Championship Odds 25/26 Season: Ipswich early favourites as Birmingham and Wrexham fancied

It’s only been a matter of days since Sunderland tasted the ultimate success at Wembley by defeating Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final, but already thoughts have turned to the 2025/26 campaign. 

As Sunderland look forward to life in the Premier League, Sheffield United will have to try and go again, although it seems as though they could lose some key players over the summer. With Leicester City, Southampton and Ipswich Town coming straight back down, they will be hoping for an immediate return to the top flight. Below you can find the early Championship Odds 25/26 Season.

Ipswich Town @ 9/2

Ipswich are in a decent position coming down from the Premier League, after their rapid rise to the top flight. They look likely to retain popular manager Kieran McKenna and although Liam Delap is heading for the exit door, the majority of their squad will remain at Portman Road.

Most of these players got promoted with the club in 2023/24 and they also signed bags of Championship quality in the form of Sammie Szmodics, Jack Clarke and Jadon Philogene - with the trio not truly getting to show their class in the Premier League. They are rightful favourites as we start the summer in my eyes, but it is worth keeping an eye on those players heading out the door. Omari Hutchinson and Leif Davies are potentially key departures, but McKenna should have them there or thereabouts next term - especially if they can sign Jens Cajuste permanently. 

Championship Outright 25/26 Odds

Southampton @ 11/2

Southampton are entering a new era, with highly-rated manager Will Still finally getting a gig in England. Despite their woeful showing in the Premier League, where they amassed just 12 points, Sheffield United proved that top-flight form has no bearing on the subsequent Championship campaign. 

They’ll have parachute payments, and Still is likely to build his own squad relatively quickly, with the fans not particularly attached to the side that flopped in the Premier League. A big rebuild is needed, but they could make serious progress this summer, especially if Tyler Dibling is sold for big money.

Sheffield United @ 7/1

Defeated play-off finalists have been hit and miss in recent Championship campaigns. Leeds United bounced back in style to win the league with 100 points this term after losing to Southampton at Wembley, while Coventry dropped to ninth the season after losing to Luton on penalties. 

The Blades have missed their best chance at promotion and will now likely lose Gustavo Hamer, Vinicius Souza and Anel Ahmedhodzic - three Premier League quality players. Although they will raise funds, it is tough to replace those key figures. On the positive side of things, Chris Wilder won them 92 points on the pitch this season and if they can post that same tally, they will be awfully close to automatic promotion. That’s a big ask however. 

Birmingham City @ 8/1

A few punters may be surprised to see League 1 champions Birmingham City listed as the fourth favourites for the title - but they are building something special. We saw Ipswich claim back-to-back promotions recently, and given Chris Davies’ men broke the EFL points record with 111 in the third tier, they are going to be a force to be reckoned with. 

With their current squad, I’m not sure they would crack the top six, but there is going to be some serious investment over the summer. Plus, they have already spent big on a goalscoring number nine in the form of Jay Stansfield, and they are few and far between in the second tier. I’m expecting big things of Birmingham, and they could take advantage if the big boys slip up.

Middlesbrough @ 10/1

Michael Carrick’s underperformers. I’m surprised to see them this high in the market given how their season ended and although they performed well according to the underlying data, there was a clear drop off after Emmanuel Latte Lath departed and Liverpool loanee Ben Doak got injured. 

The recruitment of Morgan Whittaker and Kelechi Iheanacho didn’t work, and they spent £5m on the former Plymouth winger. I wouldn’t be backing them at any price for the time being.

Leicester City @ 12/1

It’s unusual to see a relegated club, especially the one that finished 18th, out at such a large price ahead of the new season. Ruud van Nistelrooy is set to leave the club and Russell Martin is the current favourite to take the reins, but there’s a lot of uncertainty behind the scenes. The Foxes said goodbye to Jamie Vardy, while their finances continue to come under scrutiny and could lead to a points deduction.

So you can see why they are long odds - but having said that, this is a squad that won the title in 2023/24 and amassed 97 points in the process. If they get the managerial hire right and avoid a points deduction, they will surely be contenders once again. I think there may be early value in the Foxes while this uncertainty lingers. 

Coventry City @ 12/1 

The Sky Blues lost in heartbreaking fashion to Sunderland in the play-off semi-finals having made a big managerial change as long-serving boss Mark Robins, architect of so much success, was replaced by Frank Lampard. The former Chelsea boss took them on a fine run of form and into the play-offs, so it was disappointing for the season to end as it did, as they also performed well over two legs v Sunderland. 

However, this is a squad that has been well-built and with a few additions could compete again. Oliver Dovin’s ACL injury means the goalkeeping situation needs to be addressed, but they should be in with a shout of a play-off place once more. Jack Rudoni, Milan van Ewijk and potentially Haji Wright may all draw transfer interest however, and the loss of their key players may see their odds drift slightly.

West Brom @ 16/1

After Carlos Corberan’s exit and the failed Tony Mowbray return, it’s hard to judge West Brom right now as they search for their next boss. They should have finished in the top six this season and failed to do so, while some long-serving players have now left the club. A big summer is needed and this rebuild may not catch fire in 2025/26 - with a longer term plan now necessary to get them back into the Premier League.

Norwich City @ 16/1

Another side that fell below expectations and as a result sacked their manager in Johannes Hoff Thorup. Now they are looking to Bristol City’s Liam Manning to take them forward, although the appointment hasn’t been confirmed yet. With Josh Sargent under constant transfer speculation and Borja Sainz’s future at the club also uncertain, this could be another season of transition for the Canaries.

Football Odds

Wrexham @ 16/1

Let’s finish with Wrexham. The Hollywood team that have now achieved a remarkable three promotions in three seasons, flying up from the National League to the Championship in the blink of an eye. They’ve got rich owners and a massive worldwide following that will allow them to spend big, but Phil Parkinson may need to build an entire new squad to compete at this level. 

There’s a lot of questions to be answered by Wrexham yet, and I’d be more inclined to side with Birmingham at this stage. Expect these odds to drop rapidly if they start to bring in some big-name signings however.