An endless spiral of footballing drama, the EFL Championship play-offs await four teams as they dash for the finishing line with a place in the Premier League up for grabs.
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2024 EFL Championship play-off facts
The playoffs are not normal games of football. Rather, they are treated like cup finals where the stakes are nothing less than a place among some of the best footballing sides in the world.
Fixtures and Times
The play-offs involve two-legged semi-finals, where each team plays at home and away. Extra time and the dreaded penalties are on standby should teams be inseparable after two full matches.
Below is the list of the fixtures and KO times.
- Norwich vs Leeds: 12th May @ 12pm – Carrow Road
- West Brom vs Southampton: 12th May @ 2.45pm – The Hawthorns
- Leeds vs Norwich: 16th May @ 8pm – Elland Road
- Southampton vs West Brom: 17th May @ 8pm – St Mary’s Stadium
EFL Championship final kick-off time
The winners of each semi-final will then head to Wembley Stadium where a place in the Premier League awaits the winner. The date and time for the final is yet to be confirmed, but I will be sure to keep you updated when the times are finally released.
Teams in the 2024 EFL Championship play-off
Southampton
Southampton showed real grit and determination by securing a vital win at Elland Road on the final day of the season. They will be looking to carry that momentum into the playoffs when they face West Brom at The Hawthorns.
West Brom
Entering the playoffs on the back of a crucial win over Preston, West Brom had an up-and-down season throughout, but they shouldn't be taken lightly as they continue on their journey back to the top flight. The club was once synonymous with bouncing between the divisions, with this century seeing them gain promotions in 2002, 2004, 2008, 2010 and 2020.
Norwich
Norwich come into the playoffs on the back of a defeat to Birmingham City. It was always going to be a tough game for Norwich, as Birmingham (who ended up relegated due to results elsewhere) needed to win to have any chance of staying up. Norwich will have something of a psychological edge though, having negotiated the playoffs as recently as 2015.
Leeds
Leeds are probably scratching their heads and wondering where it all went wrong. They had automatic promotion in their own hands and simply fell apart at the business end of the season. Going so close and falling short after a long season could play in the heads of the Leeds players.
2024 Championship play-off betting tips
I think the most interesting pointer about this year's play-offs is that none of the teams involved come into it with any sort of momentum.
In turn, not much separates Southampton and Leeds in betting terms. They head the play-offs' outright market at 6/4 and 13/8 respectively, with the bookies slightly favouring the Saints to make a return to the Premier League.
Norwich are priced up at 5/1, which could prove a shrewd investment, given their spate of promotions over the past decade. Meanwhile, West Brom are the current outsiders at 6/1.
The two at the top in the market are far too short in my opinion. So my tip here is Norwich outright, which is available at 5/1 with Bet365.
- Resident horse racing tipster for MFT - 5 Years experience within sport writing and horse racing
