Some people, for good cause, believe that England’s second division, the Championship, is the most thrilling league in world football. It is known for its high level of competition and unpredictability, and it is action-packed from beginning to end.

From the first round of fixtures in August until the play-offs the following spring, the frenzy never stops.

Last season, Leeds United reigned supreme to reclaim their Premier League membership, with Burnley finishing a close second. Both clubs had 100 points and were separated on goal differential. Then, Sunderland defeated Sheffield United in the play-off final at Wembley.

But what will happen this time around? As the season approaches its halfway point, what better way to keep the excitement going than to look at some predictions? Opta Analyst, using a supercomputer that simulated every single fixture 10,000 times, created a complete table of England’s second division.

Race for Automatic Promotion Spots

Season after season, the top two teams in the standings receive automatic promotion to the Premier League. Last season, it was Leeds, as previously said, and Burnley; this season, the supercomputer predicts Frank Lampard’s Coventry City will be joined by Kim Hellberg’s Middlesbrough.

Coventry, led by former Everton and Chelsea manager Lampard, are projected to return to England’s top division with a 91-point haul, while Boro, following a management transition from Michael Carrick to Rob Edwards to Hellberg, are also set to rise.

So far, the former Premier League club is barely behind the table toppers on 42 points, and they are predicted to finish the season with 79 points, four ahead of Ipswich Town.

At the time of writing, Ipswich are still managed by Kieran McKenna and are expected to finish in the playoffs. Their manager will receive numerous job offers in the future, but the supercomputer reckons they will finish with 75 points, good for third place after being demoted from England’s top flight last season.

Hull City, formerly a mainstay of England’s top division, are predicted to finish fourth. The Tigers have struggled in previous seasons, as seen by their 21st-place performance in 2024/25, and this is unlikely to continue in the current campaign. Following a rough start to the season, the Tigers currently have 37 points from 22 games.

Race for Automatic Promotion Spots

Position

Team

xPoints (anticipated points).

1. Coventry City 91

2. Middlesbrough 79.

3. Ipswich Town 75

4. Hull City 70

Race for Playoff Spots

Preston North End are projected to finish close below Hull with 69 points, sealing a position in the play-offs. Then there’s Millwall. Although journalist-turned-groundhopper Oliver Holt regarded their home ground as one of the five worst in the country, the south London club came close to securing play-off eligibility last season, and they are expected to reverse the trend and secure a position this season by finishing sixth.

Bristol City will be relieved to find that they will be competing for a place in the play-offs, as predicted by the supercomputer. As things stand, they’ve gained nine victories following a difficult start to the season, and manager Gerhard Struber will be looking for more down the line.

Leicester City, who lost talisman Jamie Vardy last summer, are expected to rely on Patson Daka and Jordan Ayew for goals, which has been a difficulty for the promotion-chasing Foxes so far. The aforementioned two are expected to score enough goals to earn approximately 67 points.

From the first round of fixtures in August until the play-offs the following spring, the frenzy never stops.

Race for Automatic Promotion Spots
Coventry City manager Frank Lampard celebrates
Season after season, the top two teams in the standings receive automatic promotion to the Premier League. Last season, it was Leeds, as previously said, and Burnley; this season, the supercomputer predicts Frank Lampard’s Coventry City will be joined by Kim Hellberg’s Middlesbrough.

So far, the former Premier League club is barely behind the table toppers on 42 points, and they are predicted to finish the season with 79 points, four ahead of Ipswich Town.

Kieran McKenna now manages Ipswich, who are expected to finish in the playoffs. Their manager will receive numerous job offers in the future, but the supercomputer reckons they will finish with 75 points, good for third place after being demoted from England’s top flight last season.

Race for Automatic Promotion Spots

Position

Team

xPoints (anticipated points).

1. Coventry City 91

2) Middlesbrough

3. Ipswich Town 75

4. Hull City 70

Race for Playoff Spots
The den millwall
Preston North End are projected to finish close below Hull with 69 points, sealing a position in the play-offs. Then there’s Millwall. Although journalist-turned-groundhopper Oliver Holt regarded their home ground as one of the five worst in the country, the south London club came close to securing play-off eligibility last season, and they are expected to reverse the trend and secure a position this season by finishing sixth.

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Queens Park Rangers, who hired Julien Stephan as head coach after a summer of incomings and outgoings, are predicted by the supercomputer to finish ninth with 67 points. The Frenchman’s ability to perform wonders remains to be seen, although they have been put outside the play-offs, but comfortably in the top ten.

Southampton has failed to adapt to second-tier football under several managers, and this is projected to continue into the 2025/26 season. The south coast team began the season with a win but faltered in the following weeks. Will Still’s departure coincided with a return to form, but the supercomputer predicts a tenth-place finish.

Race for Playoff Spots

Position

Team

xPoints (anticipated points).

5. Preston North End.

6. Millwall 67.

7. Bristol City – 67 8. Leicester City – 67 9. Queens Park Rangers

67 – 10. Southampton 66 – Mid-Table Security

It’s a position that no team wants to be in: toward the conclusion of the season, there’s little to play for other than pride, and Stoke City is leading the way in this category with 66 points, narrowly missing out on a berth in the top 10. At the time of writing, the Potters are in contention for a promotion position, but the supercomputer predicts a dip in form and results.

Derby County, reputedly one of the worst clubs in Premier League history, are projected to finish 13th following a difficult start to the season, with eight wins, seven draws, and the same number of losses in their first 22 Championship games. According to the supercomputer, Sheffield United will finish 14th.

Last season, the Blades finished third in the standings under Chris Wilder’s erratic leadership but were defeated 2-1 in the play-off final. This season, due to their poor start and a management change that saw Wilder return to the bench, they are expected to survive the relegation battle, but they will be treading thin ice.

If the supercomputer’s forecasts are true, newly promoted Birmingham City will enjoy a successful debut season in the English second tier, ending in 16th place. Those linked with the Blues, who plan to build a £3 billion stadium by 2029, will be pleased with the outcome.

West Bromwich Albion began 2025/26 on a high note, going three games unbeaten at the start of the season, but they have subsequently dropped to England’s second tier. If Opta’s supercomputer’s prediction of 16th place comes true, they will be disappointed with their end-of-season position after finishing just inside the top ten the previous time around.

Wrexham, led by Phil Parkinson, has risen through the English Football League with seeming ease in previous seasons. The Welsh side has won back-to-back promotions, but the supercomputer predicts they will barely avoid relegation after winning only six matches in 2025/26.

Regardless of what occurs, they are expected to be the Championship’s headline-makers this season, with the supercomputer predicting a 17th-place finish.

Mid-Table Security

Position

Team

xPoints (anticipated points).

11. Stoke City

12. Watford: 63 13. Derby County: 62 14. Sheffield United: 61 15. Birmingham City: 61 16. West Bromwich Albion

17. Wrexham

Relegation Dogfight

While those at the top of the table are hustling and bustling for Premier League football, those at the bottom of the 24-strong standings are doing the same to avoid the prospect of relegation to League One – and the supercomputer predicts that Charlton Athletic, finishing with just less than 60 points, will be just about safe.

Charlton beat the odds to reach the Championship for the first time in five years, defeating Leyton Orient 1-0 in the League One play-off final in late May 2025. They are projected to stay up and escape relegation in their inaugural season, currently sitting in 18th place with 58 points.

According to the supercomputer, Blackburn Rovers and Swansea City will avoid relegation when the season ends in 2026, with the former expected to bring up 57 points. The latter will be only two points behind, with Wales now ranked 19th.

Portsmouth, who previously competed in the Premier League, are expected to finish just outside the relegation zone with roughly 50 points. So far, they’ve won five games, drawn six, and lost ten in an up-and-down, chaotic start to the season.

Now we go on to the three lowest-finishing teams, who are expected to be relegated to England’s third division at the end of the current season. Norwich City, once in the Premier League, is expected to be relegated to League One with 47 points.

Oxford United then finished in penultimate place in England’s second tier league competition, with only 46 points from 46 games. With only four wins under Gary Rowett this season, relegation is undoubtedly on the cards. Sheffield Wednesday, captained by the lively Henrik Pedersen, must settle for a spot at the foot of the league, with the supercomputer forecasting they will collect fewer than 14 points following their recent points deduction.

Relegation Dogfight.

Position

Team

xPoints (anticipated points).

18. Charlton Athletic

19. Blackburn Rovers 57.

20. Swansea City: 55 21. Portsmouth: 50 22. Norwich City: 47 23. Oxford United: 46 24. Sheffield Wednesday: 14