Championship

Sky Blues Head EFL Championship Predictions This Saturday

4 hours ago

| BY Tony Incenzo

ANOTHER intriguing managerial merry-go-round episode impacts the build up to this weekend’s EFL Championship combat.

Important fixtures will affect promotion, Play-Off and relegation issues. Accordingly, Championship betting interest is reaching fever pitch.

Here are the upcoming pairings alongside my considered score predictions to assist your football betting…

Portsmouth v Hull City

Kick-off: 12.30pm
Rankings: 19th versus 5th

Portsmouth preview – Five points clear of relegation peril following three wins within six Championship games.

Hull City preview – Six points behind second spot. Tuesday night’s 4-2 home success against Derby County terminated a four match winless sequence in League and Cup.

Significantly though, the Tigers have pieced together six victories across seven unbeaten away EFL encounters. They’ve only lost four times on the road all season.

However, winger Yu Hirakawa is ruled out for the rest of the campaign due to an ankle injury and hamstring problems mean full-back Ryan Giles could be unavailable for six weeks.

Score prediction: Tigers terrific 2-0.

Coventry City v Stoke City

Kick-off: 3pm
Rankings: 1st versus 13th

Coventry City preview – Enjoying a five point leadership cushion. Preceding wobbly form has been discarded in favour three straight wins capping four games unconquered. The Sky Blues remain our second tier’s foremost scorers racking up 70 goals.

Coventry’s solitary home 2025/26 Championship defeat was 2-0 against Ipswich Town on Monday 29th December. They are looking to grace Premier League football for the first time since 2001.

Stoke City preview – Seven points below Play-Off discussions. Wednesday evening’s 2-1 home triumph against Oxford United ended Stoke’s eight match slump without wins which spanned all competitions.

The Potters boast this division’s best defensive rearguard reflecting 32 goals conceded.

Score prediction: Cov canter onwards 3-1.

Preston North End v Millwall

Kick-off: 3pm
Rankings: 9th versus 3rd

Preston North End preview – One win inside nine League and Cup engagements leaving Preston five points shy of the coveted Play-Off region. Their tally of 13 draws is the Championship’s highest.

Millwall preview – Four points beneath second place after four maximum pointers amid six Championship outings.

Lions boss Alex Neil said: “We can match any team at this level on our day. I believe we are capable of anything with no ceiling for expectations.”

Score prediction: Even stevens 1-1.

Ipswich Town v Swansea City

Kick-off: 3pm
Rankings: 4th versus 15th

Ipswich Town preview – Six points short of automatic promotion contention but the Tractor Boys hold two games in hand on all clubs above them.

They’ve won two of the past three Championship assignments. Their sole home defeat throughout 2025/26 arrived on Tuesday 21st October, 3-0 against Charlton Athletic.

Swansea City preview – Fresh from the huge wave of publicity caused by hip-hop superstar and club co-owner Snoop Dogg’s larger than life presence at Tuesday’s 1-1 home draw against Preston North End.

The Swans possess one defeat during five EFL contests.

Score prediction: Ipswich impressive 4-2.

Oxford United v West Bromwich Albion

Kick-off: 3pm
Rankings: 23rd versus 21st

Oxford United preview – Massive relegation implications at stake here. The U’s lie six points adrift of safety nursing seven League and Cup matches lacking victory. They’ve mustered merely three home 2025/26 Championship wins – the last being on Boxing Day.

West Bromwich Albion preview – I was surprised when the Baggies sacked head coach Eric Ramsay on Wednesday. He had supervised just nine games in charge beyond agreeing his two and a half year contract on 11th January.

Yet no victories were recorded by Ramsay and Tuesday evening’s 1-1 home draw against Charlton Athletic was the final straw. It sees West Brom hovering one point ahead of that dreaded dotted relegation line.

First team coach James Morrison steps up for an interim period. Names in the frame regarding the permanent job include Darren Moore, James Morrison, Russell Martin, Sean Dyche and Slaven Bilic.

Score prediction: Diabolical 0-0.