Anticipation is building ahead of the opening matchday of the 2024-25 EFL Championship season, with an initial two games taking place on Friday night before the remaining 10 fixtures occur over the following three days.
The Championship is widely recognised as one of the most difficult but entertaining leagues in Europe, with 24 teams all fighting it out for a chance at promotion into the Premier League. These opening games are sure to provide plenty of drama and action as every team looks to get off to the perfect start, and we’re going to take a closer look at a selection of matches and pick out our top tips and booking code:
Blackburn Rovers vs Derby County
These two sides appear to be evenly matched heading into this campaign, with Blackburn only narrowly surviving in the second tier on the final day of 2023-24, while Derby secured their promotion into the Championship with a second-place finish in League One.
The opening day of a season is hard to predict in the best of circumstances, let alone when both teams do appear so well-matched, but with Blackburn having the home advantage, and being determined to not get involved in a relegation battle this time around, we believe the hosts will win here.
Blackburn Rovers to win, 2.28
Preston North End vs Sheffield United
Sheffield United are the first of the three relegated sides from last year’s English Premier League to kick off their Championship season, and they will be hoping to set an early positive tempo as they aim to bounce straight back into the top flight.
Preston, however, will also have ambitions of reaching at least the play-off spots this season, especially after they threw away any chance of finishing in the top eight by losing all of their last five matches last year.
While Preston will be looking to make the most of home advantage and pick up a positive win on the opening day, Sheffield United still have a number of players that are of Premier League quality, including a number of new signings, and we believe the visitors will win here.
Sheff Utd to win & under 1.5 goals, 8.80
Luton Town vs Burnley
The remaining two newly relegated teams are set to face off against each other on Monday night when Luton host Burnley at Kenilworth Road. Similarly to Sheffield United, both will be looking to make an early statement by picking up a solid victory as they aim to be promoted at their first attempt.
While both sides have lost some of their players from last season, they still have plenty of quality that could leave them as favourites to be promoted this year. That leaves both as fairly evenly-matched heading into this one, but Luton showed they were at their best at home last season, even producing better performances in defeats at home, and we believe that will help get them over the line with a win.
Luton Town to win & over 2.5 goals, 3.65
Booking Code:
6W82RPK – Odds: 73.88
2 Comments
by Kingsley Udoma
The best I have ever used
by CHIMA UCHENNA VINCENT
#Bet9ja go time Premier league all the way