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. 

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.

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Ross County are 7/4 at Bet365 to beat Dundee Utd in the Scottish Championship.

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2018-19 Championship Season

The 2018-19 campaign appears to be no different from any other, with well over half the division in contention for a play-off spot as we near the halfway stage. Norwich City have been the surprise package of the season so far, along with Sheffield United who are proving able to compete with the big boys at the top. Those big boys include West Brom, Middlesbrough and Leeds United, all of whom will fancy their chances of a top flight return.

At the other end, it has been a terrible season so far for the likes of Ipswich and Bolton who are facing the very real prospect of relegation to League One. The battle for survival will be a fierce one with some very big names in there who look far from safe, including Sheffield Wednesday, Hull City and Reading.

Norwich City Go Four Points Clear at the Top 

1. Norwich City 78
2. Sheffield United 74
3. Leeds United 73
4. West Bromwich Albion 67
5. Middlesbrough 58
6. Aston Villa 57
7. Preston North End 57
8. Derby County 56
9. Bristol City 55
10. Sheffield Wednesday 55
11. Nottingham Forest 54

All teams have played 38 games apart from: Middlesbrough and Derby County who have played 37, while Bristol City have only played 36.

Norwich City strengthened their position at the top of the table with a 2-1 win at Rotherham United. They lead Sheffield United by four points and are five clear of third-placed Leeds United. Sheffield United moved above their Yorkshire rivals into second with a 1-0 away win at Elland Road on Saturday March 16. 

West Bromwich Albion won their second game in a row since the sacking of Darren Moore. They stay fourth and are nine points clear of Middlesbrough in fifth who lost 3-0 at Aston Villa. That was Villa's fourth win in a ow and took them into the play-off positions. Fifth to eleventh in the table are separated by just four points!

Bottom of the Table

 All teams have played 38 games apart from Millwall who have played 37

• 19th Wigan 39
• 2oth: Millwall 37
• 21st Reading 37
• 22nd: Rotherham 36
• 23rd Bolton 29
• 24th Ipswich 24

The only team to win at the weekend were Wigan Athletic who took themselves three points clear of the drop zone with a 5-2 home win over Bolton Wanderers.

Key Fixtures Coming Up

Saturday March 23 sees Middlesbrough host leaders Norwich City and Sheffield United are home to Bristol City, while Leeds United have a home game against Millwall. 

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 2017-18 finishing position in brackets.

• Aston Villa (4th)
• Birmingham City (19th)
• Blackburn Rovers (promoted from League One in 2nd place)
• Bolton Wanderers (21st)
• Brentford (9th)
• Bristol City (11th)
• Derby County (6th)
• Hull City (18th)
• Ipswich Town (12th)
• Leeds United (13th)
• Middlesbrough (5th)
• Millwall (8th)
• Norwich City (14th)
• Nottingham Forest (17th)
• Preston North End (7th)
• QPR (16th)
• Reading (20th)
• Rotherham United (promoted from League One via play-offs)
• Sheffield United (10th)
• Sheffield Wednesday (15th)
• Stoke City  (relegated from the Premier League)
• Swansea City  (relegated from the Premier League)
• WBA (relegated from the Premier League)
• Wigan Athletic (promoted as League One Champions)

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:

• 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 13 play-offs with the team finishing third in the table winning on six occasions, the fourth placed side being promoted twice, the team finishing fifth winning three times and the side down in sixth place winning twice.

Previous Winners are:

• 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)