Jack Bot Predicts: The Opening Weekend Of The Championship Season

As we head into the first weekend of the Championship season we have asked Jack Bot this season to provide his weekly predictions for the Championship.   Never an easy task, he will look into each fixture and decide how he sees it playing out.  Is he good or is he not?  Only time will tell but it’s over to Jack Bot for his predictions.

Predicting the scores for the first weekend of a new season is always a challenge as there are many unknown factors, such as team form, new signings, and how new managers’ tactics will play out. Therefore, these predictions are speculative and based on general team strengths and recent history.

• Birmingham City 1 – 2 Ipswich Town: Ipswich, having just been relegated from the Premier League, will be keen to start strong and assert their dominance. Birmingham City, newly promoted from League One, will have a tough task on their hands.
• Southampton 3 – 1 Wrexham: Southampton, also relegated from the Premier League, have a strong squad and will be considered one of the favourites for promotion. Wrexham, while a great story, might find the step up to the Championship a significant challenge.
• Charlton Athletic 1 – 1 Watford: This could be a tight affair. Both teams will be looking to get their seasons off to a solid start, and a draw seems a likely outcome.
• Coventry City 2 – 0 Hull City: Coventry have been a solid Championship side for a few seasons and will be looking to build on that. Hull City could face a difficult start.
• Middlesbrough 2 – 2 Swansea City: A potentially high-scoring and exciting game. Both teams have attacking flair, and it could be an evenly matched contest.
• Norwich City 1 – 0 Millwall: Norwich are often a team that hovers around the top of the table. They’ll be looking to secure a home win against a resilient Millwall side.
• Oxford United 1 – 1 Portsmouth: Both survived their first season back at this level but can only see one outcome here in a draw.   Suspect both would happily take it too.
• Queens Park Rangers 2 – 1 Preston North End: QPR at home could have the edge over a Preston side that might struggle to find consistency early on.
• Stoke City 0 – 2 Derby County: Derby County, back in the Championship, will be riding a wave of momentum. They could get the better of a Stoke side that has struggled in recent years.
• West Bromwich Albion 1 – 1 Blackburn Rovers: A classic Championship clash. Both are solid teams that could be difficult to break down, leading to a closely fought draw.
• Sheffield United 2 – 1 Bristol City: Sheffield United will be looking for a winning start in their first game back after the disappointment of the play off campaign. Bristol City will provide a strong test, but the home advantage might prove decisive.
• Leicester City 2 – 0 Sheffield Wednesday: Leicester are a big favourite for promotion and will be expected to start their campaign with a comfortable win against a Sheffield Wednesday side who will be battling to stay up.