West Ham and Southampton Expected to Secure Promotion to Premier League, Opta Predicts

The English Championship season kicks off with West Ham United and Southampton FC aiming to return to the Premier League after recent setbacks. West Ham, relegated last season, and Southampton, banned from the playoffs due to a spying scandal, are both favored to achieve automatic promotion according to Opta's algorithm.

Opta forecasts West Ham to win the Championship with 77.1 points, while Southampton is predicted to finish second with 74.48 points, both spots guaranteeing direct promotion. Southampton begins the season with a 4-point deduction due to the spying incident. Bristol City, featuring Israeli player Lisab Issat, is projected to finish 17th with 58 points, far from promotion contention.

Middlesbrough is expected to claim the third promotion spot through the playoffs. Meanwhile, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Burnley, both relegated last season, are predicted to remain in the Championship for another year. The detailed promotion probabilities show West Ham with a 30.04% chance and Southampton with 24.24%, making them the leading candidates for Premier League return.