The Championship Free Bets & Sign-Up Offers
While people love saying that the Premier League is the best league in the world, many will say that The Championship is the hardest league in the world to win. It's a division that has a profitable prize for the three teams who can win promotion to the Premier League with riches aplenty awaiting the following season.
18+, T&Cs apply
With each team playing 46 fixtures throughout the season and the excitement that comes with the play-offs, there is plenty of action to bet on in The Championship.
Manchester City are 1/1 at Bet365 to beat Liverpool in the Premier League on Thursday.
Odds Correct at 22:07 on 01-07-2020 and are subject to change.
The Championship Betting Offers
| Bookmaker | Offer Details | Claim Offer |
|---|---|---|
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Bet365 - Full Time Result - Enhanced Prices
This Bet365 offer gives you the option of taking an enhanced price on the full time result of a game for selected matches only applies to games being played in the English competitions, Champions League and Europa League. |
Claim Offer |
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FREE BET UP TO £25 WHEN YOU WIN A FOOTBALL SAME GAME MULTI AT 4/1 OR MORE
Place a Same Game Multi bet at combined odds of minimum 4/1 on any football game. If bet wins, you receive a free bet of up to ££25. T&Cs apply. Place a Same Game Multi bet at combined odds of 4/1 or better on any Football match available. If your bet wins, you'll get a free bet matching your stake, up to £25. |
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Risk Free 20 Football
New Paddy Power customers can receive their stake back in cash up to a maximum of £20 if their first qualifying bet on the sportsbook is a loser. New customers only, limited to one per person. If you’ve previously had a Paddy Power account, you will not qualify for the offer. Place your first bet on any Sportsbook market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is £/€20. Only deposits made using Cards or Paypal will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. |
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2019-20 Championship Season
The 2019-20 Championship season began on August 2 when newly-promoted Luton Town played host to Middlesbrough. . As usual there are lots of questions to be answered over the coming months. After coming so close last season, will this be the year that Leeds United finally win promotion? Will the sides relegated from the Premier League be able to make a swift return. That didn't happen last season when the three relegated teams all failed to win promotion.
Top ten after July 1
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points | Next Fixture |
| 1 Leeds United | 40 | 22 | 9 | 9 | 75 | July 4 - Blackburn Rovers away |
| 2 West Brom | 40 | 20 | 14 | 6 | 74 | July 5 - Hull City at home |
| 3 Brentford | 40 | 20 | 9 | 11 | 69 | July 4 - Wigan at home |
| 4 Nottingham Forest | 40 | 18 | 13 | 9 | 67 | July 4 - Derby County away |
| 5 Fulham | 40 | 19 | 10 | 11 | 67 | July 4 - Birmingham City at home |
| 6 Cardiff City | 40 | 15 | 16 | 9 | 61 | July 4 - Bristol City away |
| 7 Derby County | 40 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 60 | July 4 - Nottingham Forest at home |
| 8 Preston North End | 39 | 16 | 9 | 14 | 57 | July 1 - Derby County at home |
| 9 Swansea City | 40 | 14 | 15 | 11 | 57 | July 5 - Sheffield Wednesday at home |
| 10 Blackburn Rovers | 40 | 15 | 11 | 14 | 56 | July 4 - Leeds United at home |
Bottom of the table after July 1
| Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Points | Next Fixture |
| 18 Charlton Athletic | 40 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 46 | July 3 - Milwall at home |
| 19 Huddersfield Town | 40 | 12 | 9 | 19 | 45 | July 4 - Preston North End at home |
| 20 Middlebrough | 39 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 44 | July 2 - Hull City away |
| 21 Stoke City | 40 | 12 | 7 | 21 | 43 | July 4 - Barnsley at home |
| 22 Hull City | 39 | 11 | 9 | 19 | 42 | July 2 - Middlesbrough home |
| 23 Barnsley | 40 | 10 | 11 | 19 | 41 | July 4 - Stoke City away |
| 24 Luton Town | 40 | 11 | 7 | 22 | 40 | July 4 - Reading at home |
On July 1, Wigan Athletic announced they had gone into administraton. The Football League have announced that if after 46 games, Wigan remain outside the bottom three, they will be deducted 12 points. If they finish in the bottom three, then the 12 points will be deducted for next season. After the latest games, Wigan are eight points clear of the bottom three. A 12 points deduction would see them drop to the bottom of the table and be relegated to League One.
24 teams take part in the Championship playing 46 games in the regular season. The top two are automatically promoted to the Premier League and the sides finishing third to sixth take part in the play-offs. The team winning the play-offs will have deserved that final promotion spot having played a total of 49 games. The bottom three in the table find themselves relegated to League One.
Here's a list of the teams taking part in the Championship this season with their 2018-19 finishing position in brackets.
- Barnsley (promoted from League One in second place)
- Birmingham City (17th - lower due to points deduction)
- Blackburn Rovers (15th)
- Brentford (11th)
- Bristol City (8th)
- Cardiff City (relegated from Premier League in 18th place)
- Charlton Athletic (won League One play-offs)
- Derby County (6th)
- Fulham (relegated from Premier League in 19th place)
- Huddersfield Town (relegated after finishing bottom of Premier League)
- Hull City (13th)
- Leeds United (3rd)
- Luton Town (League One Champions)
- Middlesbrough (7th)
- Millwall (21st)
- Nottingham Forest (9th)
- Preston North End (14th)
- QPR (19th)
- Reading (20th)
- Sheffield Wednesday (12th)
- Stoke City (16th)
- Swansea City (10th)
- WBA (4th)
- Wigan Athletic (18th)
2018-19 Championship Season
Norwich City and Sheffield United Promoted
- Norwich City 94
- Sheffield United 89
- Leeds United 83
- West Bromwich Albion 80
- Aston Villa 76 (promoted after winning play-off final against Derby County)
- Derby County 74
- Middlesbrough 73
Relegation
- 22nd: Rotherham 40
- 23rd Bolton 32
- 24th Ipswich 31
How to Use Your Championship Free Bet
There are plenty of opportunities to use a Free Bet on the Championship whatever the time of the year.
- League Winners
- Who will get promoted
- Who will make the play-offs
- Who'll be relegated to League One
- Match bets between teams
- Top goalscorer in the league and for each side
- Handicap betting
- Top Northern Club
- Top Southern Club
- League positions at certain stages of the season
- Betting on every game played during the season
There's always odds of some kind being offered on the Championship. Every game played will have some influence on the odds that are given by bookmakers. It's a good idea therefore to keep an eye on the odds given for the Championship after every set of games are played. It could just result in you finding some odds that will give that free bet of yours a good profit.
Ante post betting is always available on the Championship. There may be no games being played but that doesn't mean there's going to be any changes in the odds being offered. The transfer window always has a big influence on the following season, so make sure you know who's signing who. This can work in two ways of course.
Some teams will be signing players left, right and centre as they try to build a team that can win promotion to the Premier League. A bet on those sides could result in a win at a price that will be a lot shorter in the months ahead. On the other hand there are always some teams who are having problems and seeing top players join other clubs. Keep note of that and take a look at the relegation market for those teams who could be facing a drop down a division.
History of The Championship
It's full title is the Football League Championship but we know it better simply as The Championship and is currently sponsored by Skybet. Previously known as the First Division, while older football fans will know it as The Second Division. Its current name has been in existence since the 2004-05 season and previous winners are:
- 2018-19: Norwich City
- 2017-18: Wolverhampton Wanderers
- 2016-17: Newcastle United
- 2015-16: Burnley
- 2014-15: Bournemouth
- 2013-14: Leicester City
- 2012-13: Cardiff City
- 2011-12: Reading
- 2010-11: QPR
- 2009-10: Newcastle United
- 2008-09: Wolverhampton Wanderers
- 2007-08: WBA
- 2006-07: Sunderland
- 2005-06: Reading
- 2004-05: Sunderland
The Play-Offs
Finishing third in the Championship doesn't mean you automatically claim the third promotion spot. The teams placed third to sixth take part in the play-offs with two semi-finals (third v sixth and fourth v fifth) with the final being held at Wembley. There have been 14 play-offs with the team finishing third in the table winning on six occasions, the fourth placed side being promoted on three occasions, the team finishing fifth winning three times and the side down in sixth place winning twice.
Previous Winners are:
- 2018-19: Aston Vila (4th)
- 2017-18: Fulham (3rd)
- 2016-17: Huddersfield Town (5th)
- 2015-16: Hull City (4th)
- 2014-15: Norwich City (3rd)
- 2013-14: QPR (4th)
- 2012-13: Crystal Palace (5th)
- 2011-12: West Ham United (3rd)
- 2010-11: Swansea City (3rd)
- 2009-10: Blackpool (6th)
- 2008-09: Burnley (5th)
- 2007-08: Hull City (3rd)
- 2006-07: Derby County (3rd)
- 2005-06: Watford (3rd)
- 2004-05: West Ham United (6th)