Championship 1-24 predictions: Every club's finishing place this season decided

The most unpredictable, chaotic league in the world is officially back tonight, with Wolves and Blackburn kicking us off at Molineux.

Between now and May, 24 teams will battle it out over 46 gameweeks for a chance to land a golden ticket to the Premier League. Two will succeed with another joining them following an extended play-off campaign (don't forget it's now the top eight!). Three other teams will also exit the Championship, albeit through the trapdoor.

We all know from experience how gruelling and unpredictable the Championship is. So it's only logical that, for the second year running, I take a stab at calling where every team will finish.

Check out our 1-24 predictions below ahead of the big kick-off...

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I'm backing two of the promoted teams to stay up this year, or at the very least make a good fist of doing so. I'm less optimistic on Bolton, largely because in Amario Cozier-Duberry and Mason Burstow, they will have to make do without two of their most influential attackers from last season. It also feels like a lack of business has been done, particularly in those forward areas.

Ryan Hardie was signed on loan earlier this week and has double figure pedigree at this level but goals may still be hard to come by with loanees Cozier-Duberry and Burstow (their top scorer last term with 12 league goals) not returning. Sam Dalby was next best in the scoring charts with 10 goals but is an unknown quantity at this level. It feels like more firepower is essential before the transfer deadline. David Watson, Ben Davies, Akin Famewo, Luca Stephenson, Kyliane Dong and Gaizka Larrazabal have all come through the door but none of them really jump out. If any team needs a big final few weeks in the window, it's Bolton.

Charlton got over the line last year after a bit of a slog to give themselves an opportunity to kick on under Nathan Jones. The issue is that they will have to try and do so in a division which feels significantly stronger this time around - and I'm not totally sold on the business they've done being enough to keep their heads above water.

Jones has spoken about Charlton wanting to evolve but it's hard to see where the goals are coming from for them to do so. The Addicks were the third lowest scorers in the division last year; other than Charlie Kelman (7) and Sonny Carey (8) no other Charlton player registered more than three goals in the league. Millenic Alli and Karlan Grant have been brought in to add to Charlton's wide attacking options but the former has a dearth of Championship experience and Grant last hit double figures in the league back in the 2021-22 campaign. Their midfield options don't inspire confidence either; it's one thing questioning whether the strikers can get more goals but the service into them also needs to be better. I'm not seeing that correlation right now.

Charlton will be solid and diligent but I don't think that will be enough. It feels like Jones recognises that with his desire for Charlton to be less limited this year. Have they done the business to do so? It doesn't feel like it.

Momentum can be a force of nature in football and it half feels like Lincoln have forgotten how to lose games after going 29 unbeaten to absolutely romp their way to the League One title. But even for one of the most sensible and well-run clubs in the pyramid, take away your manager and star player from that formula and it's a pretty devastating one-two.

The reason I have them in the final relegation spot is that I fancy them to at least give a good fist of upsetting the odds again. However, Jack Moylan was their talisman and his loss is significant, maybe more so than Michael Skubala. On the incoming front, it feels like Tanto Olaofe has the tools to make a nuisance of himself at this level even if he may not be prolific. Mason Melia, the promising young Tottenham striker, is a wildcard in attack after signing on loan. There's not been loads of business done but Lincoln do still have the nucleus of the team that absolutely demolished League One last season.

The step up will be significant and they will undoubtedly become reacquainted with the feeling that comes after losing games. But Lincoln can hold their own and will bloody some noses.

Blackburn have arguably had the weakest transfer window of any side in the division, adding just Moussa Baradji, Jayden Fevrier and Sam Morsy to a squad that flirted with relegation for most of last season. Already, we're in alarm bell territory.

Tony Mowbray returning to Ewood Park has probably been Blackburn's most significant capture of the summer but the squad he will start the season with is threadbare. Rovers will play on the front foot more under Mowbray and have players who can outscore teams; that will be what sets them apart from others down the bottom. The fact they have attacking players who you would genuinely back to deliver over the course of a season, like Ryoya Morishita, Andri Gudjohnsen and Yuki Ohashi, is encouraging. But they lack depth in other areas and that will prove problematic as the season goes in.

After two consecutive survival battles, it feels like Portsmouth are trying to kick on this summer by opening up the purse strings, operating at a different level in the transfer market compared to what we have seen in recent years. Big striker Marko Milovanovic and the all-action midfielder Rocco Shein after intriguing pick ups and the onus will be on the former to hit the ground running to ease some of the goal-scoring burden on Adrian Segecic, who is a right player. A fit and firing Josh Murphy will go some way to helping on the goal front; plagued by injuries last year, he racked up 22 goal contributions in 45 league games during the 2024-25 campaign.

I think Portsmouth will be okay but I don't see them having the depth to climb the table significantly compared to last year. A lot will hinge on how their new signings adapt. We've seen lots of clubs, Millwall most recently, enjoy success from overseas signings and effective player trading. This year could be Portsmouth's first step in emulating that model, which would serve them well.

It almost feels like Stoke are stuck in some weird sort of Narnia whereby they do business I like each summer but don't tend to go anywhere. Therefore I just can't bring myself to back them for any sort of decent finish.

It's now been nine years since Stoke dropped out of the Premier League and they still haven't recorded a top-half finish in the Championship. Ethan Galbraith quickly established himself as one of the Championship's best playmakers at Swansea after making the step up from Leyton Orient last summer and landing him for big money felt like a real statement of intent at the time. But beyond that I'm not sold on any of their other incoming business. Viktor Johanssen and Million Manhoef are quality and Mark Robins should, theoretically, be the perfect manager to finally get Stoke out of their 14th-18th malaise. Maybe this will be the year. But it'll be a braver man than me who backs it.

A Championship without Preston North End just doesn't feel right. I did initially have fears that could change, but late transfer business has convinced me to nudge them up.

Ambition wise, PNE smashed their transfer record to retain the services of star man Alfie Devine after his stellar loan last year earlier this summer. But beyond that, it all felt a bit underwhelming for a while. Delano Burgzorg managed just three Championship goals last season and five the year before, while Jusef Erabi, also joining in attack, is an unknown quantity at this level. Captain Ben Whiteman chucking the towel in a fortnight before the season starts following interest from Wrexham is hardly a resounding vote of confidence for where PNE were at, either.

But they have replaced him swiftly with Leo Leroy from Basel, who looks a good signing. And it was confirmed on Friday that a deal for Stan Mills to join the club in January has been agreed due to Oxford United's current transfer embargo. More could follow before the window shuts. So although the vibes at Deepdale haven't been great throughout the summer, I don't see them in a relegation fight.

Cardiff look by far the best equipped of the promoted sides to cope with life in the Championship and I debated placing the Bluebirds a fair bit higher on the list here. I always think this pool of teams, the ones who won't be troubled by relegation but are perhaps unlikely to mount a realistic play-off push, are the hardest ones to place.

Brian Barry-Murphy's total football should translate well to a higher level and in Yousef Salech they boast a striker whose game will suit the league. Moylan is another player I fancy to replicate his stunning League One form in the Championship, while signing Nathan Trott permanently is huge after his excellent loan last season. Maybe Cardiff can maintain their momentum from last season and push for a higher finish than this. There has also been talk of significant further spending in the transfer market, which could skew these predictions. One thing I am certain of is they won't be looking anxiously over their shoulder.

Individually, Watford have some proper talent in their squad. But they are another team that you just wouldn't feel comfortable backing to achieve something based on a lots of factors. One big one is the manager: Alessio Dionisi starts the season, but will he end it? Who knows. Probably not even Watford.

Giorgi Chakvetadze and Nestory Irankunda (who is finalising a move to Sporting Lisbon as I finish these predictions) are big losses. Imran Louza would be another with speculation over his future. Those would be three big losses and probably kill off any outside chance of a play-off push. That being said, who really knows what any season holds for Watford. The only thing I'll stick my neck out and say is that, like Cardiff above, they won't be looking over their shoulder at any point.

Birmingham will have grand ambitions this season and will be all the better for last year's campaign, where they consolidated themselves in steady if not spectacular fashion. The problem I think they'll find is that there are just too many teams who are better than them currently.

Maybe that sounds harsh. Or lazy. Or both! But I just don't see the significant upturn in points they will require to break into the top eight, although they do have the scope to do something completely bonkers in the final weeks of the transfer window to make me look foolish.

Derby came close to the play-offs under John Eustace last year and the nucleus of that squad is still in tact. But I think they will be one of the teams who find themselves finishing lower this term simply due to the strength of some of the division's big-hitters.

The unexpected collapse of a takeover by the Saudi Arabian boxing kingpin Turki Alalshikh is likely to have an impact on the club's incoming transfer activity, though they have managed to secure the permanent signings of popular loanees Sammy Szmodics and Bobby Clark. Derby are a strong, powerful team who nobody will fancy playing. On their day, they are a match for any team in the division. Across the course of a season is another matter, though I wouldn't be too shocked if any of the teams I've placed between 10 and 14 end up in slightly different spots.

It felt like Bristol City needed a big summer after falling away bigtime last year and, on paper, they've delivered. They've spent the best part of £9million on League One's two top strikers in Dom Ballard and Lorent Tolaj. Plus they've brought in the highly-rated Sam Tickle as their new No 1 keeper, the industrious Sam Greenwood to further strengthen in the attacking areas and Championship stalwart Jed Wallace. On paper, not bad, right?

Does all that equate to a play-off finish under the guidance of new head coach, Michael Skubala? Maybe. I reckon Bristol City will fall short, mainly due to the strength of the division this year. There are just too many good teams ahead of them and, let's not forget, they are effectively ripping things up and starting again with Skubala at the helm. A top eight finish at the first time of asking is probably a stretch, but a good season here should set them up nicely for next year.

James Morrison is one of the big unknown quantities ahead of the new season. His arrival as caretaker boss was the catalyst for West Brom retaining their Championship status after a truly chastening campaign He rightly landed the job on a full-time basis off the back of that, but can he now oversee a promotion challenge?

The Baggies went back to basics under Morrison in a bid to accumulate the points necessary to stay afloat and it remains to be seen if they will stick with the same approach given the former midfielder has now effectively been given a blank canvas to work with. Squad-wise, West Brom have good players and better depth than some others. Does that translate into a top eight finish? I'm unsure, so I'll hedge my bets on this occasion.

Swansea start the season with the best striker in the division in Zan Vipotnik. But will they end the window with last season's Championship top scorer in tow with Hull City circling? That remains to be seen and plays a factor here.

Keeping Vipotnik would be a major transfer win and they've done smart business too: Elijah Just looked a right player at the World Cup and will bolster their attack and if they can keep Ross Stewart fit after snapping the striker up from Sunderland, then it could be the signing of the summer. Unfortunately, it's at the other end Swansea look less convincing. The news on the eve of the new season that Cameron Burgess has suffered an ACL injury isn't particularly helpful for Vitor Matos.

Wrexham came agonisingly close to landing a play-off spot last season and will be in the mix to go one better this season. But again, the quality of the other teams pushing for those top eight positions could just nudge Phil Parkinson's team aside.

After hitting their stride in the second half of last season, Wrexham have opted for continuity and strengthened smartly rather than opting for full-scale surgery. Danny Imray is an excellent pick-up at right-back and will enhance their attacking threat from that area. Anthony Patterson will come in as first-choice keeper and is an upgrade on last season. Josh Windass will lead from the front again after bagging an impressive 17 goals last season with only Vipotnik, Ollie McBurnie and Haji Wright netting more. Kieffer Moore and Sam Smith will provide support but a marquee addition in attack could yet help them gatecrash the top eight.

In terms of transfer window wins, QPR are right up there. Looking at their business, there is a lot to like; Pierce Charles on loan feels shrewd, albeit the youngster dropped a clanger in the cup game with Millwall. Picking up Dennis Cirkin on a free transfer is just tremendous business and Tariq Lamptey could still be a game-changer if he can rediscover some fitness and then his top form. Glenn Kamara also brings some much needed steel in midfield.

The bonus QPR have despite their form absolutely falling off a cliff at the end of last season is that they already have an adequate attacking arsenal to compliment their new signings. Richard Kone and Rumarn Burrell should both be in the goals after acclimatising to Championship level last term and are backed up by the likes of Karomoko Dembele, Kwame Poku and Koki Saito. And Illias Chair. What does that all up to? My prediction is QPR will be a good watch and dark horses for a top eight finish.

Sheffield United were an absolute calamity last season and probably ruined many an ante-post bet. They were steady if unspectacular following Chris Wilder's return and feel safer to back this time around, albeit with the caveat that troubling the top two feels beyond them.

The incoming business so far doesn't feel like much to crow about, while the sale of Andre Brooks to Norwich was a painful one. But the team that finished the season is far superior than their final league standing of 13th. This time around, Wilder and Co won't be playing catch up after the sort of nightmare start even a depressed supercomputer would struggle to realistically muster up. They've lost Gustavo Hamer, but the squad still boasts plenty of firepower and players who have experience of doing the business at this level. Defensively they have some of the division's top performers in their respective positions in keeper Michael Cooper, Japhet Tanganga and Femi Seriki. That's a nice mix and I reckon they return to the pack challenging for promotion.

Of all the relegated sides, Burnley feel like the hardest to predict. They are not the only club to head into the season with a manager who is untested on these shores but it feels like Nicky Hayen has a bigger job on his hands than Cesar Peixoto. If they retain the services of Zian Flemming, then Burnley could finish higher. They absolutely haemorrhaged goals last season - almost two a game - but I like the loan signing of Max Alleyne from Manchester City.

Cards on the table time: I really don't know what to expect from Burnley and they were by far the hardest to place on this list. My gut and head says they will not be the force they usually are in this division after dropping down. I had a couple of absolute shockers last year and Burnley could very well be the shout I try to avoid looking at for the next 12 months.

Millwall enjoyed their best campaign in a generation last time out as they defied all the odds to finish third, missing out on automatic promotion on the final day. Emulating that feat will take some doing, even though the nucleus of the squad that won more games than any other team in the division bar champions Coventry City largely remains.

Talisman Femi Azeez is likely to depart and losing his ability to conjure up something from nothing in the final third will hurt a team who were the lowest scorers in the top eight. On paper, Millwall's incoming business looks positive and you can tell from their recent track record in the transfer market that they generally know what they're doing on that front. They also boast one of the division's top managers in Alex Neil, who underlined his credentials with last year's showing. The squad does feel imbalanced, though, with just two out and out senior wingers in Azeez and Kyrell Lisbie. And with Azeez likely to depart and Tristan Crama recently undergoing ankle surgery, Millwall will be without the dynamic right hand pairing that was so influential last term.

The Lions may not finish as high as last year, but another play-off finish feels within reach and would represent another strong season.

Southampton were absolutely motoring at the end of last season and probably have the squad to finish better than the fifth place I've got them down for. But the uncertainty over Tonda Eckert plays a big role in that; if the German is handed a ban for the Spygate scandal that marred last year's play-offs, then that could skew Southampton's season massively. The shadow of that possibility even hanging over them might even do the trick.

Regardless of who is at the helm, Southampton won't be on minus points for long and will be among the teams slugging it out for promotion. It's hard to pinpoint a weakness in the squad; Daniel Peretz is back permanently and we already know his quality, while Cyle Larin, Lewis Dobbin and Divin Mubama give the Saints even more firepower. The squad is just a joke all around, really. Leo Scienza and Tom Fellows on either flank...forget the spying, are we sure that's allowed? Really, it's a poor season for Southampton if they are in the play-off eliminators. If the Eckert situation had been resolved and there was clarity on that front, I've have them well clear of them.

Under Philippe Clement, Norwich feel like proper promotion contenders. The former Rangers boss inherited a team in turmoil with Norwich second from bottom after failing to win a staggering seven straight home games in the Championship. He would oversee 17 wins from 31 games, which is promotion form.

I feel like a broken record banging on about strikers and firepower, but goals win prizes and Norwich have some seriously heavy artillery up top. Jovon Mokoma is the business and should be a decent shout for top scorer, while Mo Toure has adapted to the Championship seamlessly. Norwich are less convincing at the other end and will ship goals. But for every goal they concede they could go and score three. I can see them troubling the top top dogs but having to settle for a play-off spot, eventually. Again, think they will be a really good watch for any neutrals who find themselves flicking through Sky Sports + via the red button on midweeks.

I know, I know: West Ham was the banker. This was the no-brainer, the one that couldn't fail etc etc. If we're speaking about absolute jokes of a squad then West Ham are bang up there in terms of invidual players (Jarrod Bowen in the Champ? Come on). And yet I think that's also part of the reason why a top two finish could elude them. They have the tools to succeed but does it all work together?

Nuno Espirito Santo has been there, done that, got that t-shirt when it comes to promotion from the Championship, so he's not walking into the unknown. But the landscape has changed drastically since then. West Ham in the Championship now feels far more significant than it did when they were last in here more than a decade ago and if they attempt to continue with the same pragmatic style Nuno has typically deployed throughout his career, then I don't see them cracking the top two. That's before we even touch on the weight of expectation that will be on them and their manager. With respect, Wolves in the Championship at the time was a big job. But this feels like another level.

I don't mean to go into full-on cliche mode, but how will this star-studded squad cope with being the scalp of the division? Can they, in fact, do it on a cold Tuesday night away at Stoke? Maybe I'm wrong and West Ham will absolutely romp it. But coming off the back of a bruising relegation and with off-field drama still prevalent in the background, I'm not sure it'll be as straightforward as some are expecting.

You've got to give it to Boro - they have had the sort of transfer window that wouldn't look out of place in Football Manager (the good ones, not 2026). They've scooped major windfalls from sell-on clauses, banked a tidy sum from the sale of their talisman Hayden Hackney (bittersweet but necessary as his deal was up next year) and they've used it to level up in the two positions that cost them automatic promotion last year in goalkeeper and striker.

Radek Vitek is a huge upgrade on Sol Brynn and will be one of the division's top keepers, while Will Lankshear should absolutely feast if he is served up the same number of quality chances that Boro's forward's spurned last season. Just the impact from those two alone will serve Boro incredibly well. We know the squad is strong, even though the loss of Hackney is a huge blow.

Backing Boro to finish second ahead of some of the other quality teams in this league might feel bold, but the team and manager Kim Hellberg are impressive. And while others, like the teams coming down, may have to find their feet, Middlesbrough should get motoring far quicker.

Wolves needed a huge revamp after one of the worst Premier League seasons in history…that hasn’t happened. Wolves needed to shift the deadwood and high earners out of the club…that hasn’t happened either. So why - I hear you ask - are we tipping Cesar Peixoto’s side to finish at the top of the Championship pile?

Simply put, Wolves have an embarrassment of riches for the second tier. In midfield, they have a Brazilian international in Andre, the exciting Fer Lopez and potentially Jordan James. Signing Kieran Trippier was an impressive coup, bringing Raul Jimenez back to Molineux was potentially even more eye-catching. Adam Armstrong, who was on course to be the league’s top scorer before moving to Molineux in the 2025/26 campaign, may have to settle for a place on the bench this time around.

Pre-season has shown Wolves will play on the front foot and press high, a method which has worked for previous title winners.They will need to start well to ease the toxicity and could still do with a new keeper and centre back, but Wolves will fancy their chances of lifting the trophy next May.

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