EFL Championship Tips 2025/26 Season Preview

8th August 2025

EFL Championship Tips

The 2025/26 Championship’s is back this week completes the English Football League return after League One and Two were back in action this past weekend. Lets take a look at Statz’ EFL Championship Tips. The recently Premier League demoted teams are sure to be in contention for an immediate return, though off-the-field rulings could complicate things for Leicester City. Meanwhile, the League One record-breaking triumph of Birmingham City will put them on good footing for their first year back in the second tier. Statz.ai’s projected league table takes a look at some of the betting angles for this year’s Championship outrights.

New Signings

While it can certainly be argued that the aforementioned Blues spent their way out of League One last season, the Midlands club have been a bit more modest in their spending this time round, already with a great foundation for a push for back-to-back promotions. The eye-catching addition of Japanese striker Kyogo Furuhashi has only raised expectations. The former Celtic striker netted 86 goals in his four year spell in Scotland and certainly could be in amongst the goals in the Championship having joined after an unsuccessful spell at Rennes. Damian Downs joining Southampton is another striker likely to be bursting the net on a regular basis. Excitement and anticipation is expected among the Watford fan base to see young Australian talent Nestory Irankunda. The former Bayern Munich prospect brings flair and pace to Vicarage Road, joining a Championship that’s once again bursting with international talent and attacking promise.

Relegated Teams

The usual expectations of the recently relegated Premier League clubs using their parachute payments and squad quality to launch an immediate return to the top flight—and the 2025/26 season is no different. Ipswich Town are many pundits, bookies and also statz.ai favourites to not only get promoted but win the Championship outright. Joined in the automatic promotion place by fellow relegated Leicester City, though the Foxes’ campaign comes with the caveat of a potential points deduction. Even so, many still fancy them for a title push, with a Top 2 finish @6/1 (Bet 365) still offering significant value. Whether Southampton can turn around their disastrous 2024/25 Premier League campaign into an automatic return is more questionable. However, a top six finish should be achievable though the value in backing such a finish is quite limited.

Battle At The Top

An Ipswich and Leicester double for top two at 18/1 (Bet 365) offers good value if as expected the relegated sides are in amongst the automatic promotion places. Outside of that pair, last season’s Playoff Finalists Sheffield United are tipped to secure a top-six finish once again, with Coventry City also fancied to join them. A Leicester, Coventry and Sheffield treble for Top 6 @6/1 (Bet 365) may represent the best value with all expected to and hit the 77-point mark well above last season’s unusually low 68-point threshold for playoff qualification, the lowest since 1989 when Bristol City snuck into sixth.

Statz.ai Top of the Table Tips (Bet365)

Promoted Teams

Birmingham City are expected to be among the leading contenders for promotion this season. Chris Davies guided the Blues to a record-breaking 111-point League One title last term, and with internationals like Demarai Gray and Paik Seung-ho now in the squad, few are betting against the possibility of back-to-back promotions. However, the market reflects that confidence—Top 6 odds as short as 8/13 (Bet365) make it difficult to find real value backing them at this stage. Fellow promoted sides Wrexham and Charlton Athletic are projected to beat the drop back down to League One

Relegation Candidates

Sheffield Wednesday are widely expected to finish bottom of the table—a prediction that surprises no one given the ongoing crisis at the club. Statz.ai projected table has Oxford United and Preston North End joining the crisis Sheffield club in the relegation places next season. Preston, in particular, present notable value at 9/2 (Bet365) to be relegated. With the model forecasting a razor-thin margin of just three points between 22nd and the safety of 21st, there’s every chance the Lilywhites could find themselves on the wrong side of that line come May.

Statz.ai Bottom of the Table Tips (Bet365)

Best Statz Value Prices