WLB Season Preview 2018/19 | Championship: Stats & Trends

WE asked Mark O’Haire (@MarkOHaire) and Ben Levene (@BenLevene96) to enter their bulging stats bibles to deliver us the best ante-post stats and trends ahead of the new Championship season. 

WLB Season Preview 2018/19 | Championship: Stats & Trends

League Winners (since 2005/06)

• Average price  – 13/1.
• Average position finished year previously – 8th (four were relegated clubs).
• 9 (69%) of the past 13 winners were priced up at 12/1 or bigger.
• 4 (31%) of the past 13 league winners failed in the play-offs year previously.
• 6 (33%) of the past 18 winners this century were priced at single-figure odds.

Favourites (since 2005/06)

• Average finishing position – 6th.
• Average finishing position this century – 5th.
• Newcastle (2016/17) and Manchester City (2001/02) are the only winning favourites this century.
• 9 (45%) of the past 20 favourites or joint-favourites this century have won promotion.
• 6 (43%) of the past 14 favourites or co-favourites since 2005/06 finished outside the top-six with 2 (14%) in the bottom-half.

Relegated Clubs (since 2005/06)

• Relegated clubs have won the Championship in 4/13 seasons (31%).
• 12/39 (31%)  clubs have won promotion straight back to the Premier League with 20 (51%) finishing in the top-six and 8 (21%) finished in the bottom-half – 2 (5%) suffered back-to-back relegation.
• Average finishing position of a relegated club – 8th.

Promoted Clubs (since 2005/06)

• Average finishing position of a promoted club – 15th.
• Only 7/39 (18%) promoted clubs have suffered immediate relegation.
• All three promoted clubs have survived in 9 (69%) of the past 13 seasons.
• 2 (5%) promoted clubs have won promotion again, 5 (13%) have finished in the top-six with 17 (44%) tabling top-half finishes.

Unsuccessful Play-Off Campaigns (since 2005/06)

• The average finish of a losing play-off finalist is 9th – 3/13 (23%) won promotion (twice as champions).
• The average finishing position of a side involved in an unsuccessful play-off campaign is 10th.
• In 7 of the last 8 seasons, a team who lost out in the play-offs bounced back with a top-six finish.

Any Other Business (since 2005/06)

• The average price of the three teams is 23/1 with 16/39 (41%) of sides being priced up at 20/1 or bigger – 5 (13%) were chalked up at 40/1 or larger.
• In each 11 of the past 12 seasons, a side priced at 20/1 or larger has finished in the top three.
• The top scoring (or joint top-scoring) side has won the league in 8 of the past 13 years and been promoted on 10 occasions (average finish 3rd).
• The side with the best defence (or joint best defence) has been crowned champions in 5 of the past 13 years, winning promotion on 10 occasions (average finish 2nd).
• The worst defence has been relegated in 11 of the last 13 seasons, finishing bottom on 8 occasions (average finish 23rd).
• The lowest scoring (or joint-lowest scoring) side has been relegated in 10 of the last 13 seasons, finishing bottom on 4 occasions (average finish 22nd).

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