Championship top scorer tips, predictions, odds and best bets for 2026/27: Adam Armstrong, Patrick Bamford, Adam Idah and Milutin Osmajic backed
Football betting tips: Championship
3pts e.w Adam Armstrong to be top scorer at 16/1 (General 1/4 odds 1-4)
2pts e.w Patrick Bamford to be top scorer at 40/1 (BetVictor 1/4 odds 1-4)
1pt e.w Adam Idah to be top scorer at 100/1 (General 1/4 odds 1-4)
1pt e.w Milutin Osmajic to be top scorer at 150/1 (General 1/4 odds 1-4)
Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair
Championship top scorer odds (via Sky Bet)
Each-way: 1/4 odds, four places
- Jarrod Bowen (West Ham) – 6/1
- Raul Jimenez (Wolves) – 7/1
- Will Lankshear (Middlesbrough) – 10/1
- Valentin Castellanos (West Ham) – 12/1
- Zan Vipotnik (Swansea) – 14/1
- Adam Armstrong (Wolves) – 16/1
- Morgan Whittaker (Middlesbrough) – 16/1
- Jay Stansfield (Birmingham) – 16/1
- Mohamed Toure (Norwich) – 16/1
Not since Aleksandar Mitrovic in 2021/22 has the ante-post favourite finished as CHAMPIONSHIP TOP SCORER when the Fulham striker rewrote the record books with 43 goals.
It’s a market that rarely follows the betting. Transfers, injuries, team selection and changes in style of play all contribute to surprise winners such as Zan Vipotnik last season and Sam Szmodics in 2024.
Championship top scorer – last 10 seasons
- 25/26: Zan Vipotnik (Swansea) – 23
- 24/25: Joel Piroe (Leeds) – 19
- 23/24: Sam Szmodics (Blackburn) – 27
- 22/23: Chuba Akpom (Middlesbrough) – 28
- 21/22: Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) – 43
- 20/21: Ivan Toney (Brentford) – 31
- 19/20: Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) – 26
- 18/19: Teemu Pukki (Norwich) – 29
- 17/18: Lewis Grabban (Villa/Sunderland), Matej Vydra (Derby) – 20
- 16/17: Chris Wood (Leeds) – 27
This time last year there were 12 players priced between 13/2 and 16/1.
Favourite Cameron Archer finished with just four goals, while only one of those 12 came close to justifying his position in the market, with Coventry’s Haji Wright (16/1) finishing joint-second on 17.
There was one other player, though, who deserves a giant caveat next to his name.
Adam Armstrong (Wolves) – 16/1
ADAM ARMSTRONG had already scored 11 goals by the time Wolves came calling in January, by which stage speculation had long begun.
All 11 came in his opening 20 league appearances, further underlining his reputation as one of the Championship’s most reliable goalscorers.
In his last full season at this level he scored 24 and assisted 13 as Southampton won promotion. Across his previous two full second-tier campaigns for Blackburn he scored another 44 league goals.
Having been 10/1 a year ago, it makes little sense for him to be 16/1 at a club who begin the season as second favourites for promotion.
There may be question marks over Raul Jimenez being first choice, but both should play regularly and, if anything, the Mexican’s link-up play could make Armstrong even more potent at what remains his natural level.
A quick word too on ZIAN FLEMMING (25/1) who only missed out on the staking plan because of strong transfer speculation.
There is no doubting the Burnley striker’s quality. He scored 11 Premier League goals last season at a rate of 0.56 per 90, building on several consistent Championship campaigns with the Clarets and Millwall.
Should he still be at Turf Moor when the transfer window closes, he is well worth consideration.
Southampton’s CYLE LARIN also came close at the same price after making an immediate impact following his January loan arrival from Feyenoord, a move that has since been made permanent.
He scored eight goals in 16 league appearances despite making only nine starts, before carrying that form into the World Cup by scoring twice for Canada.
His journeyman career, the relatively small sample size and the possibility of fatigue after Canada’s run to the last 16 leave just enough doubt for me to leave him alone.
Patrick Bamford (Sheff Utd) – 33/1
PATRICK BAMFORD’s impact at Sheffield United seemed to go largely unnoticed last season, but an expected goals figure of 0.6 per 90 was an outstanding return for a player whose recent career has been badly disrupted by injury.
The Blades managed him carefully. The 32-year-old completed 90 minutes only twice across his first 21 appearances before playing every minute of their final eight league games.
That, combined with 13 goals in 29 appearances in all competitions, suggests there is still plenty of life left in the former Leeds striker at Championship level.
Adam Idah (Swansea) – 100/1
Putting up ADAM IDAH is certainly speculative, but not without reason.
The Republic of Ireland international joined Swansea for £7m on deadline day last summer after an impressive 18 months with Celtic, where he scored 29 goals in 72 appearances.
His first season in South Wales was disrupted by injuries and he never established any rhythm, starting only six league games.
That left Vipotnik unchallenged as Swansea’s first-choice striker on his way to 23 goals, a remarkable improvement after scoring just seven in his debut campaign – only a goal more than Idah managed last term in 36 fewer starts.
With speculation continuing over Vipotnik’s future, circumstances could hand Idah a much bigger opportunity this season.
Even if the Slovenian stays, Idah should be much better placed to make an impact after a full pre-season and a year to settle into the club.
Milutin Osmajic (Preston) – 150/1
Paul Heckingbottom is approaching two years as Preston manager and during that time striker MILUTIN OSMAJIC has served suspensions totalling 20 matches.
There are signs the Montenegro international is changing, though.
Since returning from suspension for headbutting Hull’s John Lundstram in January he has gone 16 matches for club and country without even a booking, while scoring seven goals.
The obvious concern is that his previous bans came for biting an opponent and racist abuse, so there is always the risk he lands himself in trouble again.
At 150/1, though, that risk is worth taking on.
Osmajic scored eight goals from just 20 league starts last season and 15 in all competitions the year before.
Continued speculation over American investment at Deepdale, coupled with Preston’s £6m signing of Alfie Devine from Tottenham – quadrupling the previous club record fee – hints this could finally be a season where North End kick on.
Odds correct at 15:30 BST (5/8/26)
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