AI Predicts Final 2026/27 Championship Table in Full – Wrexham and West Ham Thrive

The 2025/26 Championship season is a good example of that. At the start of the campaign, Leicester City were tipped by many to bounce straight back up to the Premier League. They ended up having a dismal season and suffered relegation to the English third tier.

Hull City, on the other hand, were one of the favourites for relegation to League One. The Tigers defied the odds to finish in a playoff berth, before beating Middlesbrough at Wembley Stadium to book their place in the Premier League.

With the 2026/27 Championship season on the horizon, GiveMeSport have asked GrokAI to predict the final table, and it thinks it knows where all 24 teams will finish.

Relegation Battlers (17-24)

Cardiff City are back in the Championship after finishing as League One runners-up in 2025/26. They are predicted to finish 17th and comfortably avoid going straight back down to England’s third tier.

Queens Park Rangers and Watford finished the 25/26 campaign in 15th and 16th respectively. AI thinks they will be separated by just one place again in the upcoming campaign.

Bolton Wanderers are back in the second tier after seven years away. Steven Schumacher’s side thrashed Stockport County in the League One playoff final to book their place in this season’s Championship. A tough season is being predicted for the Trotters but they just survive the drop.

Portsmouth narrowly escaped relegation in the 25/26 campaign. They are expected to do the same again in 26/27 as they are tipped to finish in 21st on just 47 points.

Blackburn Rovers have been flirting with relegation for many years and AI thinks they will go down alongside Charlton Athletic and Lincoln City. The latter amassed 103 points in League One in 25/26 as they blew everyone away, but are being tipped to struggle following the loss of manager Michael Skubala to Bristol City.

Mid Table (9-16)

Derby County missed out on the playoffs in 2025/26 on the final day of the season. AI thinks they will just miss out once more this season.

Southampton will start the season with -4 points after being found guilty of spying on multiple teams during the 25/26 campaign. AI thinks they too will miss out on the playoffs and finish 10th.

James Morrison led West Bromwich Albion to safety in 25/26, and they are expected to be a lot better in the upcoming campaign. They are being tipped to finish 11th.

Millwall came so close to promotion to the Premier League in 25/26. They narrowly missed out on an automatic promotion spot before losing to Hull in the playoffs. They aren’t expected to be as good in the upcoming campaign as they finish 12th.

AI thinks Vítor Matos’ Swansea City will amass 54 points and finish 14tth, a place behind Stoke City, while AI thinks perennial mid-table sides Bristol City and Preston North End will finish 15th and 16th respectively.

Race For Promotion (1-8)

The playoffs will be expanded in 26/27, with the top eight now qualifying. Wrexham are expected to make the playoffs this season as they take the final place.

Sheffield United are being tipped to bounce back from a dismal 25/26 season and finish 4th, ahead of Norwich City and Middlesbrough. The latter were, of course, beaten by Hull City in the 25/26 playoff final.

AI thinks the three clubs that have dropped to the Championship from the Premier League will finish in the top three.

Burnley are expected to amass 82 points and finish third as they just miss out on automatic promotion. AI thinks Wolves and West Ham will return to the Premier League at the first time of asking, with the former finishing six points clear of Nuno Espirito Santo’s side to be crowned champions.

AI wrote of Wolves: “Wolves are the best-equipped team in the league on paper — strongest blend of quality, depth, motivation (immediate Premier League return), and resources.”