The Tigers kick off their campaign this Saturday in the Midlands
Hull City’s challenge in the new Championship season has been backed up by the latest bookmakers’ odds, with just under a week to go until the big kick-off.
City have been slapped with a three-window fee restriction by the EFL, meaning they cannot pay a transfer or loan fee for any player. As a result of the sanction, they’ve missed out on a number of top targets. But despite the punishment, City have been able to bolster their ranks with a flurry of new arrivals and have enjoyed a positive pre-season with five wins from seven.
After staying up on the final day of last season on goal difference, the bookies believe City will struggle again having so far failed to bolster their attacking ranks significantly having finished the campaign as the lowest scorers.
According to Betfred, City are ranked at 11/4 to go down to League One, the same odds as Oxford United and Portsmouth, with a 26.7 per cent chance of suffering relegation.
Crisis club Sheffield Wednesday are priced at 8/13 to be relegated after a calamitous summer under owner Dejphon Chansiri. Betfred has ranked the Owls as having almost a 62 per cent chance of going back down to League One after three years in the Championship.
Here’s the early relegation odds according to Betfred….
Sheffield Wednesday – 8/13 (61.9% probability)
Oxford United – 11/4 (26.7% probability)
Hull City – 11/4 (26.7% probability)
Portsmouth – 11/4 (26.7% probability)
Charlton Athletic – 3/1 (25% probability)
Preston North End – 7/2 (22.2% probability)
QPR – 7/2 (22.2% probability)
Derby County – 4/1 (20% probability)
Blackburn Rovers – 9/2 (18.2% probability)
Swansea City – 13/2 (13.3% probability)
Watford – 13/2 (13.3% probability)
Bristol City – 7/1 (12.5% probability)
Millwall – 7/1 (12.5% probability)
Stoke City – 7/1 (12.5% probability)
Leicester City – 8/1 (11.1% probability)
Wrexham – 10/1 (9.1% probability)
Norwich City – 12/1 (7.7% probability)
West Bromwich Albion – 12/1 (7.7% probability)
Middlesbrough – 28/1 (3.4% probability)
Coventry City – 33/1 (2.9% probability)
Birmingham City – 50/1 (2% probability)
Sheffield United – 50/1 (2% probability)
Southampton – 66/1 (1.5% probability)
Ipswich Town – 100/1 (1% probability)
“Sheffield Wednesday, a club in crisis, have been installed as the 8/13 odds-on favourites to be relegated from the Championship this season. This comes as no surprise with so much uncertainty surrounding the club amid their financial difficulties, as well as exits of key players Josh Windass and Michael Smith,” Betfred‘s Robert Ford told Hull Live.
“Hull City, who will have to depend on the free agent and loan markets this summer after being hit with a transfer embargo, are joint-second favourites to go down, alongside Gary Rowett’s Oxford United and John Mousinho’s Portsmouth, at 11/4.
“Newly-promoted Charlton Athletic trail the clubs at the top of the market at 3/1, whilst fellow newcomers Wrexham and Birmingham City are deemed big outsiders to go down at 10/1 and 50/1, respectively.
“Preston North End (7/2), QPR (7/2), Derby County (4/1), Blackburn Rovers (9/2), Swansea City (13/2), Watford (13/2), Bristol City (7/1), Millwall (7/1) and Stoke City (7/1) make up the remainder of the top half of the market.”
How are you feeling about the new season? Have your say in the comments below….