EFL Championship promotion odds and prediction: Former relegation battlers now 6/1

As each week passes, the EFL Championship promotion odds chop and change. This provides opportunities to back some dark horses or shoot for the favourites throughout the season.

Speaking of which, we’ve provided our thoughts on who will achieve that goal. All will be revealed here, but to start with, here are the main contenders to reach the Promised Land next spring, and the longest odds currently against them.

Best EFL Championship promotion odds – top 10 favourites

For clarity, the odds for EFL Championship promotion are totally different from the EFL Championship winner odds. Of course, these describe two different markets, as three teams gain promotion, while only one will win the league.

Best value picks

As the current top three all provide poor value for punters, it is best to consider some dark horses that will certainly have a chance of gaining promotion through the playoffs. Here are some of those picks.

Bristol City – 43/10

Liam Manning's Robins have been the talk of the town of late, as Bristol City have only lost once since 12th February in a run that has seen them sneak into fifth place in the table with only five games to play.

This week they were at it again, as City managed to overcome Sunderland 2-1. Goals from Rob Dickie and Ross McCrorie overcame an early Eliezer Mayenda strike to allow the Robins to take all three points.

Manning's side are now four points clear of seventh-placed Middlesbrough with three games remaining, so should realistically require just a single victory in order to clinch that elusive play-off place.

With Bristol City having only managed mid-table in the Championship for around the last decade, the shot at promotion would be fantastic for the club's hierarchy and supporters alike. Coming into the run-in on such good form does not hurt either, and the side will certainly fancy themselves if they can secure a top-six spot.

Sunderland – 9/4

A former top-flight heavyweight, it has been a long while since Sunderland were in the Premier League. However, with Regis Le Bris at the helm, and a young, vibrant squad behind him, they have every chance of sneaking back into the big time through the play-offs.

However, the club's odds slipped this week after their defeat against high-flying Bristol City. The club also lost 1-0 against Swansea City in their previous fixture, meaning they are winless in the last three games.

Although there remain no worries that the Black Cats will secure a play-off spot, they are hardly displaying positive signs of late. Confidence is everything during the run-in, and so Le Bris will be hoping his team can dust themselves down and reset for a last-gasp promotion push.

Sheffield United – 7/5

From the teams currently occupying places 3-6 in the table, Sheffield United are evidently the strongest going into the last few games of the season. 

However, that being said, they have endured a tricky few weeks. Three losses on the bounce against Plymouth Argyle, Millwall and Oxford United essentially ended their hopes of an automatic promotion place, as Chris Wilder's side are now five points adrift of the top two.

Yet, they picked themselves up with a 2-0 victory over Cardiff City this week, and so Wilder will be hoping for more of the same so they can return to the top flight when they inevitably finish in third place.

Our verdict on EFL Championship promotion

While it is obvious that two of either Leeds, Burnley or Sheffield United will be promoted back to the Premier League, the third and final spot is truly anyone's guess.

It may seem a left-field guess, but Bristol City have truly turned things around in the last three months, and their end-of-season form could just be the difference maker when it comes to facing up against strong opposition in the play-offs. Do not count them out despite their mediocre start to the 2024/25 campaign.

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