Sky Bet Championship: title contenders, promotion and playoff race & free tips

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for the Sky Bet Championship.

Already advised

Fulham to win the title
2pts 8-1 general
Nottingham Forest to win promotion
2pts 7-1 general

Best bets

Blackburn Rovers to win promotion
1pt 20-1Hills
Back this tip with William Hill
Blackburn top-six finish
2pts 11-2bet365
Back this tip with bet365

Verdict

Blackburn have had some tough times since suffering relegation from the Premier League in 2012 but the good times are returning to Ewood Park and there is a genuine possibility of them returning to the top flight next year.

If Tony Mowbray's side are to go up it will almost certainly be via the playoffs because the top two – West Brom and Leeds – are dominating the division.

There were pre-season questions over West Brom, who were 12-1 in the ante-post betting after losing key strikers Dwight Gayle (returned to parent club Newcastle) and Jay Rodriguez (sold to Burnley).

But the Baggies recruited well under Slaven Bilic and have banked 49 points from 22 games, ten more than their total at the same stage of last season.

Albion are the league's top scorers with 45 goals – ten more than any other second-tier side – yet they are not too heavily reliant on a single player.

Goals are spread around the side with Charlie Austin and Matt Phillips contributing seven each and Hal Robson-Kanu, Matheus Pereira and Grady Diangana pitching in with tallies of six, five and five.

Sporting Lisbon loanee Pereira is arguably the most influential of the group. He leads the second tier assists table with 11 and it has been reported that Albion may exercise an option to buy him in January.

Bilic's outfit look bound for the Premier League but they are odds-against in the title betting because the markets favour second-placed Leeds.

Marcelo Bielsa's side just missed out last season after being derailed by injuries to several key players.

They have put together a more robust squad this season and instead of running out of steam they are going from strength-to-strength.

Leeds relinquished top spot at the weekend by throwing away a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 at home to Cardiff.

Yet they have a ten-point cushion to third-placed Preston and that gap is more likely to increase than contract over the rest of the campaign.

Rival clubs will do their best to catch up but none of them are playing with the necessary consistency to give the top two a serious run for their money.

North End are third despite suffering four successive defeats immediately after the November international break. And Brentford are fourth despite losing eight games, the joint-most among teams in the top half.

The Bees play some lovely football and their high-quality front three of Said Benrahma, Ollie Watkins and Bryan Mbuemo are beginning to click.

But the markets have gone a little overboard on the Londoners, making them 5-2 to go up despite them having very little chance of automatic promotion.

Finishing in the playoffs is far from certain for Thomas Frank's side and it would become more difficult if any of their attackers were snapped up in January.

Sixth-placed Fulham are another side not guaranteed to reach the playoffs and have immediate questions to answer after three successive defeats.

Despite Aleksandar Mitrovic's 16 goals, the Cottagers are not matching expectations and look too short to go up.

The race for top-six berths is wide open with seven points separating third-placed Preston from Hull in 14th.

Preston are 9-1 to go up despite their lofty position and fifth-placed Sheffield Wednesday get a 7-1 quote.

Of the pair, the Owls make greater appeal and could go close if revitalised striker Jordan Rhodes builds on his superb hat-trick in Saturday's 4-0 win at Nottingham Forest.

However, there is better value to be had by siding with Blackburn, who are 20-1 to win promotion and 11-2 for a top-six finish.

Since the November international break, Rovers have taken 16 points from six games – as many as West Brom and Leeds – to take them to within one point of the playoff places.

They are on the up and their strength in depth was showcased on Saturday when Mowbray made six changes and led his team to a 2-0 victory at Bristol City.

Attacking midfielder Bradley Dack was suspended but he has been a key man, scoring nine goals, and may attract interest in January.

However, Blackburn will be hugely reluctant to sell and if they can keep their squad together there is every chance of them extending their season.

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