Championship Betting: Birmingham strongly backed at 9/1 to win 2025/26 title | OneFootball

EFL Championship

Banksy needn't be worried

Ste Tudor assesses the Championship title contenders for next May, highlighting Birmingham who are widely being backed by bettors in the know...

With almost one fifth of the bet-share, Birmingham are the most backed team to win the Championship in 2025/26.

Before we get to why this might be, let's take a look at the others who are firmly in the reckoning.

Ipswich are rightly favourites

Stray bits of confetti is still being found on the Wembley pitch from the recent Play-Off finals but already our thoughts turn to next season, and who might challenge at the summit of the Championship in 2025/26.

It's little surprise to learn that Ipswich Town are the current favourites at 9/2 to ultimately finish top of the pile. The Suffolk outfit are a well run club, minus highly paid 'mercenaries' who could destablise them over the summer. Furthermore, they remain in possession of Kieran McKenna, one of the most highly rated coaches around, while a forthcoming parachute payment will help them to strengthen across the transfer window.

A tottal of 18% of bets placed so far on the Betfair Sportsbook have gone on the Tractor Boys.

Close behind, on 11/2 we find Southampton and again that's to be expected, with yo-yoing between the top two divisions very much back in vogue. It should be noted however that an exodus of talent is anticipated on the South Coast, with Kyle Walker-Peters already gone, and Aaron Ramsdale, Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Matheus Fernandes set to follow.

Next up we find Sheffield United priced up at 17/2. As is always the way, the losing Play-Off finalist are well backed to return stronger and admittedly there is logic behind the reasoning when we acknowledge that Leeds shrugged off their Wembley defeat in 2024 to claim the title last term, 100 points and all.

That absolutely wasn't the way with Coventry or Huddersfield though in preceding seasons.

Drifting out to 9/1 we find Middlesbrough, Coventry and Birmingham City and again, it hardly raises an eyebrow to see the latter well fancied. After all, the Blues stormed to the League One title last season with a EFL record of 111 points. And momentum can do funny things.

Yet if Birmingham's price is right what startles is the sheer volume of bets being placed on the Midlands side to win a division they dropped out of 12 months ago. What do 19% of Championship bettors know that the rest of us don't?

Nearly a fifth of bettors are backing Brum

As stated, Chris Davies' side dominated League One last term and it shouldn't be under-estimated just how tough a task that was.

Fiercely competing with them throughout was a very well-financed Wrexham, a Charlton side full of quality, and Wycombe over-achieving.

Yet even amidst such competition, the Blues lost only three times all campaign, conceding the fewest number of goals (31) and converting a hefty league-high of 84. That equates to 1.8 per 90.

Of which 19 were scored by Jay Stansfield and it's an obvious point, but one worth making that any team holding serious aspirations to reach the Premier League need a prolific forward to fire them there. Last season, Leeds had Joel Piroe who coincidentally also scored 19.

Stansfield is pertinent too given his club record transfer fee last summer. Owned by a US-based investment firm, Birmingham have benefited from significant investment of late, to the ground, training facilities, and most of all, playing staff. That investment is not expected to slow down anytime soon.

Lastly, they have Chris Davies in the dug-out, a shrewd tactician - and very decent man-manager - who learned the ropes under Brendan Rodgers.

All things considered then, is it any wonder that so many are lumping on the Blues to make it two titles in a row?

Breakdown of Championship betting and odds

Just shy of a fifth of all betting activity in the Championship is focusing on Birmingham to top the division next May. Here's where the rest of the bets are going, accompanied by their present odds.

Now read Alan Shearer's latest exclusive column, looking back on 2024/25