The sunlit uplands of the Premier League are just over the horizon for at least two EFL Championship teams in the coming weeks as the promotion race enters its final phase.
The battle to secure the sweet cash jackpot of playing Premier League football ensures the second half of a Championship season becomes a slug fest as sides battle it out to get over the dotted line.
Leicester City looked to be cruise control at the start of 2024 as Enzo Maresca appeared nailed on to be the next Pep Guardiola Premier League protegee for the 2024/25 campaign.
However, the Foxes wandered off track in recent weeks, and they still have a little work to do to seize an immediate Premier League return, with Leeds United and Ipswich Town breathing down their necks.
Ahead of the final stretch of games this season, Paddy’s sharpest minds (allegedly) give their picks on who will be playing Premier League football next season, and how the playoff picture will shape up.
You can check out all the full EFL Championship promotion odds on the Paddy Power website and Paddy Power app, and we have latest on who will reign supreme in 2024!
Champions: Leicester / Second: Leeds – Feargal Brennan
Leicester have tried everything in their King Power to keep the title race alive, as it became easier to just win it back in March, and we thank them for that. However, Maresca has rallied the troops and Jamie Vardy looks determined to get back into the big time and show Neal Maupay how you really annoy opposition fans.
Leicester only need to beat Preston to secure automatic promotion and a final day home game against Blackburn Rovers should yield a sign off victory. Maresca has the golden ticket of playing against two teams with little to nothing left to play for, they cannot mess this up…..
Leeds head into the weekend in second, but Ipswich’s game in hand gives the Tractor Boys an edge, as their form dips. Kieran McKenna’s team are winless in their last three and a final day clash with Huddersfield could be tricky if the Yorkshire side are still in with a sniff of surviving the drop.
Playoff Pick: Southampton
The last four EFL Championship seasons have seen the team finishing either third of fourth winning the playoff final. That means a tipped pairing of Ipswich and Southampton, and with neither in great form, the Saints’ experience could tip the balance.
Champions: Leicester / Second: Ipswich – Colin Harvey
Despite the ball being in Leeds’ court, I fancy Ipswich to snatch the final automatic promotion spot behind Leicester. Kieran McKenna’s side play some great stuff but have been a little off colour side losing the Old Farm derby against Norwich on April 6. They have a game in hand over Leeds, but also an inferior goal difference to contend with. However, they’ve shown they can do it when the heat is on and it’ll have to be the hard way with Hull and Coventry to come before Huddersfield on the final day.
Playoff Pick: Norwich City
I’m backing an Old Farm double and in the playoffs and I’m siding with Norwich to follow their friends from Suffolk into the top flight. There’s some teams falling over the line in the Championship playoffs and The Canaries could hit form at the right time.
Champions: Leicester / Second: Leeds – Rhys Turrell
Leicester have steadied the ship at just the right time after a late-season wobble threatened to undo months of good work. After blitzing Southampton midweek they should kick-on for the title with Preston on Monday unlikely to cause many issues. Blackburn may have safety to play for on the final day, but the Foxes can brush past struggling Rovers if they need points to secure top spot.
I’m backing Leeds to join them, despite Ipswich knowing three wins would guarantee them a Premier League spot. Kieran McKenna’s side have been electric for several seasons now and, despite knowing a second consecutive promotion is within touching distance, getting back-to-back wins from tricky away matches at Hull and Coventry looks a tall order. Huddersfield at Portman Road on the final day should be routine, despite the Terriers potentially needing points to stay up, but by then it could be out of their hands.
Leeds travel to QPR on Friday knowing a win piles huge pressure on the Tractor Boys and with a rocking Elland Road awaiting Southampton on the final day, I can see maximum points for Daniel Farke’s side, with their better goal difference just seeing them edge out McKenna’s outfit.
Playoff Pick: Southampton
Despite Ipswich being my tip to drop into the playoffs, I’m going with Southampton to clinch the third promotion spot, and get back into the Premier League.
Champions: Leicester / Second: Leeds – Paddy Murphy
Leicester surely won’t let their fans down at this stage, needing just three points from their remaining two games. Ipswich have played a game less than Leeds at the time of writing so, Leeds’ maximum points could be 96, while Ipswich could end on 98. Leeds though have conceded the fewest goals in the Championship this season and Ipswich will be playing two teams chasing playoff spots. I’d have to go with Leicester and Leeds based on the remaining fixtures as I think Ipswich have the tougher run-in.
Playoff Pick: West Brom
West Brom are going to spoil the party for everyone. As football fans we tend to go for the teams scoring the most goals but I was raised on 1990’s Serie A Catenaccio and it’s the teams with the best defences that tend to win out in the end.
The Baggies have conceded just 44 goals at the time of writing and have lost just two of their last 10 Championship games. Wait and see, they’ll shut out free-scoring Ipswich or Southampton in a defensive masterclass for the ages and win 1-0 over two legs and then they’ll win on penalties in the Final at Wembley only to return to the Premier League and stink the place up just like the Baggies of yesteryear.
Eh Paddy, what odds will you give us on Carlos Corberan being the first manager to leave their post should they get promoted?
Champions: Leicester / Second: Leeds – Thomas Desborough
Despite their recent and dramatic downturn in form, the Foxes looked to have rediscovered the quality that made them almost unbeatable earlier this season. Their comfortable victory over Southampton has put the title firmly in their hands, with two favourable fixtures between them and the trophy.
Daniel Farke’s Leeds also recovered from a recent wobble to secure a narrow but valuable win away at Middlesbrough earlier this week. I’m backing them to follow that up with a win at QPR and at home to a deflated Southampton. Leeds possess far too much quality in their squad to not see the season out and make an immediate return to the Premier League.
Playoff Pick: Ipswich
Southampton’s late-season lifeline ended with a whimper against Leicester, and it’s hard to see them recovering from the 5-0 defeat to close the six-point gap back to the automatic spots. They could gain some confidence with a win against struggling Stoke, but a final-day trip to Leeds has the potential to undo that. Going into the play-offs out of form is often detrimental, and whether it’s West Brom or Norwich they face, it will be a tall order to overcome. Ipswich do have promotion in their hands with the most games left to play, but none of them look favourable.
Kieran McKenna’s side seem to have run out of steam at the tail end of the season and need three wins from three to go up automatically. But with trips to Hull and Coventry in their way before Huddersfield visit on the final day, the odds are stacked against them. The Tractor Boys have pulled off miracles in the last two seasons, and I’m backing them to do it again. If they can avoid rivals and bogey team Norwich in the play-offs, I can see them securing a famous promotion.
Champions: Leicester / Second: Leeds – Alex Harris
Leicester have bounced back to form at the right time and one win will probably be enough for the Foxes to take the Championship title. They should secure three points at Preston on Monday evening as North End have lost their last three games and are already on the beach with nothing to play for. If the title is still on the line on the final day then expect no mercy to be shown to a visiting Blackburn side that have lost half of their away games this season.
Ipswich have been a breath of fresh air in the second tier, but their recent wobble and difficult run-in has me questioning whether they will get the job done. Saturday’s trip to Hull looks tough, the Tractor Boys then have a quick turnaround for another tricky away game at Coventry, before a potential banana skin on the final day against Huddersfield Town, who are likely to be scrapping for their Championship status. That leads me to think Leeds will nab the second automatic promotion place as the Whites should beat QPR under the Friday night lights at Loftus Road to set things up for the final day where they will meet a Southampton side that could feature a number of fringe players if Russell Martin has one eye on the play-offs.
Playoff Pick: West Brom
West Brom and Norwich are the playoff dark horses and I can see them facing off at Wembley. Assuming they miss out on the top two, Ipswich will have to overcome that mental barrier and lost on aggregate over their two meetings with the Baggies and Canaries earlier in the campaign. Southampton, meanwhile, need to recover from their 5-0 thrashing at Leicester but the loss of goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu at this stage is a concern.
West Brom v Norwich would hardly be a blockbuster battle but Championship play-off finals are normally a grind. A long afternoon could be in store so I’ve got the Baggies to go up on penalties!
Champions: Leicester / Second: Ipswich – James Walters
I’m backing Ipswich to join Leicester in securing automatic promotion to the Premier League. Leeds boast a one point lead on Ipswich in the race to finish behind Leicester, however, Kieran McKenna’s side have a game in hand on their rivals. The Tractor Boys, who have been the surprise package of the season after being promoted from League One, travel to Hull and Coventry before hosting Huddersfield on the final day of the campaign. Hull is the toughest showdown for the remainder of the season for Ipswich with Liam Rosenior’s side needing a couple of wins to have any chance of a playoff spot.
Playoff Pick: Leeds United
With Ipswich taking second place and automatic promotion, Leeds would have to settle for the lottery of the play-offs, however, Daniel Farke’s men should have more than enough quality to dispatch the likes of Southampton, West Brom or Norwich.
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