The Championship Betting: Wrexham And Birmingham Hoping For Hollywood Seasons

Last season saw the beginning of a rivalry that could last for many seasons. 

Wrexham's promotion to League One meant they joined Birmingham City in the third tier.

Football betting sites have a multitude of markets covering the Championship, which is regarded as one of the most competitive leagues in Europe. 

Two historic clubs that have fallen on hard times both on and off the pitch, are one promotion away from reaching the Premier League. 

With Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney controlling Wrexham's purse strings and former NFL star Tom Brady becoming a minority owner of City, the rivalry has been dubbed the 'Hollywood derby'.

But which newly-promoted club will have the upper hand? We look at the different odds for the Red Dragons and the Blues.

Tricky Starts For Both Sides

Both Wrexham and Birmingham have momentum on their side as they look to start their seasons on a high.

The Blues finished top of League One with 111 points, 19 points clear of Wrexham, but the slate has been wiped clean.

A win for Birmingham at home to Ipswich on Friday night will send the Blues top of the Championship, where they will hope to stay for the duration of the season, but it won't be easy.

Ipswich, who are favourites to finish top of the table, are looking to bounce back from their relegation.

Wrexham have a tricky trip to Southampton to negotiate on Saturday lunchtime, and they are second favourites on the best betting sites in that contest. 

Phil Parkinson is hoping to lead his side to a fourth successive promotion and victory at St Mary's would be an early statement win.  

Birmingham Best Placed To Win Title

On their way to the League One title, Birmingham took four points from their two meetings against their Welsh rivals. 

Chris Davies' side will hope that counts for something when the Championship returns. 

Birmingham are third favourites to be crowned champions in May, at a best price 7/1.

Wrexham are 33/1, but don't be fooled by those odds. If they can get off to a fast start, their confidence will grow.

(Odds correct at time of publish: 3pm - 4/8/2025)

While it would be the perfect season to win the title, the ultimate goal is to win promotion to the Premier League. 

The Blues can be backed at 21/10 to win promotion one way or another, while Wrexham are 7/1 to take their place in the top flight ahead of the 2026/27 season.

It might be a season too soon for promotion and this campaign could be a season of consolidation.

Birmingham are 2/13 to finish in the top half, while the Welsh side are 4/6 to finish 12th or better. 

Owners Don't Want To Be Disappointed

Both managers will be under pressure to perform. 

Last summer, Davies was appointed Birmingham manager and from day one, he was under pressure to return the club to the second tier.

He managed those expectations superbly, winning the title by 19 points, but a slow start won't be tolerated by City's owners.

There isn't as much pressure on Parkinson at Wrexham, who have perhaps overachieved in the last couple of seasons.

They were playing National League football as recently as 2023, but a slow start will test the resolve of their owners. 

According to odds on betting apps, the Red Dragons are more likely to be relegated than their high-profile rivals.

Birmingham are 50/1 to be relegated and 110/1 to finish bottom of the Championship, while Wrexham are 12/1 and 50/1 respectively. 

The first meeting of the two sides takes place at Wrexham on Friday, October 3, with the reverse fixture at St Andrew's scheduled for Saturday, April 11. 

Whatever happens, these two sides will bring more fans across the world to keep an eye on English football's second tier.