Complete Final Day Guide To The 2023-24 Championship Season

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Complete Final Day Guide To The 2023-24 Championship Season
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Championship Final Day Predictions:

The regular Championship season concludes on Saturday afternoon when all the play-off and relegation issues will be decided.

Leicester have made an immediate return to the Premier League as champions, and Ipswich are the overwhelming favourites with football betting sites to join them in the top flight following Tuesday’s 2-1 victory at Coventry.

At the other end of the table, Huddersfield, Birmingham or Plymouth are likely to fill the two remaining relegation spots and join Rotherham in League One.

Here, Gambling.com looks at all the permutations from the final day of the campaign when all the matches kick off at 12.30pm.

Who Will Join Leicester In The Premier League?

Leicester guaranteed their place in the top flight next season thanks to Leeds’ heavy defeat at QPR and clinched the title with Monday night’s 3-0 win at Preston.

The Foxes will wrap up a successful campaign at home to Blackburn, who mathematically still have an outside chance of being relegated.

Only two teams are in the running to join Leicester in the top flight automatically, but UK betting sites suggest that it will almost certainly be Ipswich, who just need a point at home to doomed Huddersfield to secure their place in the big time.

Southampton are guaranteed a play-off spot and Norwich are just about there because of their superior goal difference over their rivals, so the only other issue to resolve is whether West Brom or Hull finish in the top six.

Here’s what each team needs:

Ipswich - The Tractor Boys are three points clear of Leeds and just need to avoid defeat against Huddersfield at Portman Road to end their 22-year wait for top-flight football.

Leeds - Daniel Farke’s side have a much better goal difference than Ipswich, so they must beat a Southampton team likely to field a weakened side ahead of the play-offs, and hope West Yorkshire rivals Huddersfield spring a massive upset in Suffolk.

Norwich - The Canaries just need a point at relegation-threatened Birmingham to assure themselves of a top-six spot, but a low-scoring defeat is likely to be enough to see them through.

West Brom - Two points clear of seventh-placed Hull and with a far superior goal difference, the Baggies probably only need to avoid defeat at home to Preston to clinch a play-off spot.

Hull - Liam Rosenior’s men realistically only have one possible route to the play-offs. The Tigers must win at Plymouth, and hope Preston do them a massive favour at The Hawthorns otherwise they will be spending next season in the Championship.

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Which Teams Could Drop Into League One?

Rotherham strengthened their reputation as a yo-yo club with their fourth relegation from the Championship in eight seasons, but who will join them in the third tier?

Betting apps have virtually given up on Huddersfield whose 1-1 draw with relegation rivals Birmingham left them needing a miracle if they are to stay in the Championship.

The odds also suggest third-from-bottom Birmingham are destined for the drop despite a three-game unbeaten run under interim manager Gary Rowett which has given them an outside chance of survival.

Plymouth fans are starting to get twitchy after back-to-back defeats left them a point and one place clear of the relegation zone, but the positive is that their goal difference is four better than Birmingham’s.

Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn are just about over the line and a point for both teams will assure Championship football for another season.

So who needs what to stay in the Championship?

Huddersfield - Three points adrift of fourth-from-bottom Plymouth, whose goal difference is superior by 15, it’s time to wave goodbye to the Terriers. 

Even if they thrashed Ipswich and the Pilgrims were annihilated by Hull, a win for Birmingham would still see them drop into League One.

Birmingham - Realistically, Brum must win at home to play-off hopefuls Norwich and hope the Pilgrims slip up against Hull. A draw would also be enough for City if Plymouth lost by a five-goal margin.

Plymouth - The Devon club just need to match Birmingham’s result to survive, but a draw or defeat against the Tigers would open the door for the West Midlanders.

Sheffield Wednesday - It’s been a grim season for the Owls but they are 16/1 with Betfred to make it a hat-trick of Yorkshire clubs falling through the trap door. 

A point at Sunderland will guarantee their safety, but a defeat combined with wins for Birmingham and Plymouth will end their stay in the second tier.

Blackburn - Rovers, like Sheffield Wednesday, are three points clear of safety, but they wrap up their season at champions Leicester, who will want to put on a show for their exuberant supporters. 

Should they lose, Blackburn can only go down if Sheffield Wednesday, Plymouth and Birmingham all win.

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Warren Barner

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