When you sign-up through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more >
The EFL Championship Playoffs 2022 will conclude with the final at Wembley on Sunday, when one of Huddersfield Town or Nottingham Forest will win promotion to the Premier League. This is frequently called the most lucrative game in soccer, with the 2022 victors set to pocket at least $168m according to figures from two years ago.
The EFL Championship Playoffs were introduced in 1987. It was a popular move, and one which helped to enliven the second tier of the English game towards the end of each campaign. Winners of the play-offs frequently say it is the best possible way to win promotion, but losing in the final at Wembley is invariably a heart-breaking experience.
The odds for the EFL Championship Playoffs are provided by Caesars Sportsbook. Click on the links in the table below to head to the sportsbook, sign-up, and place your bet.
Beginner friendly
Fantastic odds
100% Deposit Match up to $100
21+ CO, VA, MI Only | Terms and conditions apply
Nottingham Forest are the favorites to win the EFL Championship Playoffs. Steve Cooper’s side finished the regular season in fourth place, before beating Sheffield United on penalties after a 3-3 aggregate draw in the play-off semi-finals. Forest have been absent from the Premier League for 23 years and are desperate to return.
Huddersfield Town finished one place above Nottingham Forest in the Championship table, amassing two more points over the course of the 46-game season. The Terriers, who were in the Premier League as recently as 2019, beat Luton Town 2-1 in the two-legged semi-finals.
If you would like to check out more betting options available to you, make sure you have a read of our guide on how to bet on soccer.
Brentford were the EFL Championship Playoffs in 2021. After finishing third in the regular season with 87 points, the Bees beat Bournemouth 3-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals, before overcoming Swansea City (who were managed by Steve Cooper, the current Nottingham Forest boss) 2-0 in the final.
Brentford had reached the final of the play-offs the previous year but suffered a 1-0 defeat by Fulham, their west London rivals, at Wembley.
In addition to the multiple winners listed in the table below, 15 teams have won the EFL Championship Playoffs on a single occasion.
EFL Championship Playoff Winners | Victories | Years |
Crystal Palace | 4 | 1989, 1997, 2004, 2013 |
West Ham United | 2 | 2005, 2012 |
Watford | 2 | 1999, 2006 |
Hull City | 2 | 2008, 2016 |
Swindon Town | 2 | 1990, 1993 |
Bolton Wanderers | 2 | 1995, 2001 |
Charlton Athletic | 2 | 1987, 1998 |
Leicester City | 2 | 1994, 1996 |
Fulham | 2 | 2018, 2020 |
Free play options
Special contests for newbies
Bet $5 on a Money Line, Get $150 in Bonus Bets
21+ | Terms and conditions apply
Wide range of betting options
Top notch customer service
Promo Code 'SPORTS'
$500 Bonus Bet
21+ | VA only | Gambling problem? Call 1-800-532-3500
Team | Unsuccessful Attempts | Successful Attempts |
Ipswich Town | 7 | 1 |
Derby County | 7 | 1 |
Reading | 5 | 0 |
Sheffield United | 5 | 0 |
Wolverhampton Wanderers | 4 | 1 |
Brighton & Hove Albion | 4 | 0 |
Cardiff City | 4 | 0 |
Preston North End | 4 | 0 |
Birmingham City | 4 | 1 |
Leeds United | 3 | 0 |
Millwall | 3 | 0 |
Tranmere Rovers | 3 | 0 |
West Bromwich Albion | 3 | 0 |
Nottingham Forest | 3 | 0 |
Sunderland | 3 | 0 |
Two teams get automatic promotion from the Championship. The two sides that amass the most points throughout the 46-game campaign bypass the play-offs and go straight to the Premier League.
The teams that finish third, fourth, fifth, and sixth in the Championship enter the play-offs, the winner of which is promoted to the Premier League alongside the top two.
The first stage of the play-offs is the semi-finals. Unlike tournaments such as the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Champions League, there is no draw to decide who plays who. The third-place finisher always plays the sixth-place finisher, and the fourth-place finisher always plays the fifth-place finisher.
The semi-finals are held over two legs, with the side that finishes higher up the table playing the second leg at home since this is widely deemed to be advantageous. If the two teams are level on aggregate after 180 minutes, an additional 30 minutes of extra time is played. If there is still nothing separating them, a penalty shoot-out is held.
The winners of the semi-finals advance to the final, which is staged as a one-off game at Wembley.
In the 1985/86 season, three clubs – Norwich City, Charlton Athletic and Wimbledon – were automatically promoted from the Championship (which was then called the Second Division). The following year, two clubs were automatically promoted and one went up a league through the play-offs.
The EFL Championship Playoffs were introduced as part of a ten-point plan to encourage soccer fans to return to stadia. They were originally supposed to last for only two years, but the immediate popularity of the end-of-season tournament meant the play-offs became a permanent fixture.
The play-offs are a rich source of drama and entertainment, while they also keep the regular season interesting for longer.
The Championship play-off final will take place at 11.30am Eastern Time on Sunday 29 May 2022.
Soccer fans based in the United States can watch the Club World Cup 2022 on ESPN+.
Free play options
Special contests for newbies
Bet $5 on a Money Line, Get $150 in Bonus Bets
21+ | Terms and conditions apply
Wide range of betting options
Top notch customer service
Promo Code 'SPORTS'
$500 Bonus Bet
21+ | VA only | Gambling problem? Call 1-800-532-3500
100% Deposit Match up to $100
21+ CO, VA, MI Only | Terms and conditions apply
Greg Lea is a freelance soccer journalist from London. He is the former editor of The Set Pieces, and has contributed to the Guardian, FourFourTwo, and ESPN. A Crystal Palace fan, he is a long-time subscriber to the belief that it's the taking part that counts. Email: [email protected]
More info on Greg Lea
© Rebel Penguin ApS 2023 (a subsidiary of Gaming Innovation Group Inc.)
We support responsible gambling. 21+ Only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
WSN.com is run by iGaming Cloud Inc (a Gaming Innovation Group Subsidiary) and is registered with the New Jersey
Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) under affiliate vendor ID
89744,
with the Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) under certificate of registration number SWR-000148, approved by
the
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board as a gaming service provider, under certificate registration number
117656-1,
possesses a Vendor Minor sports betting license from the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission (account
number 94414163), granted a vendor registration number VR007603-20-001 by the Michigan Gaming Control Board,
an
interim Sports Wagering Supplier license, under license number SWS 066, issued by the West Virginia Lottery
Commission, a sports betting vendor registration, under registration number #100400, issued by the Director
of
Gaming Licensing and Investigations of the Virginia Lottery to operate in the State of Virginia, and a
Vendor
Registration issued by the Sports Wagering Committee of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation.
Advertising disclosure: WSN contains links to online retailers on its website. When people click on our
affiliate links and make purchases, WSN earns a commission from our partners, including ESPN and various
sportsbooks.