Millwall Championship Odds: Harris to harness spirit at The Den

It was another eventful Championship campaign for Millwall in 2023/24 as the Lions started the season with Gary Rowett before dispensing with his services in October. Adam Barrett was installed as caretaker manager and Joe Edwards was subsequently named Rowett's replacement. Still, Edwards lasted less than four months before Neil Harris returned to The Den to steer the club to 13th, nine points clear of the relegation zone.

Supporters hope to experience a more stable season under Harris and return to the play-off picture, though that's easier said than done. Below I've taken a look at the Millwall Championship odds and offered my prediction for the upcoming campaign.

Last Season: 13th

Top Scorer: Zian Flemming (7)

Transfers In: Macaulay Langstaff - Notts County (£712k), Lukas Jensen - Lincoln City (undisclosed), Japhet Tanganga - Tottenham Hotspur (free), Liam Roberts - Middlesbrough (free)

Transfers Out: Alex Mitchell - Charlton Athletic (undisclosed), Bartosz Bialkowski - Unattached

First Game: Watford (H)

Prediction: 15th

Championship Odds

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Millwall suffered heartbreak during last year's pre-season following the death of owner and chairman John Berylson, who passed away in an accident on July 4, 2023. Tragedy struck again over the summer as number one goalkeeper Matija Sarkic collapsed at an apartment in his homeland of Montenegro on June 15 and was eventually pronounced dead at the age of 26.

Speaking after the passing of Sarkic, Harris touched on the feeling of "despair" around the club but issued a rallying cry to all connected, urging: "We have to be together in this and we will, and now [we] have to move forward."

Harris will be helped by the fact that the majority of last season's squad remains, and the tight-knit feeling around the place has surely only gotten stronger.

Alex Mitchell and Bartosz Bialkowski are the only major departures so far, but the former spent last season on loan at Lincoln City while the latter last featured on December 12.

A couple of goalkeepers - Liam Roberts and Lukas Jensen - have arrived to compete for the number one jersey, and whoever gets the nod between the sticks will be glad to have Japhet Tanganga in front of them. The 25-year-old was a big hit on loan from Tottenham Hotspur during the second half of last season and has now joined on a permanent deal.

Further up the pitch, the Lions have taken a chance on Macaulay Langstaff, who followed up his 42 goals in the 2022/23 National League with 28 strikes in League 2 last season to pick up back-to-back Golden Boots. The question now is whether he can make another couple of steps up to the Championship and add goals to a side that was desperately lacking them in 2023/24.

Millwall scored just 45 times in the second tier last season - only relegated Rotherham United (37) and 20th-placed Sheffield Wednesday (44) struck fewer times - and their leading marksman was Zian Flemming, who only managed to net seven after hitting 15 in his debut campaign. Kevin Nisbet was the only other player to score five in the Championship, with Tom Bradshaw only managing four - a real disappointment after striking 17 times in the previous campaign.

As you'd expect considering their eventual standing and lack of goals, it was Millwall's defence that came up trumps. The Lions conceded just 55 times in the 2023/24 Championship - only five clubs boasted a better defensive record - and the permanent capture of Tanganga will give confidence that such a feat can be replicated.

Football Odds

Before last season's relegation fears, Millwall had finished in the top 10 four years running, missing out on the play-offs by two points in 2019/20 and one point in 2022/23. Supporters will be hoping that the previous campaign was a one-off and that the side can return to play-off contention this year.

However, while there is stability given the lack of ins and outs this summer, the fear is that there could be a degree of staleness and a fresh injection of quality is required to push the club to greater heights.

Without a few more additions it looks likely that they will have to settle for mid-table mediocrity at best.

That wouldn't be a disaster given the finances available to other sides in the division, but the Lions have punched above their weight in the past and that has seen expectations rise in recent years.

Offers

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