2024-25 Championship season prediction: Betting tips for promotion, top-six finish, relegation and top goalscorer

2024-25 Championship best bets

Sunderland to be promoted
2pts 15-8 Coral, Ladbrokes

Norwich top-six finish
1pt 13-2 Hills, Paddy Power

Cardiff to be relegated
2pts 2-1 bet365, Paddy Power

Josh Maja to be top goalscorer
1pt 9-2 bet365

2024-25 Championship promotion predictions

Sunderland are the surprise package in what is shaping up to be an exciting Championship title race and they are capable of maintaining their challenge and clinching a place in the Premier League.

Four teams dominate the battle for automatic promotion and three of them - leaders Leeds, second-placed Burnley and third-placed Sheffield United – were widely expected to be among the front-runners.

But there is a another challenger – Regis Le Bris's Black Cats, who moved to within five points of the summit after their 2-1 victory at home to Sheffield United on New Year's Day.

Sunderland are one of the biggest clubs outside the Premier League but were not on many people's lists as potential promotion contenders.

They finished last season 16th having taken only nine points from their final 15 fixtures.

Change was needed and Sunderland placed their trust in Le Bris, who was snapped up on a three-year-contract.

Le Bris had some early challenges given the club's poor finish to last season and the uncertainty over star player Jack Clarke, who was linked with a moved to the Premier League. But his team started the season with four straight wins and were not noticeably affected by the loss of Clarke, who sealed a switch to Ipswich towards the end of the transfer window.

The French head coach inherited a young squad with a lot of potential and is getting the best out of them.

Teenagers Jobe Bellingham and Chris Rigg have played starring roles and 19-year-old attacker Eliezer Mayenda showed his quality against Sheffield United on Wednesday by scoring the winner in a high-stakes match.

Sunderland had a wobble during a winless November when injuries and suspensions mounted but they have banked 14 points from their last seven games and look primed to finish the season strongly.

The best may be yet to come from Sunderland's exciting squad and that makes them an attractive bet to clinch top-flight status.

Leeds were the pre-season title favourites and are no bigger than 4-11 to finish top of the pile and 1-25 to go up.

However, those prices look on the short side for a club who has had issues away from Elland Road, winning only five of 12 Championship on the road.

Burnley are only three points behind Leeds and make more appeal at title odds of 7-1 although they could do with scoring a few more goals.

The Clarets have conceded just nine goals, the fewest of any team, but are joint-12th in terms of their goals scored with a tally of 30 and have been held to ten draws, three of them goalless.

Sheffield United led the standings from the start of December to Christmas Day but their performances and results have dipped.

Injuries have exposed a lack of depth to the squad and a few smart January additions will be needed for Chris Wilder's side.

Championship top-six finish predictions

While the automatic promotion race seems to involve four clubs, the battle for playoffs places could be even more competitive.

Just seven points cover fifth-placed Middlesbrough to 12th-placed Swansea and there are sure to be many twists and turns.

However, 11th-placed Norwich have more scope for improvement than many of the contenders and appear overpriced to extend their season.

The Canaries have been inconsistent and are on 33 points, but they were only one point better off at the same stage of last season and finished sixth.

Johannes Thorup's side are third-highest scorers  with 41 goals and have taken seven points from their last three games.

There are signs of improvement from the Norfolk outfit and, with key striker Josh Sargent closing in on a return from injury, they look well-equipped to seal a playoff spot.

Championship top goalscorer predictions

West Brom are among the clubs battling for a top-six finish and will have a better chance if star forward Josh Maja keeps up his high standards.

Maja has scored 12 goals in 25 appearances and is only three behind 15-goal Norwich attacker Borja Sainz, who tops the Championship scoring charts.

However, Sainz has not scored in his last seven outings and there is every chance he could be caught.

Stoke's nine-goal striker Tom Cannon could flourish under the Potters' new manager Mark Robins but Maja looks the better option to challenge Sainz's supremacy.

The 26-year-old receives excellent service from Tom Fellows, who has set up five of his goals, and should continue to find the net on a regular basis.

Championship relegation predictions

The battle for survival looks like being incredibly tight with ten points covering the bottom half.

However, second-bottom Cardiff have had a tough couple of months, winning only one of their last 11 games, and look at serious risk.

Cardiff have lost seven home games, more than any second-tier club, and their struggles in the Welsh capital could condemn them to a bottom-three finish.

More EFL season predictions . . .

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