Championship Predictions: Betting tips for every single weekend fixture | OneFootball

EFL Championship

Jack Critchley provides a tip for each Championship game this weekend

It's the second weekend of the 2025-26 Championship season, and Jack Critchley has analysed the stats from the opening fixtures and picked out his favourite bets for Saturday and Sunday afternoon...

Portsmouth vs Norwich - BTTS at Fratton Park

Saturday, 15:00

Pompey began the season with an away success, and they're already 33% of the way to matching last season's total of three wins on the road. John Mousinho's men were much stronger at Fratton Park last year, and there should be a terrific atmosphere here for this lunchtime KO. Adrian Segecic had a debut to remember, and John Swift looks like a savvy addition. Colby Bishop was a constant menace, and despite having the fewest touches of any Pompey player and managing just a single effort on goal, his work rate and tenacity should be applauded.

It wasn't the start that Liam Manning dreamed about as Norwich were beaten 2-1 by Millwall at Carrow Road. The Canaries just lacked fluency, although they looked far better in the EFL Cup in midweek. Nevertheless, they are blessed with attacking talent, and despite their struggles on the opening weekend, it's hard to imagine them firing a blank on Saturday lunchtime.

Derby vs Coventry - Points shared at Pride Park

Saturday, 12:30

Derby put in a disappointing performance at the weekend when failing to hold onto their lead against Stoke. Errant late defending and the switch to a back five was their undoing and they will be determined to bounce back on Saturday lunchtime. They conceded just five times in their final ten home games last season, and John Eustace will be determined to avoid any more blunders at the back. They will make it tough for Coventry and will restrict the visitors for the majority of this contest.

Coventry were unable to break down Hull's resistance and were forced to settle for a 0-0 draw at the CBS. Mark Robin's side put in a boatload of crosses, took 18 shots and hit the woodwork, yet they only actually managed three efforts on target and need to improve their efficiency in the opposition's box. Frank Lampard's men won in midweek and fans will be hoping that Ellis Simm's strike will instil some confidence in the former Everton man. There is unlikely to be much between these two sides, and it wouldn't be a surprise to see the hosts keep Cov at arm's length here.

Wrexham vs West Brom - Hosts to secure their first Championship success

Saturday, 12:30

Wrexham may have heavily lost the xG battle last weekend at Southampton; however, they played well and carved out several opportunities. Gavin Bazunu thwarted them on numerous occasions, and they will take plenty of confidence into this tie. Kieffer Moore's injury is a significant blow for the Welsh outfit, yet they still have a fair few options going forward, and Ollie Palmer put himself into the reckoning with a superb midweek performance in the EFL Cup. Last season, Wrexham were formidable at home, and Phil Parkinson will set up his side to be rigid and tough to break down.

West Brom picked up a narrow 1-0 victory against Blackburn, and there were promising performances from Aune Heggebo and Isaac Price, who looks set to be one of the breakout stars of the season. At the back, they will keep things tight, and this could turn into a fairly tactical 90 minutes.

Sheffield Wednesday vs Stoke - Stoke to edge past battling Owls

Saturday, 15:00

Sheffield Wednesday produced a surprisingly coherent performance at Leicester on Sunday afternoon and gave the Foxes a scare by taking the lead in the first half. Inevitably, Wednesday's inexperience counted against them and they were unable to prevent the hosts' star performers from turning things around; however, they can hold their heads up high heading into this home fixture. Nathaniel Chalobah's injury is a blow; however, Barry Bannan served his suspension on Wednesday night in the EFL Cup. The South Yorkshire side will have a day less to prepare for this tie, with Stoke having drawn 0-0 with Walsall on Tuesday evening, and that's far from ideal for such a small squad.

Stoke did make ten changes for the midweek fixture, and they will be feeling fresh and ready for this trip to Hillsborough. Mark Robins was uncharacteristically chipper following his side's victory over Derby and the movement and craft of summer signings Sorba Thomas, Divin Mubama and Jamie Donley will give fans plenty of reasons to be optimistic this season. Joon-Ho Bae also looked sharp on the left, and Lewis Baker was able to pull the strings in the centre of the park. They should have too much experience and quality for the beleaguered hosts.

Bristol City vs Charlton - Hosts to attack with gusto

Saturday, 15:00

Bristol City's 4-1 success at Bramall Lane was one of the more unexpected results of the weekend. Gerhard Struber's young side played with smiles on their faces, and they looked like they were enjoying plenty of freedom to get forward and create chances. Although the scoreline undoubtedly flattered the Robins, it's the sort of performance which suggests that this is a team that will be worth watching this season. They allowed the Blades 20 shots and conceded an xG of 2.30, so they may need to tighten up defensively, but they are likely to create chances, particularly at home.

Charlton also got off to a winning start, albeit in typically Nathan Jones fashion. They kept yet another clean sheet; however, this is something they rarely managed when visiting the better sides in League One last season. Jones has plenty of options in forward areas with Charlie Kelman still getting up to speed and both Harvey Knibbs and Isaac Olaofe keen to get a start. They should play their part in an absorbing contest.

Blackburn vs Birmingham - Rovers' poor start set to continue

Saturday, 15:00

Blackburn may have ended last season strongly, yet they've made a poor start to this one. Val Ismael's side struggled to create anything of note against West Brom last weekend, chalking up an xG of just 0.71 and managing just a single shot on target. This was followed by a midweek cup exit to League One Bradford, in which they looked shaky at the back. It's a small sample size, admittedly, but the new additions do not look settled yet, and they could take a few weeks to find their feet.

Birmingham fans were left bemoaning the awarding of an injury-time penalty in the division's curtain-raiser on Friday night. The Blues looked well-organised and solid at home to the Championship favourites, and Chris Davies' side will fancy their chances of getting their first win on the board here. Although they cannot call upon Marvin Ducksch or Kanya Fujimoto, they still have ample talent at their disposal and should simply be too good for the Lancashire outfit.

Watford vs QPR - Lively encounter at Vicarage Road

Saturday, 15:00

Watford came up short against Charlton last week, although they had some decent spells in the game and could easily have taken a point back to Vicarage Road. There were several new faces in the XI, and it may take a few weeks to click under new boss Paulo Pezzolano. Although they played at home in the EFL Cup in midweek, this will be their first chance to impress the home fans in the Championship, and they have plenty of individual matchwinners such as Kwadwo Baah and the highly-rated Luca Kjerrumgaard.

It's only mid-August, however, QPR are already amidst an injury crisis. Their defence has been decimated with Jimmy Dunne and Jake Clark-Salter's long-term injuries, coupled with the loss of Kwane Poku last weekend. They have added Richard Kone to their squad this week and they do look fun going forward, but they simply cannot be trusted to keep a clean sheet given their lack of bodies at the back.

Preston vs Leicester - Foxes to battle their way past obstinate hosts

Saturday, 15:00

Preston picked up a point on the opening weekend against QPR. We didn't learn much from PNE's performance, which was on a par with most of last season. They created a few chances from open play, looked dangerous from set-pieces and looked a little shaky at the back. They did pick up a win in midweek against League Two Barrow, courtesy of an own goal, yet their lack of firepower will surely hold them back once again this year.

Leicester edged past Sheffield Wednesday last weekend and had 75% possession. Marti Cifuentes will have been pleased to have got off the mark, but he will be hoping that his side can be more clinical. They had 13 shots on target and missed four presentable opportunities. They will get a few chances at Deepdale, yet they may have to be patient.

Millwall vs Middlesbrough - Lions to go back-to-back

Saturday 15:00

Millwall made an eye-catching start to the campaign as Alex Neil returned to his former employers and took all three points. The Lions looked lively throughout the 90 minutes, and the back four also caught the eye, particularly recent addition Alfie Doughy. They were also victorious in midweek in the EFL Cup, and Neil will be keen to maintain their momentum.

Middlesbrough have failed to score in four of their last five visits to this stadium and they do not have fond memories of their recent trips to Bermondsey. Rob Edwards' side got off the mark against Swansea last weekend in a remarkably low-key affair which produced an accumulative total of just nine shots. He made five changes to his XI for the midweek defeat to League One Doncaster, suggesting that there is still plenty of work to do for the former Luton boss. Millwall's Josh Coburn will be keen to impress against his former employers, and the hosts should be able to carve out plenty of opportunities.

Swansea vs Sheffield United - Blades to settle for a point in South Wales

Saturday, 15:00

Swansea managed a paltry three shots against Middlesbrough last weekend, but their 3-1 victory over League Two Crawley should have improved their confidence going forward. Alan Sheehan's side were tough to beat last season and although there is a chronic lack of depth to their squad, they look fairly organised and won't go down without a fight. They kept clean sheets in three of their last four home games at the back end of last season, and they won't make it easy for the visitors on Saturday. They will play with plenty of width with both Josh Key and Josh Tymon looking strong, whilst Ethan Galbraith, who got off the mark in midweek, is only likely to get stronger.

Ruben Selles had a rude awakening last weekend as his side were thumped 4-1 at Bramall Lane. Questions surrounding the club's recruitment have been raised, and the decision to let Anel Ahmedhodzic depart without a sufficient replacement looks a little bit daft. They will need the new arrivals to get up to speed; however, they may end up frustrated by the hosts in this one.

Ipswich vs Southampton - Robinson to find a way past the Tractor Boys

Sunday, 12:00

Ipswich looked a little disjointed last week as they snatched a point from Birmingham at the death. Keiran McKenna's side are still adapting the life back in the second tier, and the fixture list has thrown up a tricky schedule for the Suffolk outfit. They come up against a fellow relegated side, who looked lively going forward on the opening weekend.

Southampton left it late, however, Will Still's men eventually found a way past Wrexham with the new boss using his options from the bench wisely. Jay Robinson, aged just 18, was thrown into that match and performed admirably. He played a full 90 minutes, took six shots, two of which were on target and got into good areas. Assuming that he is given the nod once again, he is a decent price to score anytime in this fixture.

Hull vs Oxford - Battle of attrition at the MKM

Sunday, 15:00

Hull dug deep to prevent Coventry from clinching all three points last weekend, and they almost beat Wrexham in the EFL Cup in midweek. We are yet to get a grip of Sergej Jakirovic's side; however, they appear to be tough to beat and are battling for the new boss. Kyle Joseph may not be prolific, yet he is full of running, and Matt Crooks is also a willing worker. This is the sort of game they are expected to win; however, 10/11 is just a little too short for my liking.

Oxford are already without several first-team players, and they were beaten 1-0 last weekend at the Kassam. Gary Rowett sides rarely give much away and they will keep things tight, particularly on the road. They averaged 0.78 goals per game away from home last season, and they are unlikely to find themselves in a high-scoring end-to-end contest here.

Recommended bets

Back Stoke to beat Sheffield Wednesday @ 4/5

Back Birmingham to beat Blackburn @ 13/10

Back Millwall to beat Middlesbrough @ 13/10

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