Despite the competitive nature of the EFL Championship, picking the title winner has undoubtedly become a little easier in recent seasons.
The pre-season favourites have clinched top spot in four of the past five years, while Burnley were well backed when they bucked the trend in 2022/23.
With a relegated Premier League club finishing top of the Championship in four successive seasons, we have some useful pointers to assess how this season will pan out.
Burnley romped to the Championship title two seasons ago and are fancied to repeat the trick after failing to survive in the Premier League.
New manager Scott Parker has previously won promotion with Fulham and Bournemouth, so understands what it takes to guide clubs out of this division.
Odds of 13/2 on football betting sites look decent value given the strength of their squad and Parker’s track record in the second tier.
By contrast, Leeds United (3/1) make limited appeal as a betting proposition as they have lost some key players this summer.
West Bromwich Albion finished fifth last season to book a play-off spot, but found Southampton too hot to handle in their semi-final tie.
However, they look a good bet at odds of 2/1 on several betting apps to claim another top six finish under manager Carlos Corberan.
The Spainard has posted an impressive 49 percent win rate in charge of West Brom in the Championship and he should have them in contention this season.
The Baggies have made some shrewd transfer moves this summer, while striker Josh Mata could be one to watch now he is fully fit.
Several UK betting sites rate Blackburn Rovers as one of the favourites to be relegated, but they could be made to pay for taking that stance.
After narrowly avoiding the drop last season, manager John Eustace is eager to guide Rovers up the Championship table this time around.
It is worth noting that Eustace had Birmingham City in contention for the play-offs before he was sacked and they ended up in the bottom three.
With Rovers strengthening their squad over the past week, odds of 13/8 for them to finish in the top half of the table should give punters a good run for their money.
The latest odds for the 2024/25 EFL Championship are as follows (via Rhino Bet):
