronger than them on paper and although Cifuentes is clearly an elite manager at this level, I think a top-half finish has to be the target. As with any young coach, there’s always the risk that he is tempted away during the season as well. His exit could seriously hamper their hopes of progression. As it stands, I’ve got them down to finish 11th. 

Offers

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 50% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down.

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub.