Ipswich Town are the bookmakers’ favourites to win the 2025/26 Championship title and with it promotion back to the Premier League – and they kick off their campaign with a tricky trip to ambitious Birmingham City in a Friday-night opener.
The Tractor Boys finished second from bottom in the top flight last season after picking up 22 points in 38 games, but they have kept faith with manager Kieran McKenna.
And although star striker Liam Delap has joined Chelsea, the bookies still rate Ipswich as the leading contenders to seal an immediate return to the top tier, pricing them at 11/4.
However, Birmingham, who are part-owned by NFL legend Tom Brady, beat Wrexham to the League One title last season and will fancy their chances of causing an upset on home soil.
Southampton, meanwhile, only won two of their 38 top-flight tussles, but they are 5/1 to win the division and welcome high-flying Wrexham for their opener.
Elsewhere, Leicester City finished 18th on 25 points in last season’s Premier League and the bookies do not fancy their chances of winning the league, pricing them as 11/1 contenders.
The Foxes play their opening game on Sunday against troubled Sheffield Wednesday.
Who are the contenders to win the 2025/26 Championship?
Winner 2025/26 (odds from SkyBet)
Each way: 1/5 odds, 4 places
Ipswich 11/4
Southampton 5/1
Birmingham 6/1
Sheff Utd 7/1
Coventry 9/1
Leicester 11/1
Norwich 14/1
Middlesbrough 18/1
West Brom 18/1
Wrexham 25/1
All eyes will be on Wrexham and their celebrity owners, Ryan Reynolds (aka Deadpool) and Rob McElhenney (aka that bloke from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia).
The Welsh outfit are back in the the second tier of English football for the first time since 1981/82, but the bookies only rate them as 25/1 chances to reach the holy grail of England’s top table.
What are the fixtures and times for the opening weekend of the Championship season?
Friday August 8
Birmingham City vs Ipswich Town, kick-off 8pm
Saturday August 9
Charlton Athletic vs Watford, kick-off 12:30pm
Coventry City vs Hull City, kick-off 12:30pm
Southampton vs Wrexham, kick-off 12:30pm
Middlesbrough vs Swansea City, kick-off 3pm
Norwich City vs Millwall, kick-off 3pm
Oxford United vs Portsmouth, kick-off 3pm
Queens Park Rangers vs Preston North End, kick-off 3pm
Stoke City vs Derby County, kick-off 3pm
West Bromwich Albion vs Blackburn Rovers, kick-off 3pm
Sheffield United vs Bristol City, kick-off 5.30pm
Sunday August 10
Leicester City vs Sheffield Wednesday, kick-off 4.30pm
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Who have Wrexham signed so far this summer?
Wrexham are on a roll and will be dreaming of securing a fourth successive promotion.
They know this is going to be their toughest test so far and that has been reflected in the transfer market, where they have splashed the cash.
Lewis O’Brien (Nottingham Forest) – £3m
Liberato Cacace (Empoli) – £2.2m
Conor Coady (Leicester) – £2m
Kieffer Moore (Sheffield Utd) – £2m
George Thomason (Bolton) – £1.2m
Ryan Hardie (Plymouth) – 700k
Danny Ward (Leicester) – free
Josh Windass (Sheffield Wednesday) – free
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