Betting tips for the 2019-20 Championship season in which Leeds United are favourites to win the title after being beaten in the play-off semi-finals last term.
Can Marcelo Bielsa steer Leeds United back to the Premier League for the first time since 2004, will Scott Parker’s managerial inexperience count against Fulham and could Neil Warnock bow out from Cardiff with a second promotion in three years?
Those clubs are the three favourites to go up from the Championship in the 2019-20 campaign but it’s the next club in the bookmakers’ lists, West Bromwich Albion, who are our main bet to return to the elite at 7/2 with bet365.
The Baggies finished fourth last season despite making the surprising decision to sack manager Darren Moore in March and replace him with coach Jimmy Shan, who did very well to get the club into the play-offs where they lost to eventual winners Aston Villa.
Unsurprisingly, the Albion have now appointed a much more experienced boss in Slaven Bilic, who is used to operating at a higher level with the Croatia national team, Besiktas and West Ham United.
Obviously it is a concern that the Championship will be a new experience for Bilic, but he has a strong squad at his disposal that has been bolstered this summer and the addition of striker Kenneth Zohore, who was in the Cardiff team that was promoted two seasons ago, looks a shrewd one.
As a long shot, especially after Norwich City came from nowhere to win the title last term, Preston North End appeal at 10/1 with bet365.
Alex Neil’s side got themselves to the fringe of the play-offs last term before a disappointing end to the season cost them, but they are a very solid team at home who have lots of goals in them and a big season is anticipated from striker Jayden Stockley.
Charlton Athletic are the favourites here after being promoted via the play-offs, and the uncertainty around the club due to their mercurial owner Roland Duchatelet means you can never be too sure what will happen next at The Valley.
We would not put you off backing the Addicks to go down at 9/4 with bet365, but there may be even better value in their south London rivals Millwall who are 4/1 in the same bookmaker’s list.
The Lions only stayed up by one place last term after staging a late bid for the play-offs the season before, and they had only a solitary victory in their final nine games of 2018-19. Compared to other squads in the division, they appear to lack a little quality.
As an outsider, Sheffield Wednesday, at 8/1 with William Hill, could find themselves in difficulty if they do not quickly sort out their managerial situation after Steve Bruce’s departure to Newcastle.
As mentioned above, we like the look of West Brom to be promoted and it appears very much as if Kenneth Zohore, their summer signing from Cardiff City, will be the man to lead their line this season.
The 25-year-old Dane has been given the No 9 shirt after his £8million move and is clearly seen as the Baggies’ spearhead now that Dwight Gayle and Jay Rodriguez are no longer at the club.
He looks a huge price at 33/1 with Paddy Power and certainly offers greater each-way value at more than five times the odds of 6/1 favourite Aleksandar Mitrovic of Fulham, who admittedly was more prolific with Fulham in the Championship two seasons ago than he was at Newcastle the year before.
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Championship Outright Tips
Betting tips for the 2019-20 Championship season in which Leeds United are favourites to win the title after being beaten in the play-off semi-finals last term.
