Championship 2019-20: special bets | top-half finish | top London club

Tony Mowbray has done an excellent job in almost two and a half years as Blackburn manager and he can lead the Lancastrians to a top-half finish in the Sky Bet Championship this season.

Less than three months after his appointment in February 2017, Mowbray suffered a major disappointment when Blackburn were relegated to League One.

• Championship relegation candidates

It was the first time Rovers had dropped out of the top two divisions since 1980 but they responded superbly in the 2017-18 League One campaign by gaining automatic promotion with 96 points.

Last season was all about consolidating, and they did it comfortably.

For much of the campaign they were pushing towards the playoffs before tailing off to finish 15th, 20 points clear of the drop zone.

The next challenge is to climb even higher and maybe get more closely involved in the battle for the top six places.

• Championship match bets

To give them a better chance, Mowbray has focused on adding more experience to a squad heavily populated by young players. And he had success early in the summer window by adding 35-year-old ex-England international winger Stewart Downing and 32-year-old midfielder Bradley Johnson.

Both players are used to competing towards the higher end of the table and that is exactly where Blackburn could be headed, ensuring payouts for anyone backing them at odds-against for a top-half finish.

Fulham can be kings of London

Fulham were the worst-performing London club in the Premier League last season, finishing below Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, West Ham and Crystal Palace, but they could be capital kings in the Championship.

The Cottagers are a shade of odds-on to finish above Brentford, QPR, Millwall and Charlton but that still looks a decent bet.

• Championship team rankings

After persuading Aleksandar Mitrovic to stay and adding Wolves attacker Ivan Cavaleiro on a season-long loan, Fulham look set fair for a crack at automatic promotion.

Of their London rivals, Brentford, hampered by the loss of key players, face a season of transition while QPR, Millwall and Charlton look potential relegation candidates.

The battle for playoff places should be as intense as ever and Bristol City are likely to be in the mix.

They have bought well and look stronger than the side who finished eighth last term, just four points behind sixth-placed Derby.

Expect the Robins to fly a little higher and extend their season.

Recommendations
Blackburn top-half finish
5pts 11-8 Betfred, Hills
Fulham top London club
6pts 10-11 bet365
Bristol City top-six finish
3pts 11-4Hills

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