Middlesbrough Installed As Championship Favourites

The betting for this season's npower Championship is wide open because at least two of the teams relegated from the Premiership aren't expected to dominate the division. Neither Portsmouth or Hull City are in position to do what Newcastle United managed last term, even with the parachute largesse.

Burnley are in better shape and rank high in the bookie's lists but it's Gordon Strachan's Middlesbrough who top the pile. Boro were expected to to go straight back last season under Gareth Southgate but endured a curious start to the campiagn.

Steve Gibson went against type to sack Southgate before Christmas even when the club were still in touch with the promotion race. Strachan came in but couldn't get Boro to the play offs- even after revamping the squad with loan players and a fistful of signings with Scottish Premier experience.

Did the upheaval scupper Boro's chances, or were the squad stagnating and in need of an injection of fresh talent? It's one for the fans to argue over but certainly Gibson wants to see Strachan deliver this year, now that he has the squad fashioned in his own way.

Inevitably, relegation stripped Boro of talents like Stewart Downing and Adam Johnson but enough Premiership know-how remains, supplemented by the likes of Kris Boyd, Scott McDonald and Barry Robson.

The strike partnership of Boyd and McDonald- scorers of bagfuls of goals for the Old Firm- is the principal reason for Boro's high rating. Strachan has put his faith in the quality of the SPL but even with these two in harnass, the bookies haven't made the North-east team nailed on to achieve promotion.

At 13/2 the fIrms are waiting to see how the new men in the squad bed in together. That price is bound to shorten quickly if the former Old Firm stars gel quickly though.

Middlesbrough 13/2

Nottingham Forest 8/1

Burnley 9/1

Reading    11/1

QPR 12/1

Cardiff/Leicester 14/1

18/1 bar

Prices from Bet 365