by Bradley Gibbs for FIRST.com
If just a few weeks ago you’d asked me who’d be leaving the Championship behind as league winners, then I would’ve had to say Leeds, especially after they’d established something of a commanding lead thanks to five straight wins, beating fellow title chasers Sheffield United away from home.
Fast forward a fortnight, though, and the title picture is back to being far from clear, such is the volatility of England’s second tier. Leeds’ lead has rapidly vanished, with them now sitting in second, a point behind the Blades. Sure, Daniel Farke’s men have a game in hand, so the title is effectively still in their hands, but it’s tight, and with neither Sheffield United and Burnley letting up, it doesn’t look like the Whites are going to forge clear.
With a few months of the campaign remaining, the title race is up in the air, there’s no doubting that. What we do know is that it’s between four teams and four teams only, and out of those four, right now at least, there’s only three that are seriously in the fight.
Let’s see how the betting for the Championship title race currently stands:
- Leeds – 1/4
- Sheffield United – 6/1
- Burnley – 10/1
- Sunderland – 200/1
- Coventry – 350/1
- West Brom – 500/1
OK, so as the betting above suggests, we have Leeds, Sheffield United and Burnley battling it out for the big prize. If any other team can get involved then it’s Sunderland and Sunderland only, but as the Black Cats currently sit six points behind the Clarets in third, they’re unlikely to get seriously involved in the battle for top spot.
Are Leeds too short in the betting?
Despite failing to win any of their last two fixtures, which has landed them right back in the thick of the title scrap as opposed to keeping a safe distance out in front, Farke’s men remain strong favourites to clinch the title, but are they too short?
As a bettor, I’m looking for value, and right now, I see no value in odds of 1/4. Given that their only advantage is a game in hand, I’d argue that such odds are less user friendly than they ought to be.
Sure, we’re talking about the top scorers in the division, while they clearly have the quality to get over the line, but let’s not forget, this is a team that dropped off late in the day last season, ending up in the play-offs when they really should’ve finished in the top two, while the two teams challenging them are both very consistent in their ability to pick up points.
To be honest, at odds of 10/1, I’m tempted to take a punt on Burnley. Scott Parker’s well-oiled machine gives very little away, and if any team is going to continually grind out wins between now and the end of the campaign, it’s the Clarets.
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