Championship Playoffs: Betting Preview
With the domestic football season beginning to draw to a close, two Championship sides have now booked their spot in next seasons Premier League – Marco Silva’s Fulham outfit riding a wave of goals to the Championship title, and Scott Parker’s Bournemouth side employing a more pragmatic approach to fill second spot.
There is of course one place still up for grabs, and this coming Friday sees the Play-Off battle commence. Huddersfield Town, Luton Town, Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United are the sides with a shot at the big-time, but which of that quartet will make it? Here we take a look at each of the semi-finals and pick out our best bet to be playing Premier League football next season.
Semi Final 1: Luton Town vs Huddersfield Town
- First Leg: Kenilworth Road – 7:45pm Friday 13th May
- Second Leg: John Smiths Stadium – 7:45pm Monday 16th May
Full credit to Luton for making it to the playoffs with a game to spare. They did however only stagger over the line in the end as, following an excellent start to the season, injuries really began to take a toll over the closing stages. Having won only three of their final eight fixtures, scoring more than once in only one of those games, and conceding two or more three times – including a 7-0 battering at Fulham – this may be where their run comes to an end.
Carlos Corberán’s men also don’t have anything like the injury concerns of a depleted Luton outfit
Huddersfield in contrast arrive full of confidence and in flying form, with the Terriers winning six of their last seven, scoring twice in six of seven and conceding more than once only once. Carlos Corberán’s men also don’t have anything like the injury concerns of a depleted Luton outfit who seem likely to be without top scorer Elijah Adebayo and midfield maestro Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu.
There was little to split the sides in the regular season meetings, with the game in Luton ending in a goalless draw and Huddersfield coming out on top 2-0 in the reverse. Overall, we wouldn’t be too surprised to see a similar set of results here, with a defensively solid Luton side keeping things tight in the first leg before coming unstuck at the John Smiths Stadium.
- Tip - Huddersfield to Qualify @ 1/2 with Betfred
Semi Final 2: Sheffield United vs Nottingham Forest
- First Leg: Bramall Lane – 3:00pm Saturday 14th May
- Second Leg: City Ground – 7:45pm Tuesday 17th May
Two sides who have experienced pretty similar seasons here, with both Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest enjoying spectacular turnarounds following a change in manager; Steve Cooper working miracles at Forest, with the club sitting rock bottom of the table when he took over in September; and Paul Heckingbottom inspiring a similar resurgence at the Blades.
No doubt, that of the two semi-finals this appears the tougher to predict. The head-to-head meetings from earlier in the season certainly doesn’t shed much light - both games ending in a 1-1 draw, with very little separating the sides on the stats in either encounter.
Forest were five points clear of Sheffield United in the standings, but the Blades ended the season in marginally better form, with three consecutive wins over Cardiff, QPR and Fulham. Not that Forest finished poorly, in losing narrowly at Bournemouth to end their automatic promotion hopes, and possibly suffering a bit of a hangover from that in a closing day 1-1 draw at Hull City.
Sheffield United enter the playoffs without a fit recognised striker
Where the “Tricky Trees” would appear to have the edge however is when it comes to the injury situation. In the absence of David McGoldrick, Oliver McBurnie, Billy Sharp and Rhian Brewster, Sheffield United enter the playoffs without a fit recognised striker. In a tight tie, that disadvantage may just tilt matters in favour of Steve Coopers side.
- Tip - Nottingham Forest to Qualify @ 4/7 with Betfred
Playoff Winners/Best Bets
- Final: Wembley Stadium – 4:30pm Sunday 29th May
A double on both Huddersfield and Nottingham Forest to qualify for the final pays just under 11/8 with Betfred. And that does look the most solid option, with Luton and Sheffield United having injuries conspire against them at just the wrong time.
In terms of the outright winner odds, Nottingham Forest are probably the rightful favourites, but slipping from third to fourth on the final day has landed them in much the tougher half of the draw. As such we fancy the value may lie with Huddersfield.
The Terriers have already posted a 1-0 success at the City Ground in the league this season and were the better side on the stats in a narrow FA Cup loss there in March – outshooting the hosts by 11 to 7 in a 2-1 defeat. Huddersfield also held the edge over Sheffield United in the regular season – picking up a point in a goalless draw at home and winning 2-1 at Bramall Lane. Should they progress past Luton, they would look to have a live chance whoever awaits on March 29th.
Top 20 Betting Offers
*New UK customers only. Min Stake: £5. Max Free Bet: £30. First bet on a Football, Horse Racing, Tennis, Cricket or Basketball multiple with 3+ selections. Odds: 3.00 (2/1) or higher. 100 Free Spins on More Unusual Suspects (£0.10 per spin) credited on settlement of qualifying Acca bet. No wagering requirements on free spin winnings. Earn a £30 Uber Eats Voucher on successful Acca qualification. This offer is valid 7 days from the new account being registered. 18+ GambleAware.org. Full Terms apply |
|||||
New customers online only. Eligibility restrictions apply. Only valid with code B10G40 on registration. £10 min qualifying bet at 1/1 (2.0) odds or greater across sports or racing (if EW then min £10 Win + £10 Place). Receive £20 Tote Credit, £10 Free Sports Bet and 50 Free Spins on a selected game within 48 hours of qualifying bet settlement. 7-day expiry on free bets & Tote Credit. Your first bet will be your qualifying bet. One per customer. UK & ROI customers only. 18+. Full T&Cs apply Gambleaware.org. Full T&Cs apply. |
|||||
18+ New customers only. Opt in and bet up to £40 (min. £20) via mobile or app on any football (odds 1/1+) within 7 days of registration. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets, which expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly |
|||||
New Customers use code EPL10. Deposit £10 and place a bet of £10 on any Premier League Outrights 2025/26 market at minimum odds of 2.0. Free Bet credited within 24 hours and must be wagered on English Premier League markets only. Full Terms apply. Bangers N'Cash rewards are a separate promotional scheme and must be opted into during the weekly promotional period via the BetWright Rewards Section. 18+ begambleaware. |
|||||
New customers only. 7 days to place qualifying bet of £10 at 1/1 (2.0) to receive 4 x £10 Free Bets: 1 x £10 football, 1 x £10 horse racing & 2 x £10 Bet Builders. Free Bets cannot be used on e-sports and non UK/IE horse racing. 7 day expiry. Exclusions apply. Stake not returned. 18+. T&Cs apply. |
|||||
New customers only. Register, deposit with Debit Card, and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility exclusions & T&Cs Apply. |
|||||
T&Cs apply. 18+ New customers only. You must place a single win-only bet of £10 or more with odds of evens (2.00) or greater to qualify. Money back as £10 in free bets. Free bet is credited the day after the qualifying bet has settled. Must use code B10G10 when creating an account. |
|||||
18+. New customers only. Deposit and place first bet of £20 or more at min odds Evens (2.0). Get £20 in Free Bets credited as x1 £10 Free Bet and x2 £5 Bet Builder Free BetsT&Cs Apply. Please gamble responsibly. |
|||||
18+ New customers only. Min deposit £20. Min Wager £20 at min odds 1/1 (2.0). Max free bet £20. T&Cs apply begambleaware. |
|||||
18+ New customers only. Place a £5+ bet at minimum odds of 1/1 (2.0) within 14 days of sign-up. Get £25 in Free Sports Bets + 50 Free Spins (valued at £0.10 each), valid for 7 days on selected bets and games. Free stake not returned with winnings. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org |
|||||
#AD | Welcome bonus for new players only | Maximum bonus is 100% up to £100 | Min. deposit is £10 | No max cash out | Wagering is 40x bonus | Maximum bet with an active bonus is £5 | Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse | Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded for welcome bonus | Cashback when offered, applies to deposits where no bonus is included | Cashback is cash with no restrictions | T&C's apply |Free bet: Min odds: 2.0 - Free bet value will be deducted from free bet winnings | 18+ | BeGambleAware.org | Gambling is addictive, please gamble responsibly! |
|||||
*New members only. £10+ bet on sportsbook (ex. virtuals) at 1.5 min odds, settled within 14 days. Free Bets: accept in 7 days, valid 7 days on sportsbook only. 2x£5 Free Bets for Bet Builder only. Stake not returned. T&Cs + deposit exclusions apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org. 18+ |
|||||
18+. New UK & ROI customers only . Certain deposit methods & bet types excl . Min first £10 win or E/W bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 & get 4 x £10 free bets . Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + T&C apply |
|||||
New bettors; Code SPORT; Wager deposit & bonus 8x; Max qualifying bet stake=initial bonus; Valid 60 days; Min odds, payment method exclusions apply; New customers only. T&C apply; 18+ Please gamble responsibly. |
|||||
Place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2 and get 3 x £10 free fixed odds bets, 3 x £5 Total Goals football spread bets and 3 x £5 Winning Favourites spread bets and a £1 racing Race Index spread bet.18+ www.gambleaware.org. |
|||||
18+. BeGambleAware.org. New customers only. Min. £10 deposit, debit card only. Up to 50x wagering, game contributions vary, max. stake applies, 7 day expiry. See full terms. #AD |
|||||
New customers place a £10 fixed odds bet at minimum odds of 1/2. Get 2 x £10 free bets. 18+ begambleaware |
|||||
18+ | New Customers Only | Promo Code: ACCA10 | Place a £10 acca bet within 7 calendar days of registration. The Acca must have a min of 4 selections | Min odds 1/2 of each selection | Get 2 x £5 Free Bets | Free Bets valid for 7 days | Max win £250 | T&Cs apply | GB residents only | Gamble responsibly |
|||||
18+ New Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. 1st Deposit & Bet £/€10+ at min odds 1/2 on Sports within 14 days of account reg & Get 4x £10 Free Bets (selected sportsbook markets only, valid 7 days) Max 1 Free Bet per player. Restrictions + T&Cs apply. |
|||||
New Customer only. £10 in real money. Bets placed on sports at odds of 2.00 or more to qualify. Bets must be placed 24 hours within registration. £10 free bets must be wagered on sports. Full terms apply. Gambling can be addictive, play responsibly. 18+ |