The start of the Championship season is upon us and there is hope in the air at many of our partner clubs as 24 outfits battle it out to reach the Premier League. Once again, we are back with our partner club betting preview with six games featuring our partner sides.

Also new for this season is our Match Odds – 2 Up market. This will see your 1X2 bet paid as a winner if your selection goes two goals in front.

CHARLTON ATHLETIC v WATFORD, SATURDAY 12:30PM

Partner club Watford start the season with another new man in the dugout, but after a decent summer window, things might be looking up at Vicarage Road. Paulo Pezzolano has been able to retain the talents of Kwadwo Baah, Imran Louza, and the mercurial Giorgi Chakvetadze, and at 17/4, the top six may not be beyond the Hornets.

This weekend, Watford make the short hop down to South London to face newly promoted Charlton, and it is the hosts who are the 6/4 favourites under their divisive gaffer Nathan Jones. The draw is priced at 21/10, with an away win chalked up at 19/10.

NORWICH CITY v MILLWALL, SATURDAY 3PM

Two of our partner clubs clash at Carrow Road as Millwall travel to East Anglia. The Lions finished last season strongly under Alex Neil and they will be looking to hit the ground running this season. Key to the Londoners’ hopes will be the form of young Serbian striker Mihailo Ivanovic who hit 12 Championship goals last season. You can trade his league goal tally this term at 12.5-14.

Norwich have lost Borja Sainz, and with Josh Sargent likely to follow, Liam Manning will have to hope his new signings gel if he is to guide the Canaries to promotion at 9/2.

This weekend’s match sees the Canaries made even money favourites, but as with last season, goals might be the play on Saturday. You can buy or sell our Total Goals football spread betting market at 2.35-2.55 with Total Goal Minutes available to trade at 118-128.

QPR v PRESTON NORTH END, SATURDAY 3PM

A dismal end to last season almost saw Preston drop into the third tier, but our partner club have been busy in the window, and they will be hopeful that they can kick on and secure a top half finish at 13/5.

The Lancastrian outfit travel to the capital this weekend to face a QPR side who lost manager Marti Cifuentes to Leicester in the summer. New gaffer Julien Stephan is the first Frenchman to take the reins at Loftus Road, and his side are 13/10 to get all three points in W12.

STOKE CITY v DERBY COUNTY, SATURDAY 3PM

Derby avoided relegation on the final day of last season, but some canny signings from our partner club should ensure that they are looking upwards this season. John Eustace has bolstered his attacking ranks with the signings of Carlton Morris, Rhian Brewster, and Andreas Weimann (one of three summer signings to feature under Eustace at former club Blackburn).

The spread of the Rams’ finishing position is 12.5-14.5, and after a tumultuous 2024/25 campaign, most Derby fans would surely settle for that.

Their opponents on Saturday are Stoke City who themselves will be hoping to avoid a relegation scrap. The Potters are 13/20 to start their campaign in style, with a Derby win at 9/4 and the draw priced up at 2/1.

WEST BROMWICH ALBION v BLACKBURN ROVERS, SATURDAY 3PM

Another all-partner affair takes place tomorrow, this time at the Hawthorns, where Blackburn Rovers will be the visitors. The Baggies drew too many games last term as their promotion push faltered, but under Ryan Mason, the hope is that they can crack the top six at 9/4. The retention of homegrown hero Tom Fellows and the fitness of Josh Maja will be crucial this year.

For Blackburn, a scintillating run of form came too late for them to gatecrash the play-offs, and it has been all change at Ewood Park this summer. Experienced players Joe Rankin-Costello, Weimann, Danny Batth, and the effervescent Tyrhys Dolan have all left East Lancashire. Their replacements have largely been sourced from leagues across Europe, and Valerien Ismael will have to get them to gel quickly if his side are to avoid a relegation scrap.

Rovers’ points spread can be bought or sold at 55-57, so it is little surprise to see them made 17/5 underdogs for Saturday’s clash. Home form has been crucial to West Brom of late, and a home win is 5/6 whilst a share of the spoils has been chalked up at 5/2.

SHEFFIELD UNITED v BRISTOL CITY, SATURDAY5:30PM

Partner club Sheffield United will be expecting to make the top six at 4/6 under new man Ruben Selles, with the South Yorkshire outfit priced up at 2/1 to get promoted this term. Anel Ahmedhodzic and Vini Souza are the two big names to depart Bramall Lane so far this summer, but the nucleus of the side that won 95 points (excluding the points deduction) last season remains.

They will fancy their chances of hitting the ground running at 3/4 this weekend as they face a Bristol City side who look ill-equipped to repeat their dream run to the play-offs last season. A Wembley push was a step too far for the Robins and having been despatched 6-0 on aggregate by the Blades in the semi-finals, revenge will be on the mind for the visitors.

Former Barnsley gaffer Gerhard Struber is 18/5 to get his tenure off to a winning start, with the draw available to back at 27/10. A 2-0 home win is amongst our boosted bets from 15/2 to 17/2. Tyrese Campbell hit 11 goals in 36 appearances last term, and the former Stoke man is 9/5 from 31/20 to score anytime this weekend.

*All prices correct at time of writing. Odds and spreads are subject to fluctuations. Please remember that when spread betting, losses can exceed deposit.