Pick of the Sky Bet Championship fixtures for the new season
We select the pick of the Sky Bet Championship fixtures for the new season, with details of the full list for key dates.
Pick of the fixtures
Saturday August 5: Aston Villa v Hull City
The standout fixture of the opening weekend. Steve Bruce left Hull City last summer after guiding the Tigers to the promotion to the Premier League. One year on and Bruce is in charge of Aston Villa, second favourites with Championship sponsors Sky Bet, and he comes up against a Hull side managed by ex-Russia boss Leonid Slutsky after being relegated from the top-flight. Villa are fancied to go well after coming up short last term despite spending big in the transfer market and victory against Bruce's former employers be an extra sweet way to start with a bang.
Saturday September 23: Sheffield Wednesday v Sheffield United
The Sheffield derby is back on the menu for the first time since 2012 after United won the Sky Bet League One title to join rivals Wednesday in the Championship. Wednesday failed to make it through their play-off semi-final, losing to Huddersfield on penalties, and they are the more fancied side with Sky Bet to enjoy a successful season. United boss Chris Wilder has won the League One and League Two titles in the last two campaigns. He landed the League Two crown with Northampton and it would be some story if he could complete the set of the three EFL league trophies this term.
Saturday November 18: Leeds United v Middlesbrough
Expect there to be plenty of focus on this match as new Middlesbrough manager Garry Monk returns to Elland Road to face his former club Leeds. Monk left Leeds earlier this summer after just missing out on a Sky Bet Championship play-off in his only season in charge. The former Swansea boss returned to the headlines to take charge of Middlesbrough, back in the second tier after a one-season stay in the Premier League, and his new employers are battling for favouritism at the head of the Championship outright odds. Leeds could be contenders too so prepare for a very intriguing tussle.
Saturday December 2: Derby County v Burton Albion
Burton Albion surprisingly ended last season with the bragging rights over East Midlands rivals Derby County. The Brewers beat the Rams 1-0 at the Pirelli Stadium and the return fixture between the two clubs ended in a 0-0 draw at Pride Park. Burton boss Nigel Clough and Derby chief Gary Rowett have both also managed the Rams and Brewers respectively so there isn't much that these two sides don't know about each other.
Saturday December 16: Birmingham City v Queens Park Rangers
Birmingham City manager Harry Redknapp faces Queens Park Rangers for the first time since leaving Loftus Road at the start of 2015. Redknapp guided Blues over the line last term in the scrap for Sky Bet Championship survival and he's been rewarded with a full-time role at St Andrew's. QPR are led by Ian Holloway and improvement is expected in the ex-Sky Sports pundit's first full campaign in charge since returning to the club.
Key rounds of fixtures
First weekend
Friday August 4
Sunderland v Derby County
Saturday August 5
Aston Villa v Hull City
Bristol City v Barnsley
Burton Albion v Cardiff City
Fulham v Norwich City
Ipswich Town v Birmingham City
Nottingham Forest v Millwall
Preston North End v Sheffield Wednesday
Queens Park Rangers v Reading
Sheffield United v Brentford
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Middlesbrough
Sunday August 6
Bolton Wanderers v Leeds United
Barnsley v Preston North End
Birmingham City v Norwich City
Brentford v Aston Villa
Bristol City v Reading
Burton Albion v Leeds United
Cardiff City v Fulham
Hull City v Derby County
Ipswich Town v Queens Park Rangers
Middlesbrough v Bolton Wanderers
Millwall v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Nottingham Forest v Sheffield Wednesday
Sheffield United v Sunderland
Aston Villa v Bristol City
Bolton Wanderers v Hull City
Derby County v Sheffield United
Fulham v Ipswich Town
Leeds United v Nottingham Forest
Norwich City v Millwall
Preston North End v Middlesbrough
Queens Park Rangers v Cardiff City
Reading v Birmingham City
Sheffield Wednesday v Burton Albion
Sunderland v Barnsley
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Brentford
Birmingham City v Fulham
Bolton Wanderers v Nottingham Forest
Brentford v Hull City
Bristol City v Sheffield United
Cardiff City v Reading
Derby County v Barnsley
Ipswich Town v Middlesbrough
Leeds United v Queens Park Rangers
Millwall v Aston Villa
Preston North End v Burton Albion
Sheffield Wednesday v Norwich City
Sunderland v Wolverhampton Wanderers
Sky Bet Championship odds
Middlesbrough and Aston Villa are vying for favouritism in the outright market, but the wide open nature of the division this year is highlighted by the fact that it's 13/2 the field. Sky Bet are also paying four places in their each way terms, as opposed to the usual three.
Boro and Villa are both 15/8 for promotion, with Fulham and Norwich next in line, both at 11/4. Burton (6/4), Barnsley (2/1) and either Bolton or Millwall (9/4) will be the teams going down at the end of the season if the oddsmakers have it right.
Odds for the opening set of fixtures is already available with the tight nature of the division reflected by the fact that only two teams are odds-on. Both Villa (v Hull) and Bristol City, who host Barnsley, are 10/11.
Sunderland, who open the whole season at home to Derby, are 11/8 for three points with the visitors 9/5 shots. Meanwhile, Leeds are slight favourites (6/4) to win their opener at Bolton (13/8).
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