Championship

Scunthorpe

Manager: Nigel Adkins
Key Player: Gary Hooper
Stadium: Glanford Park

Promotion Odds: 40/1 Bet365
Relegation Odds: 6/4 Bet365

Transfers In:
Rob Jones, Josh Wright, Michael O’Connor

Transfers Out:

Football-Betting.co.uk Opinion – Scunthorpe secured promotion via the play-off’s last season and despite their final celebrations, it was evident that the team need reinforcements. However, there are doubts over the credentials of the players Nigel Adkins has brought in and it’s hard to see Scunthorpe becoming a big player in the Championship this season. Their main objective will be to maintain their Championship status and we think they’ll do just that…just.

Football-Betting.co.uk Prediction: 20th Position

Reading

Manager: Brendan Rodgers
Key Player: Noel Hunt
Stadium: The Madjeski

Promotion Odds: 9/2 Bet365
Relegation Odds: 20/1 Bet365

Transfers In:
Ryan Bertrand

Transfers Out:
Leroy Lita, Alan Bennett, Alex McCarthy, Michael Duberry, Scott Golbourne, Marcus Hahnemann, Kevin Doyle

Football-Betting.co.uk Opinion – Reading have lost a handful of the squad that were once plying their trade in the Premiership. However, they gave it a good go last season and came within a whisker of securing promotion back to the top flight but not only did their failure to deliver dash their Premiership dreams but it also spelled the end for manager Steve Coppell. Brendan Rodgers has now taken over the mantle and the season objective will remain the same as always – secure promotion back to the league where Reading fans feel they belong. Will they achieve that this season? We unfortunately can’t see it. Their squad looks a lot weaker than season before and they appear to have already passed up their best chance of gaining promotion last season.

Football-Betting.co.uk Prediction: 7th Position

Queens Park Rangers

Manager: Jim Magilton
Key Player: Ákos Buzsáky
Stadium: Loftus Road

Promotion Odds: 5/1 Bet365
Relegation Odds: 16/1 Bet365

Transfers In:
Alessandro Pellicori, Alejandro Faurlin

Transfers Out:
Dexter Blackstock, Jake Cole, Lee Camp, Damien Delaney, Zesh Rehman

Football-Betting.co.uk Opinion – The expectations were high when Flavio Briatore & Co first took over at Queens Park and despite their ambitious plans of getting the club to the heights of the Premiership, they’ve yet to mount a serious promotion bid. The fans were hoping for a few fresh faces to arrive at Loftus Road over the summer but that hasn’t really happened with just a brace of the unknown entering the club. Their inconsistent tendency’s cost them dear last season with scoring goals their biggest concern. Before QPR can once again be touted as Premiership contenders, they will need to bring in some star strikers to score the goals needed for success.

Football-Betting.co.uk Prediction: 11th Position

Preston North End

Manager: Alan Irvine
Key Player: Callum Davidson
Stadium: Deepdale

Promotion Odds: 8/1 Bet365
Relegation Odds: 9/1 Bet365

Transfers In:
Paul Parry

Transfers Out:
Karl Hawley, Simon Whaley, Paul McKenna, Chris Neal

Football-Betting.co.uk Opinion – Preston surpassed expectations last season when narrowly missing out on the play-off’s via goal difference. With that in mind the bookies have priced Preston up as possible promotion candidates although we don’t share that faith. Preston had the ability to produce a big performance but always looked a tad out muscled somewhat against the bigger sides. Preston will secure some impressive results this season but consistency will be their downfall come the end.

Football-Betting.co.uk Prediction: 14th Position

Plymouth Argyle

Manager: Paul Sturrock
Key Player: Romain Larrieu
Stadium: Home Park

Promotion Odds: 20/1 Bet365
Relegation Odds: 5/2 Bet365

Transfers In:
Alan Judge, Kari Arnason, Bradley Wright-Philips, Carl Fletcher

Transfers Out:
Jason Puncheon, Jermaine Easter, Yannick Bolasie, Emile Mpenza

Football-Betting.co.uk Opinion – Plymouth are under new management but will that produce instanst success on the field? We highly doubt it. Plymouth have one of the weakest sides in the league but seem to do just enough to maintain their Championship status each year. We would love to see the ‘Pilgrims’ plying their trade in the Premiership but it would need a complete overhaul within the Argyle ranks for that to happen. Plymouth will look to consolidate their status in the league before possibly challenging for promotion in the future.

Football-Betting.co.uk Prediction: 19th Position

Peterborough

Manager: Darren Ferguson
Key Player: Aaron McLean
Stadium: London Road

Promotion Odds: 14/1 Bet365
Relegation Odds: 9/2 Bet365

Transfers In:
Krystian Pearce, Tommy Rowe, Lee Frecklington, Toumani Diagouraga

Transfers Out:
Rene Howe, Scott Rendell, Chris Westwood

Football-Betting.co.uk Opinion – ‘Posh’ will be aiming to complete an historic promotion double this season after gaining automatic promotion from League 1 last season. The job on guiding Peterborough to the Premiership is down to Darren Ferguson, son of Man Utd manager Sir Alex Ferguson. He done a tremendous job at Peterborough last season and has already lead them out of League 2 and were Peterborough to gain promotion this season, it would be their third in as many seasons. Do they have a chance? Well, possibly although we think they will find several too strong in this league.

Football-Betting.co.uk Prediction: 10th Position

Nottingham Forest

Manager: Billy Davies
Key Player: Dele Adebola
Stadium: City Ground

Promotion Odds: 5/1 Bet365
Relegation Odds: 9/1 Bet365

Transfers In:
Dexter Blackstock, Joel Lynch, Radoslaw Majewski, Chris Gunter, Paul McKenna, Lee Camp, Dele Adebola, Paul Anderson

Transfers Out:
Matt Thornhill, Mark Byrne, Shane Redmond, James Reid, Joe Heath, Brendan Moloney, Liam Cook, Richard Tait, Iain Breckin

Football-Betting.co.uk Opinion – Nottingham Forest safely avoided relegation last season fairly comfortably in the end although they will be aiming to push on this season and possibly mount a promotion challenge. They’ve brought in some very talented players over the summer and should be thereabouts come the end of the season providing the players gel from the off.

Football-Betting.co.uk Prediction: 6th Position

Newcastle United

Manager: Vacant
Key Player: Damien Duff
Stadium: St. James Park

Promotion Odds: 15/8 Bet365
Relegation Odds: 10/1 Bet365

Transfers In:

Transfers Out:
Michael Owen, David Edgar, Obafemi Martins

Football-Betting.co.uk Opinion – Club in the shop window, without a manager and now without any world class forwards with Michael Owen and Nigerian Obafemi Martins both exiting the club during the summer. Not only that but as the club is up for sale, owner Mike Ashley isn’t willing to dip into his pocket for any new faces so Newcastle are only heading backwards at current. When, or possibly even if at this rate, a manager is appointed he will have some task getting the players to come together for a serious push for promotion. Newcastle are overrated by the bookies and we can’t see them getting near the play-off’s let alone winning the league itself.

Football-Betting.co.uk Prediction: 8th Position

Middlesbrough

Manager: Gareth Southgate
Key Player: Afonso Alves
Stadium: The Riverside

Promotion Odds: 7/4 Bet365
Relegation Odds: 33/1 Bet365

Transfers In:
Leroy Lita, Danny Coyne, Mark Yeates

Transfers Out:
Mido, Stewart Downing, Ross Turnbull, Graeme Owens

Football-Betting.co.uk Opinion – The critics are already out for Gareth Southgate and Middlesborough after their shock relegation from the Premiership last season. However, Southgate has kept hold of the main bulk of the side that were relegated last season and still posses some talented individuals who albeit, failed to shine last season. Afonso Alves will need to justify his hefty price tag with plenty of goals while Robert Huth and David Wheater will look to be the rock at the back for ‘Borough’. We believe Southgate is the right man to guide Middlesborough back to the top and we expect a strong season from the Teesside outfit.

Football-Betting.co.uk Prediction: 1st Position

Leicester City

Manager: Nigel Pearson
Key Player: Matty Fryatt
Stadium: Walkers Stadium

Promotion Odds: 7/1 Bet365
Relegation Odds: 10/1 Bet365

Transfers In:
Richard Wellens, Chris Weale, Dany N’Guessan, Wayne Brown, Robbie Neilson, Jack Hobbs

Transfers Out:
James Wesolowski, Patrick Kisnorbo, Billy McKay, Barry Hayles

Football-Betting.co.uk Opinion – Leicester were the dominant force in League 1 last season and their promotion back to The Championship failed to surprise any full-time football follower. They’ve managed to retain some of the players that were relegated back in 2007-2008 and that will lead to Championship experience. Their odds to gain promotion are probably a bit too short in our honest opinions as we think Leicester will settle down to life in mid-table throughout the majority of the new season.

Football-Betting.co.uk Prediction: 13th Position