Championship final day: Promotion, play-off places and relegation all on the line
With promotion, relegation and play-off places all to be decided in the Championship on the final day, Saturday should be fun.
Who will be promoted from the Championship?
Leicester have been promoted as league winners, meaning there's just one automatic spot remaining.
The permutations are pretty straight forward as we head into the final day of the season. It's between IPSWICH and LEEDS.
The Tractor Boys host 23rd placed Huddersfield who need a miracle in order to stay up - we'll come onto them in more detail later - while Daniel Farke's side host Southampton.
Sky Bet Championship automatic promotion odds (via Sky Bet)
- Ipswich - 1/33
- Leeds - 10/1
Odds correct 1500 BST (01/05/24)
For Ipswich it's quite simple; avoid defeat and they be up.
For Leeds, they need to beat Southampton and hope Ipswich to lose to Huddersfield. That combination would see Leeds promoted due to their superior goal difference (+39 to +33).
Whoever doesn't go up on Saturday will finish third in the table and have to go through a grueling play-off campaign in order to join the other in the Premier League.
Key final-day Championship fixtures (all 12:30 BST)
- Birmingham vs Norwich
- Ipswich vs Huddersfield
- Leeds vs Southampton
- Leicester vs Blackburn
- Plymouth vs Hull
- Sunderland vs Sheffield Wednesday
- West Brom vs Preston
Who will make the Championship play-offs?
SOUTHAMPTON are guaranteed fourth spot in the table and are bracing themselves for a play-off run. They don't yet know who they will be playing over two-legs though.
It's three teams battling it out for two spots in theory, though in practice it's a straight shootout between WEST BROM and HULL given Norwich's superior goal difference over the Tigers.
NORWICH currently sit fifth as they head to relegation threatened Birmingham on the final day, and while a point guarantees a play-off spot, a defeat will likely be enough too.
5. Norwich - P45 | 73 pts | GD: +16 | GF: 79
6. West Brom - P45 | 72 pts | GD: +20 | GF: 67
7. Hull - P45 | 70 pts | GD: +9 | GF: 68
Sky Bet Championship top-six finish odds (via Sky Bet)
- Norwich - 1/1000
- West Brom - 1/20
- Hull - 8/1
Odds correct 1500 BST (01/05/24)
That's because they would have to lose, Hull would have to win at Plymouth and there would also have to be an eight-goal swing for the Canaries to miss out on the play-offs altogether in expense of Hull.
That seems unlikely, with it being far more likely that West Brom miss out. They host Preston on the final day and again, a point should be enough to secure a top-six finish given their goal difference is 11 better than Hull's.
However, a West Brom loss and a Hull win would see Liam Rosenior's men secure a play-off berth, and given the Baggies have lost their last three league games, that could happen. Hull have to win to win at Plymouth have any chance of finishing in the top six.
Who will be relegated from the Championship?
Rotherham are down and have been for a while, and while two other relegation spots are still not mathematically confirmed, one of them almost is.
HUDDERSFIELD need a miracle in order to stay up. They travel to promotion chasing Ipswich needing to win to have any chance of survival, but they also need Birmingham and Plymouth to lose, and a 16 goal swing between themselves and Argyle.
It's so unlikely to happen that the bookies are no longer taking bets on the Terriers to be relegated or to stay up.
19. Blackburn - P45 | 50 pts | GD: -16 | GF: 58
20. Sheff Wed - P45 | 50 pts | GD: -26 | GF: 42
21. Plymouth - P45 | 48 pts | GD: -12 | GF: 58
22. Birmingham - P45 | 47 pts | GD: -16 | GF: 49
23. Huddersfield - P45 | 45 pts | GD: -27 | GF: 48
Second bottom BIRMINGHAM host Norwich knowing only a win will give them a chance of survival. If they get that win, they then need one of three things to happen in order to stay up:
- 21st-placed Plymouth fail to beat play-off chasing Hull
- 20th-placed Sheffield Wednesday lose away at Sunderland
- 19th-placed Blackburn lose away at champions Leicester
Any of those three occurrences coupled with a win for Gary Rowett's side would see Birmingham survive. The Blues have won two of their last three home games and four of their last eight at St. Andrew's
Sky Bet Championship relegation odds (via Sky Bet)
- Huddersfield - n/a
- Birmingham - 1/2
- Plymouth - 9/4
- Sheffield Wednesday - 16/1
- Blackburn - 16/1
Sky Bet Championship odds to stay up (via Sky Bet)
- Blackburn - 1/100
- Sheffield Wednesday - 1/100
- Plymouth - 1/3
- Birmingham - 6/4
- Huddersfield - n/a
Odds correct 1500 BST (01/05/24)
The sides above the dotted line but still at risk, PLYMOUTH, SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY and BLACKBURN know they will definitely survive if they better Birmingham's result, though all will be safe if the Blues lose to Norwich.
Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn guarantee safety with a point in their final games, though defeat would put both at risk of dropping on goal difference.
The Owls are the form side of those battling to avoid relegation, winning three of an unbeaten last five, while Blackburn have only tasted defeat three times in their last 10 league outings.
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