As we have said before, with a new season comes new hope and this motto applies to the English Football League Championship where the top-three teams earn a promotion to the coveted English Premier League. In the 2016-17 campaign, it was Newcastle United, Brighton Hove and Albion and Huddersfield Town, to win the right to play at the country’s highest level. Here is a breakdown of the favorites to win, along with our best pick for a potential dark horse that could steal the league title. There is value across the board in this competition, be that the top-six teams are in contention for a berth until the end, which offers tremendous cash-out upside from a futures perspective. The betting odds to win the EFL Championship League for the 2017/18 campaign are provided by Bovada Sports Book.
TOP FAVORITES TO WIN THE ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE
ASTON VILLA +800
By namesake along, Aston Villa is priced here as the favorite to win this league and return to the English Premier League. Villa was exiled from the top-flight in 2016 when they earned a relegation for an abhorrent performance against their fellow constituents. Although Villa is the most recognized name likely in the field, they ran in the middle of the field in the 2016/17 campaign. Needless to say there is work to be done here before ever gaining hopes of earning an EFL Championship title. Stay off Villa.
FULHAM +900
Perhaps the most compelling argument to be priced at this number comes from the boys that play in Craven Cottage. Fulham remained near the top of the pack all through the 2016-17 season. With this comes an expectation that Fulham may be able to return to the top flight after this campaign. The most value here is with the London-based club, out of the favorites featured on the EFL board.
NORWICH CITY +900
Norwich finds itself back in the EFL Championship after they were relegated finishing in the bottom-three of the English Premier League alongside Sunderland and Hull City. Norwich City is one of those teams that has a knack for being too good to play in the EFL as they are consistently promoted but always fall flat when they ascend to the highest level. Given Fulham is offered at the same price here, we recommend looking in other directions given it remains a mystery how Norwich handles their change of competitive scenery.
OUR DARK HORSE PICK TO WIN THE ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE
MILLWALL +8000
For those who do not know of this famed London borough, it is one that is rich in football tradition and passion. Millwall recently earned a promotion from League One to the EFL Championship League when they gatecrashed their way by virtue of winning the League One playoffs. Millwall would surge with momentum when they played the role of a giant-killer in the FA Cup, defeating three EPL sides in succession, including Bournemouth, Leicester City, and Watford. This is a hungry bunch and they offer tremendous value at the price offered here.
BETTING ODDS FOR REMAINING SQUADS
Here are the odds for the remaining teams that comprise the table of EFL Championship table
- Middlesbrough +1000
- Derby County +1100
- Sheffield Wednesday +1100
- Wolverhampton Wanderers +1400
- Sunderland +1600
- Leeds United +1600
- Hull City +1600
- Brentford +2000
- Reading +2000
- Sheffield United +2500
- Birmingham City +2800
- Cardiff City +2800
- Bristol City +3300
- Nottingham Forest +3300
- Preston North End +4000
- Queens Park Rangers +6600
- Bolton Wanderers +8000
- Barnsley +8000
- Ipswich Town +8000
- Burton Albion +10000
