Championship Round 4: Favourites, Betting odds and Predictions

Will Leeds United, Sheffield United and Middlesbrough win their matches?

This upcoming Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will feature the latest round of Championship matches. This season, several legendary teams have a chance to return to the Premier League. Let’s take a look at some of the key fixtures, assess the current standings, and suggest some betting options.

Coventry City vs. Norwich City Odds

At Coventry Building Society Arena, the team currently in ninth place will face one of last season’s top teams, which has unexpectedly dropped to 20th and is entering this match as the underdog.

In their last five matches, Coventry City has lost just once—at the beginning of the season to Stoke City (1:0). However, that defeat was away, and they remain unbeaten at home with two wins and one draw. The Sky Blues are not known for their scoring prowess; aside from a three-goal performance against Oxford United, they have netted no more than once in their other four games this season. Given this, a bet on under 2.5 total goals in the match could be worth considering.

Midfielder Ben Sheaf is still out with a leg injury, and summer signing Raphael Borges Rodrigues has yet to make his club debut due to a similar issue. Despite these absences, Coventry has no new injury concerns.

Norwich City, after reaching the playoffs last season, has had a disastrous start to their new campaign. They have suffered an away defeat and drawn two home games in the Championship. Although they had a decent run in the League Cup, overcoming Stevenage from League 1 with some difficulty, they were thrashed 0:4 by Crystal Palace.On average, Norwich has scored only one goal per match in the Championship this season.

Jonathan Rowe is close to leaving the club and will not be available for selection. Ashley Barnes is still sidelined with a long-term injury. Other than these absences, Norwich is expected to have a fully fit squad for the weekend.

Despite their historical dominance in head-to-head encounters—having won 7 out of 10 matches and drawing 3 since 2010—Norwich City is currently the underdog. Their poor away record this season, combined with low scoring, leads us to predict: 

Cardiff City vs. Middlesbrough Odds

At Cardiff City Stadium, the bottom team in the table faces off against one of the leading promotion contenders. We’ve extensively covered the chances of the latter in our comprehensive pre-season preview.

Although Middlesbrough is currently languishing in the mid-table (10th place), bookmakers consider them the favorites for this match.

In their last five matches, Cardiff City can boast two victories—one in a friendly and another in the League Cup, both against Bristol Rovers with a 2:0 scoreline. However, their Championship form has been dire: two defeats and one draw, with a cumulative score of 1:8. On average, the last five games for both teams have seen a combined total of 10.10 corners.

Cardiff's injury list is extensive, with eight players uncertain for the match. Among them, three are crucial absentees for manager Erol Bulut. Defender Ryotaro Tsunoda remains sidelined with a summer injury, and Kion Etete and Isaak Davies are also out.

Finishing eighth last season, Middlesbrough scored more goals than several top-7 teams. This season, their scoring has been less prolific, with seven goals in five matches, three of which came in the League Cup. However, their primary attacking threat, Emmanuel Latte Lath, is fit and has already scored in the Championship.

Darragh Lenihan and Dael Fry remain unavailable this season due to injuries, and their status for the upcoming weekend is still unclear. Jonny Howson, who picked up a hamstring injury during the EFL Cup victory, might be sidelined for a while. However, midfielder Riley McGree is expected to make a return. Overall, Middlesbrough’s injury situation seems less severe compared to Cardiff's.

Middlesbrough have won their last three encounters with Cardiff, and the Bluebirds have struggled defensively against Michael Carrick's side, failing to keep a clean sheet in their previous nine meetings. The away team has also been the first to score in five of the last six matchups between these two sides. With Middlesbrough’s attacking prowess in mind, our prediction is:

Millwall vs. Sheffield Wednesday Odds

Millwall, renowned beyond Britain for its football hooligan films, will host one of England's oldest clubs. Neither team has impressed in the new season so far, with Sheffield Wednesday positioned mid-table at 16th, while Millwall sits third from the bottom.

Despite their lower standing, bookmakers consider Millwall to be slight favorites for this clash.

In this Championship season, Millwall have either scored or picked up points in their matches. While The Lions managed to net 5 goals against Watford and Bristol City, they also conceded 7. Their only point came from a goalless draw with Hull City.

With a goal difference of -2, the same as Sheffield Wednesday, Millwall have scored one more goal. Considering their xG of 1.20 for home games, it's reasonable to expect that Millwall will score and likely be the first to do so, especially with home support behind them.

Millwall will continue to be without Zion Flemming and Billy Mitchell as both are still recovering from injuries. With limited alternatives challenging the current starters, Neil Harris is expected to field the same lineup that played against Hull last weekend. Notably, Duncan Watmore, who is currently second in the top scorers list with three goals, will be in that lineup.

Sheffield Wednesday have struggled to find the back of the net in their last two Championship games. However, they have shown they can score, notably netting five goals (5:1) against Grimsby Town in a recent League Cup match and securing a convincing 4:0 victory over Plymouth Argyle at the season's start.

The Owls will be without goalkeeper Ben Hamer, who is expected to be out until after the international break. With no goals in their last two games, Danny Röhl might make some attacking changes, with Ike Ugbo and Djeidi Gassama both vying for starting positions.

Millwall defeated Sheffield Wednesday 4:0 away in November 2023, but the Yorkshire club responded with a 2:0 victory at The Den a few months later. The current standings suggest the teams are fairly evenly matched, and the home advantage could be crucial, with Millwall likely to remain unbeaten at their ground.

Leeds United vs Hull City Odds

According to pre-season forecasts, Leeds United is a leading contender for the Championship title and will host Hull City, who narrowly missed out on the playoffs last year.

With only two points separating the teams, bookmakers still view Leeds as clear favorites.

Leeds United enter this game buoyed by their most impressive performance in months. This Championship season, they remain unbeaten, having scored five goals in their first three matches, including a thrilling 3:3 draw against Portsmouth. Since that game, The Peacocks have kept clean sheets across all competitions.

Patrick Bamford continues to be a major doubt after missing the Sheffield Wednesday match due to injury, and Max Wöber is also expected to be unavailable, especially if his transfer is completed before the game. The starting lineup from the Hillsborough match is likely to stay the same, with recent addition Largie Ramazani probably starting on the bench.

Hull City, currently 14th with three points from their first three games, have undergone significant changes this summer. Tim Walter replaced Liam Rosenior as manager, and the team has seen a major turnover of players, particularly loanees, requiring Walter to rebuild the squad.

Despite their resilient start to the Championship, Hull City’s xG rate of 1.28 per game, ranking them 10th in the league, contrasts with their troubling xGA rate of 1.54 per game, the fifth-worst in the division. This disparity might be a cause for concern.

Hull City will be without Harvey Cartwright and Ryan Longman, while Doğukan Sinik, who is sidelined due to lack of match fitness rather than injury, might have a slight chance of playing.

Leeds United secured four points against Hull last season and are unbeaten in their last four encounters, with three victories. Leeds United lost only twice at Elland Road last season, while Hull City have struggled on the road, winning just two of their last seven away Championship games and failing to win any of their last five league matches overall.

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