EFL Round One Preview

Championship 2025/26: What Can We Expect?

The start of the English Championship season is upon us. Often described as the most exciting league in world football, the Championship has some intriguing subplots as we look ahead to the first game week of the season.

None more so than the arrival of Hollywood headline makers, Birmingham City and Wrexham. Two formerly unglamorous yet undeniably big clubs, the Blues and Wrexham, have promotion aspirations as their American owners hope to breeze through the division en route to the Promised Land of the Premier League.

But Ipswich Town and Southampton are the more realistic title aspirants before a ball is kicked, while Leicester City, albeit with lots of work still to do, will also be there or thereabouts.

Frank Lampard’s Coventry City will also look to continue their excellent form at the end of last season, while the two Sheffield clubs will provide a stark contrast.

United will challenge at the top of the table, while Wednesday might not even have a team to put on the park for their first game, given their well-documented financial woes.

Whatever happens in the Championship this season, we can expect goals and drama. This league always delivers; discover the top fixtures from round one to bet on at Parimatch.

Standout Fixtures in Round One

Birmingham City v Ipswich Town Preview

• Date, Time & Location: Friday 8th August, 20.00, St Andrews, Birmingham

• Odds: Birmingham City 7/5* – Draw 11/5* – Ipswich Town 7/4*

• Best Bet: Both teams to score 4/5*

• Parimatch Prediction: 1-2 – Ipswich will write the Hollywood headlines with a narrow win.

The standout fixture in round one of the Championship sees US-backed Birmingham take on Kieran McKenna’s title favourites in a Friday night showdown at St Andrews.

The Blues have their own title aspirations and will be buoyed by their raucous home support as they hope to get their campaign off to a winning start. The star attraction will be a frontline that is likely to include Jay Stansfield and Kyogo for the first time in competitive action.

While the Tractor Boys are licking their wounds after a disappointing one-season stay in the English Premier League, McKenna has kept the bulk of his squad together and made some decent acquisitions. The Tractor Boys will be ready for another promotion push in the 2025/26 season.

Southampton v Wrexham Preview

• Date, Time & Location: Saturday 9th August, 12.30, St Mary’s, Southampton

• Odds: Southampton 4/6* – Draw 27/10* – Wrexham 18/5*

• Best Bet: Southampton to win, over 2.5 goals scored

• Parimatch Prediction: 3-0 – The Saints will march on with a resounding home win to kick off the season.

The Championship’s other Hollywood club, Wrexham, get their campaign underway at Southampton, who narrowly avoided becoming the worst Premier League side in history last season.

The Saints might be in a period of transition, but new head coach Will Still will target an immediate return to the big time. A resounding win over the Championship’s most exciting team will set their stall out.

Buoyed by the big-ticket arrivals of Liberato Cacace, Josh Windass, Conor Coady, and Danny Ward, Wrexham will fancy their chances of beating anyone on their day, but it might take them a while to adapt at this level, and their trip to the south coast may prove to be a baptism of fire.

West Bromwich Albion v Blackburn Rovers

• Date, Time & Location: Saturday 9th August, 15.00, The Hawthorns, West Bromwich

• Odds: West Bromwich Albion 3/4* – Draw 12/5* – Blackburn Rovers 7/2* 

• Best Bet: Draw & both teams to score – 17/4*

• Parimatch Prediction: 1-1 – Both teams have much to prove to their fans, but a score-draw is the likeliest outcome.

While West Brom v Blackburn might not have the glitz and glamour of the above fixtures, this will be an interesting match between two teams with pre-season playoff goals.

Ryan Mason will lead Albion for the first time in a competitive match, hoping to get the Baggies off to a winning start as they welcome their former manager, Valérien Ismaël, back to the Hawthorns.

Rovers have been busy in the summer transfer window, and the arrival of Sidnei Tavares from Moreirense has excited fans. Tavares will give the midfield the defensive balance it lacked for most of the 2024/25 campaign.

Expert Tips & Betting Insights

You can bet on all the Championship action in round one and beyond at Parimatch. Create your account, check our promotions, and deposit cash to get up and running.

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When preparing your wagers ahead of round one, here are some tips and insights to help inform your strategy:

• Norwich City to beat Millwall 20/21*: Norwich City are unbeaten in their last 21 matches against Millwall. Consider backing the Canaries to open the 2025/26 season with a home win.

• Hull City to win at Coventry 7/2*: While most fancy Lampard’s men to get their season off to a winning start, Hull have won four of their last six matches in Coventry. At 7/2*, an away win looks a good-value bet for your start-of-season accumulator.

• Portsmouth to win at Oxford 13/8*: Another decent option for an away win is Portsmouth to win at Oxford United. Pompey are unbeaten in seven league games against the Us, and we fancy them to get their season off to a good start.

Register at Parimatch today to bet on the first round of Championship fixtures. Check out our in-play markets for all the big games in England’s second, third, and fourth tiers.

*Odds correct at the time of writing.