Championship Accumulator

The Championship season gets off and running this weekend with everyone full of the hope and optimism that comes with a clean slate. I generally think that opening days are likely to see even more home victories than normal, as big summer crowds gather to support their team for the first time in months. The feel-good factor is even greater among promoted teams as they finally reap the reward of the success gained last term. With that in mind, two of my tips are going to be Southampton and Brighton. The treble is completed by another home team, Middlesbrough, who finished last season superbly. Back all three to win at odds of 8/1 with WilliamHill.

Let’s start with Brighton and Hove Albion. The League One champions are swimming in reasons to celebrate on Saturday. Besides promotion to the Championship, the Seagulls will also end 12 years without a proper home when they walk out at the new 22,500 capacity Falmer (Amex) Stadium against Donny. New signing Craig Mackail-Smith is a club record purchase, having signed from Peterborough off the back of a 35-goal season.

The only problem I can potentially see for Gus Poyet’s side is if the occasion gets too much for the players. Luckily, even a slightly flat performance may be enough to take the three points against visitors who start the season as relegation favourites. Rovers crawled into 21st spot last season and only won four times on the road. Brighton should be even shorter than the 10/11 they find themselves at.

Next up, with similar aspirations, we have Southampton. Nigel Adkins’ side face a tougher test in Leeds Utd, but that’s exactly the sort of glamour tie that everybody would have wanted at the St Mary’s Stadium. It’s the sort of fixture that they would have longed for during the darker days of League One football. Leading marksman Rickie Lambert will be looking to get off to a flyer.

This looks like a good time to be taking on the Elland Road outfit. The summer has seen the departure of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and there’s an injury crisis down the other end of the pitch. Luciano Becchio scored 20 last campaign, but will miss the start of this season after surgery was needed to treat a ruptured tendon. Even worse, South African international Davide Somma will be out for many months with a cruciate injury sustained in pre-season. With many Leeds fans still unhappy with Kenny Bates, this should be the perfect moment for Saints to take the spoils at odds of 13/10.

Finally, we have Middlesbrough down to beat Portsmouth at individual odds of 11/10. Mowbray’s mob cantered over the line last season with four wins and 12 goals in their final four matches. A season of struggle was transformed into mid-table respectability, and the bookies have reacted by making the Riversiders one of the favourites for promotion. That seems unlikely to me, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have too much at home for the likes of Pompey. Steve Cotteril’s side went winless in the final eight games of last season and he could soon find himself under pressure. It looks like another home banker.

Back the treble of Brighton, Southampton, and Middlesbrough at combined odds of 8/1 with WilliamHill.