The interesting fact about English Championship is that it is the most popular second league in the world. We can easily say that clubs that are playing in this league can easily compete in elite competitions in some other leagues. The best proof of that can be seen in values of teams. For example, Norwich City has a value of over $100 million, and it is known for winning the second league and then getting back to it from season to season.
On the other side, Toulouse is keeping middle position in French first league for a longer time, and they sometimes manage to reach the European tournaments. The value of this club is only $50 million. The same examples can be seen in other Top 5 leagues. For instance, the Union Berlin is currently holding the first position in Germany, and it has nearly the same value as Norwich City. This game is very popular in England, and it is common that stadiums are full even in lower leagues.
Also, there are big sponsorships and TV rights that are providing a lot of profit for these clubs. That is especially the case for the elite competition. Winning the Championship will bring the club over $200 million. That is one of the main reasons why it is always so intense. A lot of well-known clubs are currently competing in this rang, like Watford, Blackburn, QPR, and more. Some of them were standard in the PL for a longer time, but are now struggling, which is the case with Stoke.
Moreover, it is much harder to predict who will reach the first two positions and get to the elite rang. If you think that you can predict that right, you can win some money as well. If you are interested in placing money on football, check out Bet365. Here are some of the clubs that have the best odds to reach the PL.
QPR
They are struggling to find the right formation and form for a longer time, almost 10 years. We all remember their great games during the season 12/13, and how unlucky they were to not keep their PL status. It seems like things are improving drastically during this season. They are currently at the 4th position, only three points behind the first place.
Also, QPR has a decent team with some players that have experience in the elite rang. Besides that, we have to mention an interesting combination of experienced players and young talents. When we compare the current odds with those introduced at the beginning, this club is a big surprise because many people expected that they will struggle at the bottom. The current odds are much more in favor of this club, with an average of 6 to 1.
Reading
The biggest surprise at the top is most certainly Reading. The odds for this club to finish at the bottom were around 2.5 before the start, while winning it was given more than 50. Even though they are showing great play in previous games, the bookies are still not giving them bigger chances, and the odds are still very high. For instance, if you want to risk and place money on this club to be a winner at this point, you can win at least 20 times the value.
When it comes to the players, there are many well-known veterans, like Junior Hoilett and Andy Carroll. They are providing experience that is crucial for good games. There are still many games to be played, and if this club manages to finish in the first two, it will be a huge surprise.
Burnley
A lot of people are expecting that this club will manage to find the right form and start winning more often. They are holding decently for now. Burnley is currently in the 5th position. However, the difference in points is very small and a lot of things can change quickly. Still, we have to mention that some issues remained the same as when they were playing in the elite rand, and that is related to their scoring abilities.
This club is known for great defense and not getting a lot of goals. However, they are not scoring much as well. Even though they lost only one game by now, there are many even results. When it comes to the squad, a lot of premium players left to play in the PL. However, we think that company will manage to combine a good team and improve the form to win more often. It is expected for them to reach at least the play-off stage.
Norwich City
We already mentioned that this club is well-known from going to the Pl and then getting back in the same year. It seems like they are experienced in winning in Championship, and have a decent team. However, they always lack some positions that will help them stay in the PL for more than one season. However, there is a difference in the formation that is active during this season.
There are still some players that are playing for a longer time, like Pukki. Still, those young assets might be able to make a difference. Some of the most talented youngsters are Sargent, Nunex, Gibbs, and Omobamidele. This club has the best chance to reach the first two.
Sheffield Utd
We all remember this club for its amazing games during the season 19/20. They managed to reach the 9th position at the end of that year. Chris Wilder had a great team with players like McBurniue, Mousset, Stevens, Baldock, and more.
However, the problem was related to new assets and poor form that they faced in the season 20/21 when they got relegated. They are currently sharing first position with Norwich City. Still, the issue can be that they have a lot of injured players. The odds for them are quite decent as they are for the Canaries.
Last Words
There are 30 games left before the end, which means that a lot of things can change. There are some potential surprises that are currently in the middle, like Blackburn, Watford, and Swansea.
