Who are the favourites for Championship promotion?

Discover the favourite teams to win promotion from the Championship. Will the relegated sides go straight back up, or can another team challenge them instead?

With the 2026/27 Championship season around the corner, it’s a good time to look at who the favourites are to gain promotion to the Premier League at the end of the season. With Nuno Espirito Santo’s West Ham going down on the final day, they’re sure to be full of vengeance and ready to get back to England’s top flight.

Meanwhile, Wolves and Burnley will also be looking to bounce back after underwhelming campaigns last season, but will it be as straightforward as these three returning to the Premier League? Or can another of England’s strongest Championship sides take a promotion spot instead?

The following blog discusses the Championship betting odds of the teams that are likely to challenge for promotion, stating a case for each of them to be in the Premier League for the 2026/27 campaign.

Which teams are favourites for Championship promotion?

The table below lists the top eight teams with the best odds to gain promotion out of the Championship in the 2026/27 season:

Why could each team challenge for Championship promotion?

Now that you’ve seen each team’s chances of winning promotion from the Championship, let’s break down why these clubs have the best shot of reaching the Premier League:

West Ham

The 2025/26 season came to a disappointing end after they were relegated from the Premier League on the final day of the season.

Despite this setback, there’s hope for the Hammers, who’ve managed to keep hold of their experienced manager Nuno Espirito Santos and star player and captain, Jarrod Bowen. Not only this, but with big transfer fees received for the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Matheus Fernandes, they also have the funds to properly invest in the team.

Considering Nuno has managed teams to promotion in the past, West Ham have one of the best managers to accomplish the task. Wolves’ 99-point title win in 2017/18 is more than proof he can get the job done and coach a team to dominate the Championship.

If he can do the same with the Hammers in the 2026/27 season and the club can make the most of the parachute payments, then they certainly have a strong case for Championship promotion.

Wolves

Finishing the 2025/26 Premier League season rock bottom of the table was not expected at the start of the season, with their fate of relegation being sealed much earlier than they would have liked.

Wolves, however, have put themselves in a great position to bounce straight back up, re-signing beloved striker Raul Jimenez on a free transfer, and acquiring the services of experienced full-back Kieran Trippier. With the knowhow that these two can bring to the team, Wolves certainly aren’t lacking any expertise in their squad.

New manager Cesar Peixoto has also entered the frame, bringing some new ideas with him after coming from Portuguese top-flight club Gil Vicente. Peixoto may be taking on his first job outside of Portugal, but after coaching his side to a sixth-place finish last season, he’s got the ability to bring the best out of his squad.

After receiving a substantial fee for the sale of midfielder Joao Gomes, Wolves also have the funds to further their incoming transfers and strengthen the squad.

So, will Wolves be able to go straight back to the Premier League, or even have a season as good as their previous Championship campaign?

Burnley

Another of the relegated sides coming down to the Championship, will Burnley have enough in them to battle through the season and regain promotion? Well, with first- and second-place finishes in their previous two seasons in the division, Burnley have proven to be automatic promotion experts in recent years.

Belgian manager Nicky Hayen has taken the reins at Turf Moor, departing from Genk after half a season in charge. Hayen’s previous coaching roles have seen him become Belgian champions with Club Brugge, proving he can win silverware and coach his teams effectively.

With a few player sales bringing in reasonable funds and experience brought in after signing Benfica’s Florentino permanently, Burnley are in a good position after strengthening their squad. Should they hit the ground running under Hayen, they could be hard to stop once they get going.

Birmingham City

After a promising first season back in the Championship following their promotion from League One, it looks like Birmingham could kick on and gain a second promotion in three seasons. Considering the team has also received significant investment from Tom Brady and the Knighthead ownership group, there’s a clear willingness to spend and back the team in the transfer market.

Players like Jay Stansfield remain key to the project, while new signings have added talent and depth to important positions.

Chris Davies’ team will be looking to strengthen the foundations they set last year, with a data-led recruitment strategy ideally helping to catapult them into contention for the play-offs or even automatic promotion. With Davies being one of the most highly rated young managers, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them continue to progress.

Middlesbrough

Making the play-off final last season certainly puts Middlesbrough in good stead for this Championship campaign. Despite most of the 2025/26 season looking promising, the departure of manager Rob Edwards to Wolves was a big loss to the team, after which they dropped from automatic promotion places to the play-offs.

Having been in and around the play-offs and top six for several seasons now, they’re a team with one of the strongest infrastructures in the Championship. Backed by a large fanbase and with recent play-off experience after reaching the final last season, they’re undoubtedly one of the favourites for Championship promotion and are far from a surprise package at the top end of the table.

They may have lost some players in the summer, but smart reinvestment has added players with real potential to help the team become strong contenders for promotion yet again.

With manager Kim Hellberg also having a full pre-season and time to establish his philosophy even more, there’s every chance that he can take the final step after last season’s near miss.

Sheffield United

Without a doubt, Sheffield United are one of the biggest clubs in the division and are looking to return to form following a disappointing campaign where they finished 13th. Their home ground, Bramall Lane, is one of the most feared away grounds in the Championship, helping to give the team an impressive home record most seasons.

With the Blades under the experienced Chris Wilder, they’ve got one of the top managers to navigate the tricky schedule posed by the Championship. Having guided the team to promotion before and even managed successful Premier League seasons with the club, he’s evidently got the knowhow to get Sheffield United back in contention. Now that he’s under contract until 2028 as well, he’s certainly got the confidence of the board to succeed with the team.

After bringing in experience such as the full-back Matt Doherty on a free transfer from Wolves, they’re also signing the right players to stabilise the team and kick on over the course of the next season.

Southampton

After only being relegated to the Championship within the last couple of seasons, Southampton will still have a financial advantage over many other clubs within the division. Considering that the Saints are also renowned for having a top-class academy and for being astute in the market, the team will be hoping to make a fairly quick return to the Premier League.

After a play-off challenge last season, Southampton are another team with recent experience battling for Championship promotion, giving them an edge over others in the race. Now that they’ve also kept manager Tonda Eckert, they can build on a promising end to the last campaign after recovering from a poor start under Will Still.

Despite a bit of squad turnover, the team still looks like it’s one built and ready to challenge for Championship promotion rather than being in the middle of a rebuild. Should they start the season well, it could be a promising one for the Saints.

Wrexham

In recent years, Wrexham have seen a meteoric rise up the football pyramid, going from National League football to the Championship following three consecutive promotions. After narrowly missing out on the play-offs by two points last year, they will only have had more fuel added to the fire, increasing their hunger for promotion yet again.

The backing from owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney has led to a remarkable story which has only continued in an upward trajectory. Now that they’re more established in the Championship, they’re in a better position to look up the table rather than down, with promotion being more of a focus than it would have been last season.

After their rapid rise through the divisions, it’s also clear that their manager Phil Parkinson is somewhat of an expert at achieving promotion. With a combination of ambitious owners, more stability, and promotion experience, Wrexham are in the mix as one of the favourites for Championship promotion.