The 2026/27 Championship season is scheduled to kick off on Friday, August 14 when newly-relegated Wolves take on former Premier League champions Blackburn Rovers at the Molineux Stadium.
That’s how things will begin – but how will they end. With the help of a supercomputer’s calculations, according to the Daily Echo, we’ll aim to give an estimate of this today.
The supercomputer gave each team in the Championship a final finishing place from 1st to 24th. We’ll list each placement down below, as well as our personal thoughts on each of its picks.
Previously, we took a look at supercomputer predictions for the Premier League – today, however, our focus will be on the Championship.
24. Lincoln City
No surprises here. Lincoln City were excellent in League One last season, finishing top of the table with 103 points, but losing head coach Michael Skubala to Bristol City in the interim was a massive blow. On top of this, their exploits in the summer transfer window were also less than stellar.
23. Charlton Athletic
Perhaps a little harsh, but one can’t ignore the fact that Charlton struggled in the Championship last season and haven’t improved an awful lot over the course of the summer. They replaced Lyndon Dykes with Karlan Grant, which isn’t much of an improvement. Danny McNamara could be a decent signing, though, provided he stays fit.
22. Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers are the final team pegged for relegation by the supercomputer. They demolished Stockport County in the playoff final, but how much will that count for in the Championship? The Trotters have done a good job of shoring up their defence and have no issues with scoring goals, but the division may be just that bit too strong for them this year.
21. Preston
Preston North End are the quintessential Championship mainstay team. They’ve been in the second tier for ten straight years now – the supercomputer thinks they’ll make it 11, but only just. In particular, the signing of Alfie Devine from Tottenham Hotspur could be an exciting one for Lilywhites fans.
20. Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers finished 20th last season and that’s where the supercomputer thinks they’ll end up this season. Consistency, if nothing else. It makes sense, given their lack of squad turnover, but it’ll be interesting to see how Tony Mowbray gets on in his second stint at Ewood Park.
19. Portsmouth
Portsmouth have splashed the cash a bit this summer, but the supercomputer doesn’t think it’ll help them much. We think this placement is harsh – acquisitions such as Odin Bailey, Abu Kamara and Marko Milovanović look very interesting on paper.
18. Cardiff City
Cardiff returned to the Championship at the first time of asking and are expected to consolidate their position in the second tier this year. The highest scorers in League One last season, their efforts in front of goal shouldn’t be an issue – keeping the Colwill brothers was also a major boost to their chances of avoiding the drop.
17. QPR
QPR are always difficult to predict, but it’s hard to see them making much of an impact in the top half of the table this season. Tariq Lamptey stands out as a good signing for them, but one might’ve expected them to further bolster their defensive options after they let in a whopping 73 goals last season.
16. Stoke City
The acquisition of Ethan Galbraith was a brilliant piece of business from Stoke City, but the supercomputer doesn’t think it’ll be enough. For all their financial backing, the Potters have underwhelmed audiences for several seasons on the bounce at this point.
15. Derby County
Derby County were subject to a potential takeover from Turki Alalshikh this summer, though it ultimately fell through. Their activity in the summer has been limited, though the signing of Bobby Clatrk stands out as a solid piece of business. All in all, once again, we feel the supercomputer is being harsh here.
14. Bristol City
Bristol City could really make a serious go of it in the top six this season – we’re not quite sure what the supercomputer is thinking with this placement. Yes, Skubala has no prior Championship experience, but signings such as Sam Tickle and Lorent Tolaj could be real game-changers for the Robins.
13. West Brom
Let’s be frank – West Brom were terrible last season, beating the drop by just four points and finishing 21st. They’ve offloaded the deadwood and spent some smart money to improve their chances this season, but a mid-table finish is probably the best thing they can hope for