Championship
Championship Predictions – Saturday 17th January 2026
OUR thoroughly engrossing EFL Championship returns this weekend after a break for FA Cup exertions.
There is a really tight race for the Play-Offs plus some managerial changes to digest. Accordingly, Championship betting is attracting bumper interest.
Here are the upcoming pairings in full alongside my considered score predictions to guide your football betting…
Coventry City v Leicester City
- Kick-off: 12.30pm
- Rankings: 1st versus 12th
Coventry City current form: One win in six League and Cup attempts. The Sky Blues are divisional foremost scorers racking up 57 goals.
Leicester City current form: Three victories amid four encounters in all competitions. Nevertheless, their head coach is still being scrutinised on the Foxes Talk forum where a thread entitled “Cifuentes OUT” has reached a massive 252 pages.
Score prediction: Cov motoring 4-1.
Ipswich Town v Blackburn Rovers
- Kick-off: 12.30pm
- Rankings: 3rd versus 20th
Ipswich Town current form: Four wins peppering a five match undefeated League and Cup streak.
Blackburn Rovers current form: Five engagements bereft of winning in all competitions.
Score prediction: Tractor Boys turbo charged 4-0.
Watford v Millwall
- Kick-off: 12.30pm
- Rankings: 6th versus 5th
Watford current form: Seven games unbeaten in the League culminating with four straight victories where just one goal was conceded.
Millwall current form: EFL fortunes embrace four undefeated matches. Strangely, they possess a minus four goal difference in fifth spot!
Score prediction: Stringent 1-1.
Charlton Athletic v Sheffield United
- Kick-off: 3pm
- Rankings: 19th versus 16th
Charlton Athletic current form: Five games without victory in League and Cup.
Sheffield United current form: Three triumphs spanning four EFL outings.
Score prediction: Sleepy 0-0.
Oxford United v Bristol City
- Kick-off: 3pm
- Rankings: 23rd versus 10th
Oxford United current form: Four defeats within five League affairs. Matt Bloomfield was named as their new head coach last week following Gary Rowett’s departure before Christmas.
Bristol City current form: Four wins in six assignments over all competitions.
Score prediction: Oxford opulent 1-0.
Preston North End v Derby County
- Kick-off: 3pm
- Rankings: 4th versus 13th
Preston North End current form: Merely one defeat in 10 League matches.
Derby County current form: Five ongoing EFL games have rendered a solitary victory.
Score prediction: Preston superior 3-1.
Sheffield Wednesday v Portsmouth
- Kick-off: 3pm
- Rankings: 24th versus 21st
Sheffield Wednesday current form: Only one 2025/26 Championship victory – namely 2-0 away to Portsmouth on Saturday 20th September.
Portsmouth current form: One win in five League and Cup fixtures.
Score prediction: Pompey revenge 2-0.
Southampton v Hull City
- Kick-off: 3pm
- Rankings: 15th versus 7th
Southampton current form: Nursing six EFL fixtures lacking victories. Adam Armstrong is the Championship’s foremost scorer on 11 goals.
Hull City current form: A five match unconquered League spree was terminated by losing 1-0 at home to Stoke City last time out.
Score prediction: Tigers tear it up 4-2.
Stoke City v Queens Park Rangers
- Kick-off: 3pm
- Rankings: 8th versus 11th
Stoke City current form: Three consecutive wins in League and Cup.
Queens Park Rangers current form: Two victories inside six EFL matches.
Score prediction: Phenomenal 5-5.
Wrexham v Norwich City
- Kick-off: 3pm
- Rankings: 9th versus 22nd
Wrexham current form: Five successive League and Cup victories.
Norwich City current form: Four wins enriching seven games in all competitions.
Score prediction: Canaries chipper 1-0.
Swansea City v Birmingham City
- Kick-off: 5.30pm
- Rankings: 17th versus 14th
Swansea City current form: Five victories among eight EFL matches.
Birmingham City current form: Seven winless games overturned by two back to back League and Cup successes.
Score prediction: Swans shade matters 2-1.
*Odds subject to change – prices accurate at the time of writing*
