EFL Championship

EFL Championship Final Day: How it stands, permutations and odds

Daniel Farke the Leeds boss on the touchline
Daniel Farke wants Leeds to win the title

Paul Higham takes you through what should be a thrilling final round of the EFL Championship this Saturday with the title, play-off places and survival all up for grabs and mouthwatering fixtures in store.

  • Leeds and Burnley battle it out for the title

  • Five teams chasing play-off places

  • Tight at the bottom as five battle against relegation


Championship set for thrilling final day

We're all set for a pulsating final day of the season in the EFL Championship, with the title, play-off places and survival all to play for as a number of teams face nail-biting conclusions to their campaigns.

Leeds and Burnley have achieved their dreams of a Premier League return but will fight it out for who goes up as champions, while Sheffield United and Sunderland have booked play-off spots in the hope of joining them.

Five teams - Bristol City, Coventry, Millwall, Blackburn and Middlesbrough - are battling for the final two play-off spots. 

Down at the bottom, Cardiff City have been relegated, Plymouth Argyle will join them and one final spot is again between five teams with Hull starting the day in the dreaded drop zone but hoping to escape and see Luton, Preston, Derby or Stoke fall through the tap door.


Leeds big favourites to go up as champions

It's pretty straightforward at the top after Leeds hammered Bristol City on Monday night to go back to the summit of the Championship on goal difference. Daniel Farke's side have a 13-goal cushion over the Clarets, so let's call that a point advantage.

That means Leeds just have to match Burnley's result to be crowned champions, and they're well fancied to to just that as Leeds are 1/51.20 favourites to win the title with Burnley 10/34.33 to pinch it on the final day.

Is it ever that straightforward with Leeds though? They face a long trip down to Plymouth, who are basically down but will surely want to at least sign off with a good performance. So would a draw for Leeds and a Burnely win at home to play-off chasers Millwall be that much of a shock?

The odds suggest it would, but you never know.

Championship title odds: Leeds 1/51.20 | Burnley 10/34.33

Key Fixtures: Burnley v Millwall | Plymouth v Leeds


Five teams chasing play-off spot

Sheffield United are the 15/82.88 favourites to join the top two in the Premier League next season, with Sunderland just behind them at 2/13.00 as both the Blades and Black Cats have already secured home advantage in the play-off semi-finals. But the race is a tight one for the two remaining spots.

Bristol City host relegation battlers Preston with the Robins huge 1/141.07 favourites of the five to book a play-off spot. It is so tight you'd think they will definitely need three points to get over the line - although a point may be enough.

lampard.jpg

Coventry hosting Middlesbrough is the big fixture here with both sides in the mix. A draw might just be enough for the Sky Blues depending on what Blackburn and Millwall do, but Boro need the win and must then hope for help elsewhere.

Millwall are the 6/17.00 outsiders as they visit title-chasing Burnley, but Blackburn could be a dark horses here at 3/14.00 to make the top six - which would require at least victory at Bramall Lane and then results to go their way.

Sheff Utd can't move up or down and, with a huge play-off semi-final to come possibly just five days later, you could forgive Chris Wilder and his side for taking it easy. 

Key Fixtures: 

Top Six Odds:


Race for the play-offs - As It Stands

Key: Pts = Points, GD = Goal Difference

Position Team Final Fixture Pts GD Top 6 Odds
5 Bristol City Preston (H) 67 +4 1/141.07
6 Coventry Middlesbrough (H) 66 +4 8/151.53
7 Millwall Burnley (A) 66 0 6/17.00
8 Blackburn Sheff Utd (A) 65 +5 10/34.33
9 Middlesbrough Coventry (A) 64 +10 10/34.33

Hull favourites for relegation to League One

It's also pretty tight at the bottom where Hull occupy the final relegation place and are 6/42.50 favourites to join Cardiff and Plymouth Argyle back in League One next season.

Plymouth aren't technically down but they'd need to beat Leeds and somehow see a 15-goal swing go their way.

Kenilworth Road Luton.jpg

The Tigers are away at a Portsmouth side with nothing to play for though, and if they can get three points at Fratton Park that would really put the cat among the pigeons for those above them.

Luton are 5/23.50 to go down as they're just a point above Hull, with a far worse goal difference. The Hatters will hope midtable West Brom are also thinking about their holiday plans as they visit the Hawthorns.

Preston aren't fancied to get much joy at Bristol City so they could be a decent shout at 2/13.00 as they're also just a point outside the drop zone with the toughest fixture of the five.

The most intriguing fixture will come at Derby as the Rams host Stoke with the visitors needing just a point to ensure their survival. A draw may well be enough for the hosts too after their thrilling late win at Hull last time out. 

Of course, if they win the game everything will be fine for Derby, but there'll be a lot of nervous checking of the other games to see how they're getting on as well.

Key Fixtures:

Relegation odds:


Relegation battle - As It Stands

Key: Pts = Points, GD = Goal Difference

Position Team Final Fixture Pts GD Relegation Odds
18 Stoke Derby (A) 50 -17 18/119.00
19 Derby Stoke (H) 49 -8 16/117.00
20 Preston Bristol C (A) 49 -11 2/13.00
21 Luton West Brom (A) 49 -22 5/23.50
22 Hull Portsmouth (A) 48 -10 6/42.50

Championship final day fixtures

Sunday May 3 - All games kick-off at 12:30pm

  • Bristol City v Preston
  • Burnley v Millwall
  • Coventry v Middlesbrough
  • Derby v Stoke
  • Norwich v Cardiff
  • Plymouth v Leeds
  • Portsmouth v Hull
  • Sheff Utd v Blackburn
  • Sunderland v QPR
  • Swansea v Oxford Utd
  • Watford v Sheff Wed
  • West Brom v Luton

Now read more Premier League tips and previews here.


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Prices quoted in copy are correct at time of publication but liable to change.