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Monday, September 16, 2024
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EFL Championship Season Predictions 2024

Soccer
Updated:
Samuel Simmons
By Samuel Simmons
Leicester celebrating their promotion to the Premier League
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EFL Championship Preview

The EFL Championship begins this Friday with Preston North End vs Sheffield United. Kick-off is at 8:00 pm on August 9th and that marks the beginning of a 46-game season. Each team will play the opposition both home and away from early August until late May. The teams in the playoff places will battle it out in June for the final promotion spot.

Dedicated soccer fans will know that the EFL Championship has one of the longest seasons out of every major league. Teams have their ups and downs throughout the campaign but, there are already a couple of frontrunners heading into the 2024-25 season. Follow Novibet throughout the campaign for the latest soccer predictions and betting tips.

EFL Championship Season Predictions 2024

The first game of the season takes place this Friday, August 9. We already have you covered if you are looking for Preston vs Sheffield United predictions. However, 22 other teams are playing their opening game this weekend. To help bring you up to speed, we have a section examining every team in the Championship. Below you will find details about the ingoings and outgoings this summer and what chance each team has of securing promotion. We will also provide a prediction of where each team will finish this campaign.

Blackburn Rovers

Prediction: Blackburn Rovers 21st in the EFL Championship

Starting alphabetically, Blackburn Rovers are currently first in the EFL Championship table. However, we don’t expect the Rovers to stay there long. Even though the team has spent wisely this summer, we are not sure there is enough quality to take them much higher up the table. All eyes will be on the current star players like Sammie Szmodics to kick on from the last campaign.

Blackburn narrowly avoided relegation last year with 53 points on the board. They secured 19th place above Sheffield Wednesday thanks to a slightly superior goal difference. Our soccer prediction is for the Rovers to drop back from last year, fighting with the teams in a relegation battle.

Bristol City

Prediction: Bristol City 10th in the Championship

Bristol City fans will be concerned about losing a Championship stalwart in Andreas Weimann. The Austrian moved to Blackburn Rovers and left behind big boots to fill. The club has seen eight players depart for absolutely no income whatsoever.

The Robins looked strong for large parts of the season but ultimately never got close to challenging the top six. The team never dropped below 15th place all season, so we expect another middle-of-the-pack scrap during this campaign. We think the team will move closer to the playoff positions this year if they can improve at the top end of the pitch. Tommy Conway and Nahki Wells only scored 17 goals last campaign. Bristol City has added more attacking options for Liam Manning, but will the young manager get his team firing?

Burnley

Prediction: Burnley to secure automatic promotion in 2025 by finishing 2nd in the Championship

While Burnley had a fantastic season to get back into the Premier League, they were in the relegation zone for 28 game weeks in a row last year. Head coach Vincent Kompany is gone and Scott Parker has taken his place.

Burnley has one of the most valuable squads in the Championship this season. Worth just under €250 million. Parker has all the tools at his disposal to secure automatic promotion. At the top end of the pitch, they have Lyle Foster, Zeki Amdouni, Wout Weghorst, Michael Obafemi, and experienced striker Jay Rodríguez. We expect a few more outgoings before the transfer window ends, but it seems likely that Burley will be challenging at the top. If you are betting on the EFL Championship this season, the Clarets seem likely to return to the Premier League.

Cardiff City

Prediction: Cardiff City to finish 11th in the Championship

It looks like Cardiff has been resourceful at this transfer window. They have not spent the big bucks like Burnley but have improved their side. Cardiff has made some impressive free signings through this window. They have picked up the services of experienced premier league defender Calum Chambers and secured right-winger Anwar El Ghazi. They also paid for the services of Alex Robertson from Manchester City, an impressive player with the world at his feet.

Looking at last season, Cardiff finished 12th, which is bang in the middle of the 24-team table. They have strengthened in the right areas with some tried and tested talent. However, to mount a charge for promotion feels like a step too far. We think they will improve on last year’s position, but not by much. Cardiff needs more stability at the back and more danger up top. Our Championship prediction this year is for an 11th-place finish.

Coventry

Prediction: Coventry to finish in 6th position this season

During the transfer window, Coventry shifted on four experienced players on free transfers. Callum O’Hare will be the biggest miss as the 26-year-old moves to Sheffield United. Coventry started the 2023-24 season slowly. They were towards the bottom of the table for the first half of the season. A monumental push saw them fight for the final playoff position before inevitably falling short.

Manager Mark Robins has no reason not to improve on last year’s performance. If they get off to a better start, they should establish themselves even higher up the table. Plus, they reached the FA Cup semi-final last year, which is a remarkable achievement for any club. We predict a 6th place finish is on the cards this season.

Derby County

Prediction: Derby County to finish 20th in the Sky Bet Championship

Even though Derby has made it back to the Championship, they needed a clear-out if they are going to survive. Four players left on a free transfer, including Conor Hourihane. The club decided not to offer new contracts to experienced forwards Dwight Gale and Martyn Waghorn. While Derby has only spent €1.89 million in the window so far, they have been clever with their signings.

There is no doubt Derby should be in the Championship, but have they done enough to stay there? Looking at the signings, it’s touch and go. They will be in a relegation battle this year. There is no escaping it. James Collins was the key man last season with 14 goals. Can he do one better in a tougher division? We think 20th in the Championship is a good first season back in the division.

Hull City

Prediction: Hull City to finish 14th

The Championship is a competitive league, that’s why consistency is so important. Hull proved to be a fantastic side last year, hanging in and around the top six positions all season long. However, they narrowly missed out on the playoffs and they sacked Liam Rosenior. New manager Tim Walter has an impossible job of taking the team one step further than last year.

They sold the three best players from last season, including Jacob Greaves for over €20 million, Jaden Philogene for €16 million and Ozan Tufan for €2 million. Other notable exits include Billy Sharp, Adama Traoré, Ryan Allsop, and Matt Ingram. You’d think with the exodus there would be a similar number of fresh faces in the dressing room. However, of the €40+ million brought in, only €5.3 was used to sign Ryan Giles from Luton. You never know in soccer; teams can push on after clearing out their best players. Unfortunately, we don’t think the new manager has what it takes to guide them to the playoffs at the first time of asking.

Leeds United

Prediction: Leeds to win the EFL Championship 2025

Last year Leeds finished as the best of the rest after Leicester and Ipswich took the two automatic promotion places. They lost to Southampton in the Championship play-off final 1-0 and will hope this year is their year. They started slowly but locked down the third position in the league for most of the season. In the end, they fell six points short of second and three points clear of Southampton in fourth.

Unfortunately, as the team failed to bounce back to the Premier League, the best players on the team departed. Archie Gray went for over €40 million to Tottenham Hotspur and Crysencio Summerville went to West Ham for just under €30 million. Luis Sinisterra joined Bournemouth for €23.4 million and Glen Kamara joined Stade Rennais for €10 million. Other players who left the club include Marc Roca, Diego Llorente, Robin Koch, Luke Ayling, and Ian Poveda.

With €116 million in the bank, Leeds has been quite frugal with the signings. They secured Joe Rodon as part of the deal to sell Archie Gray and Jayden Bogle joined from Sheffield United for €5.95 million. Daniel Farke is an experienced manager and would have been prepared for these exits, but replacing 19 goals a season in Summerville will be close to impossible.

Betting on Leeds to win the Championship seems like the best move as they were near to promotion last year. Farke lost some incredible talent, but they have depth and cover for every position. With around 100 million in the bank from this window alone, it won’t surprise us if they were active in the remaining weeks of the window.

Luton Town

Prediction: Luton to finish 3rd in 2025

Often, when a team gets relegated, their best players are up for grabs in some kind of fire sale. Luckily for Luton Town, only two players have been poached. Ross Barkley joined Aston Villa for around €6 million and Ryan Giles now plays for Championship rivals Hull. The only reinforcements to the team are two free signings, Reuell Walters and Shandon Baptise.

There is hope for Luton Town as they have maintained the services of several key players. Carlton Morris, Elijah Adebayo, and Andros Townsend should enjoy the EFL Championship even more than the Premier League. This could be a big season for Luton, and we expect a finish inside the playoff places.

Middlesbrough

Prediction: Middlesbrough to finish 4th in the Championship

So far, Middlesbrough has been quite conservative in the window. They lost Paddy McNair to San Diego FC, who promptly loaned the Northern Irishman to West Brom and Liam Roberts to Millwall. Otherwise, they have retained their talent. A new central midfielder from the MLS and a left winger from the Bundesliga join the team this summer. They also convinced Luke Ayling to sign after his contract at Leeds expired.

Middlesbrough relies heavily on Ivory Coast centre forward Emmanuel Latte Lath. The striker picked up 16 goals last season, the most in the squad by some margin. Isaiah Jones, Marcus Forss, and Josh Coburn also chipped in throughout the season. They must do the same and hopefully more to secure a top-six finish this season.

Millwall

Prediction: Millwall will finish 15th this season

Last season, Millwall was a mid-table team who spent the middle of the campaign avoiding the relegation zone. Thanks to a strong finish, they came 13th. This year we expect much of the same, especially after a quiet summer transfer window. Japhet Tanganga joins from Spurs on a free transfer and League Two centre-forward Langstaff should offer some depth up front.

Millwall somewhat overachieved last year but, with Neil Harris back in charge, they could be a more assured side. We still think a top-half finish is a push, but they should not be too far off the pack. Our prediction sees Millwall finishing 15th this campaign.

Norwich City

Prediction: Norwich City 5th place in the Championship

While Norwich spent the bulk of the season outside the top six positions, they were impressive in the final ten matches of last season. Scoring goals was not the issue for this side as Sara, Sargent, and Rowe were all in the double digits. However, with Gabriel Sara moving to Turkey for big money, there should be some concern at the top end of the field. Plus, three players left on free transfers to rival Championship clubs.

Regardless, it’s impossible to play down the threat that Norwich City represents this year. Even with Sara gone, Sargent and Barnes are two proven goal threats at this level. Not only does Norwich have a young average squad age, but an inexperienced manager. David Wagner is gone, and 35-year-old Johannes Thorup is in. We still expect the Canaries to push on from last year, but there is a chance with a thinner squad and new gaffer they slide down the table.

Oxford United

Prediction: Oxford United to finish 22nd this season

Newly promoted Oxford United looked like a sure thing at the start of the last season, but they gradually dropped points throughout the campaign. They secured a playoff spot in the last week of the season, after almost 16 outside of the zone. Newly promoted teams often struggle to survive in this division, but how has the summer window gone?

It’s no surprise that Oxford has gone through a clearout. Josh Murphy joined Portsmouth and Billy Bodin left for Burton. To cover these exits, Oxford has brought in 13 players so far. Most notably, they secured Matt Phillips from West Brom for free, Louie Sibley from Derby, and Idris El Mizouni from Ipswich. Fresh blood always helps, but Oxford needs a big season from Mark Harris and Cameron Brannagan. However, we expect this to be a year spent battling relegation, and it will be a battle they unfortunately lose.

Plymouth Argyle

Prediction: Plymouth to finish 24th in 2025

Even though Plymouth rarely challenged for the top half of the table, they stayed out of the relegation zone for the entire season. However, this was more luck than anything. They lost Stephen Schumacher when he resigned in December 2023, and his replacement only lasted until April 2024. Wayne Rooney took the job after the season concluded and has a mountain to climb to avoid relegation this season.

Several players departed the club this summer. Luckily neither Morgan Whittaker nor Ryan Hardie. There are a couple of new signings to get excited about. Perhaps Hungarian centre-back Kornél Szűcs is the biggest. However, with Rooney at the helm, we only expect one thing from Plymouth this season, and that’s relegation. He is not the right man for the job, and he proved that in his 15 games in charge of Birmingham City.

Portsmouth

Prediction: Portsmouth to finish 19th

Portsmouth was a frontrunner in League One, spending the most weeks in the number one spot in the division. Now they face a tremendous step up, and fans are worried about their opening fixtures. Around 12 players have left the club to help with the step-up. There are some excellent additions to the squad, including Matt Richie from Newcastle and two former QPR players. Left winger Elias Sørensen is their only big-money signing for €350k.

Manager John Mousinho has some injury concerns heading into the new season. The top goal scorer from the last campaign, Colby Bishop has a heart issue. The medical team found an irregularity during pre-season, and he required surgery. There is no way of knowing if he will play this season, or if this is the end of his soccer career.

Even without injuries, the odds are stacked against Portsmouth. They need more fresh additions before the window closes to have any chance at this level. However, with adversity comes great character. We predict Pompey will rise from the ashes and avoid dropping right back down to League One.

Preston North End

Prediction: Preston will end up 8th in the league table

Preston North End manager Ryan Lowe has been fundamental in establishing the team as a candidate for promotion. They fell away as the season progressed last time around and require reinforcements to push any further. Unfortunately, the outgoings have been light, with players departing for free. The most noteworthy departure is Alan Browne to Sunderland. Reinforcements are also lacking, with central midfielder Stefán Teitur Þórðarson the only new signing.

We fancy Preston to push on from last year as they have maintained most of their squad. However, they could just as easily drop further down the table without some much-needed support. Players like Ched Evans, Robbie Brady, and Emil Riis need to pick up some slack to take the pressure off Will Keane. We predict PNE to finish eighth this year, but they could just as easily finish 12th or lower if the goals dry up.

Queens Park Rangers (QPR)

Prediction: QPR to end this year in 17th place

Queens Park Rangers never really got going last season. It was a tough watch for fans as they battled in the relegation zone for most of the campaign. However, sticking with manager Martí Cifuentes paid off in the end as they finished 18th. The departures come thick and fast whenever a team gets close to dropping out of the Championship. Seven players left on a free and three did not secure a new contract.

New signings are a must for QPR, and they brought in a new centre-forward and the half-brother of Raphaël Varane, Jonathan. We don’t think that is enough to catapult them up the table as Lyndon Dykes will miss the start of the new season. He has an unknown return date and was the second top goal scorer in the Championship for his team. They need more players to fill in the gaps or 17th is the best they can hope for.

Sheffield United

Prediction: The Blades will come 7th in the Championship

Last season, Sheffield United was in the Premier League. However, they had one of the worst seasons in history, even after sacking their manager a few months in and opting for the return of Chris Wilder. Wilder had no positive effect on the team, and they were bottom of the table the entire time he was in charge.

When a team capitulates like Sheffield, there is only one solution: a complete squad overhaul. 14 players have left the club, including some big names. John Egan, Oliver Norwood, and Chris Basham saw out their contracts and are now without a club. Cameron Archer left for €16.65 million, William Osula for over €11 million, and Jayden Bogle to Leeds for €5.95. Plus, various players left on a free transfer, including Oli McBurnie, George Baldock, and Ben Osborn.

There have been some new players through the door, including Kieffer Moore, Sam McCallum, Jamie Shackleton, and Callum O’Hare. However, this does not look like enough to cover the departing talent. They only have two attacking options at the top, and that is Rhian Brewster and Moore. With Wilder at the helm, he could steady the sinking ship. But we don’t think the Blades will secure a playoff position at the first time of asking.

Sheffield Wednesday

Prediction: Sheffield Wednesday to finish in 23rd place and relegation to League One

There is no doubt Sheffield Wednesday performed a great escape last season. From week two until 43, Sheffield was in the relegation zone. They spent four game weeks outside the bottom, three places across the entire season. Wednesday shifted on Will Vaulks, Juan Delgado, and Lee Gregory this window. They could avoid another scrap at the foot of the table if they can find suitable replacements.

On the recruitment side, it looks like they have been clever with their signings. Jamal Lowe comes in from Bournemouth, Max Lowe from Sheffield United, and Nathaniel Chalobah from West Brom. They also signed Yan Valery from Angers and Olaf Kobacki from Arka Gdynia. On paper, the team looks in better shape and could push past the relegation places. However, that requires manager Danny Röhl to fully utilise the tools at his disposal. Instead, it’s far more likely that this is the final year Sheffield Wednesday spends in the Championship.

Stoke City

Prediction: A recharged Stoke will come 9th

Next on our list of Championship predictions is Stoke City. The Potters spent most of last season towards the foot of the table. Current manager Steven Schumacher proved himself at Plymouth but Stoke is a different kind of beast. When he took over, the performances became more consistent, and the team finished 17th.

Looking at the departure list, Tyrese Campbell, Wesley Moraes, and Ciaran Clark did not sign new deals. Blondy Nna Noukeu also left on a free transfer to Sunderland. In terms of recruitment, Stoke certainly has a game plan. They bought Sam Gallagher from Blackburn, a left-back from the Belgium league, and Ben Gibson from Norwich. On paper, they are a stronger team, and Schumacher is the right man for the job. He needs to establish himself to the Stoke City fans, and we expect an improvement this year.

Sunderland

Prediction: Sunderland will continue to struggle and finish 18th

Looking at last season, Sunderland dropped off more as the season progressed. They looked like a playoff contender until just after halfway through. The Black Cats fell further down the table and only stayed above Stoke and QPR in 16th thanks to their goal difference. Looking at the transfer business, they have avoided losing key man Jack Clarke. He had a sensational campaign and caught the eye of many big clubs.

To help Clarke this season, Sunderland has brought in Browne from Preston, Poveda from Leeds, Moore from Coventry, and Nna Noukeu from Stoke. These are free and smart decisions to help stabilise the team. New manager Régis Le Bris looks like a risky appointment and will need time to steady the ship. If he can get more out of players like Alex Pritchard and Jobe Bellingham, they could contest higher up the table. However, there is a reliance on Jack Clarke and that will be costly. We predict another troubled season for Sunderland, potentially finishing as low as 18th.

Swansea City

Prediction: Swansea will end up 16th in the EFL Championship

Swansea looks to be in trouble this year. Jamal Lowe scored nine times for the Swans last year but now plays for Sheffield Wednesday. Jerry Yates added eight goals of his own, but now he will play for Derby this year. Swansea looked abroad for players, bringing in talent from Portugal, South Korea, and Bordeaux. However, it certainly looks like they need more attacking options before the window closes.

Last year, Swansea was a mid to low-table side. They finished ahead of Watford, Sunderland, and Stoke City, but if they are not careful, they could end up behind the lot of them. You never know how a team will fare, but with Luke Williams, we expect a side that is harder to break down.

Watford

Prediction: Watford to finish 13th this season

Making soccer predictions for Watford is always incredibly difficult, as you never know who will be in charge six months down the line. It was probably cheaper to appoint Tom Cleverley as a permanent manager rather than pry a rival from their club. However, if the performances don’t follow, there is no chance he will get the time he needs.

Star player Ismaël Koné was a rock in central midfield for Watford and Canada at the Copa America. However, he has gone to Marseille for €12 million. To cover the enormous hole in the middle of the park, Moussa Sissoko returns on a free transfer from Nantes. Overall, it’s not a long-term replacement and we don’t think Sissoko or Cleverly will last long in this Watford side. Cleverly could be sacked by December and a new manager might lead them to 13th, but that is about as positive as you can be about the current state of Watford.

West Bromwich Albion

Prediction: West Brom will take the final playoff position in 6th position

Last season, West Bromwich Albion were rock solid. They held fifth in the league table for 30 match-days in a row. In the end, they finished fifth but could not make it to the playoff final. Everyone expects West Brom to pick up where they left off, and so do we. Our prediction is for West Brom to make the playoffs again.

Whenever a team comes close, there is often a clearout. West Brom did not disappoint, kicking 12 experienced and young players to the curb in this window. Brandon Thomas-Asante, Okay Yokuşlu, and Conor Townsend were the only three players to bring in any funds, around €5 million in total. The players who left the club include Chalobah, M’Vila, Phillips, Pieters, and Kelly. They brought in Torbjørn Heggem and Gianluca Frabotta from Juventus. But is it enough? There is some depth to this team, but without these squad players, we think 6th is as high as West Brom can go in 2025.

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