New Championship season starts with Wolves vs Blackburn on Friday
New format means seventh and eighth place also earn play-off place
Relegated duo Burnley and West Ham clash on Sunday among opening-weekend games
The new Championship season gets under way on Friday when relegated Wolves entertain Blackburn before eight games take place across Saturday.
There are then two fixtures on Sunday with the opening-weekend action concluding with an all-Welsh affair between Cardiff and Wrexham on Monday.
Wolves vs Blackburn - Friday August 14 (8pm)
Wolves had a torrid time of things in the Premier League last season but they are among the favourites to win the Championship and new boss Cesar Peixoto should get off to the ideal start against Blackburn, who only finished two places above the relegation zone last term.
Prediction: Wolves 2-0 Blackburn (21/4 with LiveScore Bet)
Bolton vs Preston - Saturday August 15 (12.30pm)
Preston will be looking to improve on last season's 14th-place finish, while Bolton are back in the Championship after triumphing in the League One play-offs.
This could be a tight opener with both teams tipped to have to settle for a point.
Prediction: Bolton 1-1 Preston (9/2 with LiveScore Bet)
Bristol City vs Millwall - Saturday August 15 (3pm)
Millwall only missed out on automatic promotion by a point in 2025-26 and they can kick off the new campaign with a win at Bristol City, who finished mid-table.
Prediction: Bristol City 0-1 Millwall (13/2 with LiveScore Bet)
Charlton vs Derby - Saturday August 15 (3pm)
Charlton had a disappointing season as they could only manage a 19th-place finish and they start against an ambitious Derby who were only four points off the play-offs last term.
Prediction: Charlton 1-1 Derby (17/4 with LiveScore Bet)
Middlesbrough vs Lincoln - Saturday August 15 (3pm)
Middlesbrough should put their play-off final defeat to Hull behind them and open the new season with a home win over promoted Lincoln, who are competing in the second tier for the first time in 65 years.
Prediction: Middlesbrough 3-1 Lincoln (15/2 with LiveScore Bet)
Norwich vs West Brom - Saturday August 15 (3pm)
Norwich are expected to push for at least a play-off place and can get off to a good start by overcoming West Brom, who struggled last season, ending up just four points clear of the bottom three.
Prediction: Norwich 2-1 West Brom (6/1 with LiveScore Bet)
Portsmouth vs QPR - Saturday August 15 (3pm)
Just three points ended up separating Portsmouth in 18th and 15th-placed QPR last season but they will both be seeking improvement in 2026-27 and an opening-weekend draw is a respectable outcome for each side.
Prediction: Portsmouth 2-2 QPR (17/2 with LiveScore Bet)
Stoke vs Swansea - Saturday August 15 (3pm)
Stoke have begun the last three Championship seasons with a home win and can make it four when they host a Swansea side that have lost on their last two visits.
Prediction: Stoke 3-0 Swansea (14/1 with LiveScore Bet)
Sheffield United vs Birmingham - Saturday August 15 (5.30pm)
Birmingham finished four points better off than Sheffield United last season as the Blades struggled to recover from a poor start.
This evening fixture is likely to be closely fought and a point apiece is not a bad outcome for two clubs who are expected to be in top-eight contention at the very least.
Prediction: Sheffield United 1-1 Birmingham City (22/5 with LiveScore Bet)
Watford vs Southampton - Sunday August 16 (1.30pm)
Sunday's action kicks off with Watford entertaining a Southampton side still reeling from their expulsion from the play-offs after the spying scandal.
The Hornets were 16th last season and look set to be in for a difficult opening assignment.
Prediction: Watford 0-2 Southampton (7/1 with LiveScore Bet)
Burnley vs West Ham - Sunday August 16 (4pm)
Two relegated teams collide on the opening weekend and the Hammers, who are fancied to bounce straight back up to the Premier League as champions, can get the better of the Clarets, who have Belgian coach Nicky Hayen in charge.
Prediction: Burnley 1-2 West Ham United (13/2 with LiveScore Bet)
Cardiff vs Wrexham - Monday August 17 (8pm)
A tasty Welsh derby rounds off the opening weekend in the Championship and Cardiff, who beat Roma in pre-season and then edged out Swindon in the Carabao Cup last week, can get the better of rivals Wrexham..
