The Championship returns for another season of relentless fixtures, unpredictable results and one of the most demanding promotion races in European football.
Across the coming weeks, Oddsfactory will preview all 24 Championship clubs in reverse order, beginning with the teams we believe are most likely to be relegated and working our way towards our predicted champions.
Each club preview examines the summer transfer window, the biggest question surrounding the team, their main strengths and weaknesses, the players who could define their season and what they may still need before the window closes.
This is our complete predicted Championship table for the 2026/27 season.
West Ham and Wolves backed for automatic promotion
We have West Ham United finishing top of the Championship and securing an immediate return to the Premier League.
The Hammers should enter the season with one of the strongest squads in the division, although relegated Premier League clubs do not always adapt immediately to the intensity and physical demands of the Championship.
Wolverhampton Wanderers take second place in our prediction. Like West Ham, Wolves will carry considerable expectations, but their squad quality should put them among the strongest contenders for automatic promotion.
Middlesbrough, Birmingham City, Burnley and Southampton complete our predicted play-off positions.
All four should have realistic ambitions of reaching the Premier League, but the margins between the leading teams could be extremely small. One poor run, an injury to a key player or a decisive January signing could completely change the promotion picture.
A crowded and unpredictable middle of the table
Sheffield United are predicted to finish seventh, narrowly missing out on the play-offs, followed by Stoke City and Norwich City.
Wrexham are placed tenth as they continue their remarkable rise through the English football pyramid. Expectations will once again be high, although establishing themselves in the top half of the Championship would represent another impressive achievement.
Millwall, Derby County, Bristol City, Swansea City and Watford form the centre of our predicted table.
These clubs may believe they are capable of challenging higher, but the Championship is often decided by consistency rather than reputation. The teams that can avoid prolonged losing runs and turn close matches into victories will quickly move themselves into play-off contention.
West Bromwich Albion and Blackburn Rovers are predicted to finish 16th and 17th respectively, with Portsmouth, Bolton Wanderers and Cardiff City completing the group immediately above the relegation battle.
QPR survive as Charlton, Preston and Lincoln go down
We have Queens Park Rangers finishing 21st and narrowly avoiding relegation.
QPR possess enough attacking quality to trouble stronger opponents, particularly through players such as Ilias Chair and Tariq Lamptey. However, the loss of experienced figures and lingering concerns about their defensive stability could leave them involved in the survival battle until the final weeks.
Charlton Athletic are predicted to finish 22nd. Karlan Grant gives them a proven Championship attacking threat, but we are not convinced the squad has improved enough following last season’s 19th-place finish.
Preston North End take 23rd place in our table. Preston have repeatedly defied relegation predictions through organisation, resilience and collective effort, but the loss of experienced players and the absence of a proven goalscorer may finally catch up with them.
Lincoln City are predicted to finish bottom in their first season back in the Championship. They deserve enormous credit for earning promotion and have made ambitious additions, including club-record signing Andrei Coubiș, but the step up from League One may expose a lack of Championship quality and depth across a gruelling 46-match season.
Have your say on the Championship season
Predictions are made to be debated, particularly in a division as unpredictable as the Championship.
Which clubs have we placed too high? Which teams are being underestimated? Will West Ham and Wolves return to the Premier League immediately, or will one of the established Championship clubs beat them to automatic promotion?
You can share your own predicted table, discuss the summer transfer window and follow the season with other supporters in the Oddsfactory Championship forum.
Advertisement| Pos | Club |
|---|---|
| 1 | West Ham United |
| 2 | Wolverhampton Wanderers |
| 3 | Middlesbrough |
| 4 | Birmingham City |
| 5 | Burnley |
| 6 | Southampton |
| 7 | Sheffield United |
| 8 | Stoke City |
| 9 | Norwich City |
| 10 | Wrexham |
| 11 | Millwall |
| 12 | Derby County |
| 13 | Bristol City |
| 14 | Swansea City |
| 15 | Watford |
| 16 | West Bromwich Albion |
| 17 | Blackburn Rovers |
| 18 | Portsmouth |
| 19 | Bolton Wanderers |
| 20 | Cardiff City |
| 21 | Queens Park Rangers |
| 22 | Charlton Athletic |
| 23 | Preston North End |
| 24 | Lincoln City |
| Automatic Promotion | |
| Play-Off Places | |
| Relegation |