Birmingham City are the short-priced favourites to make an immediate return to the Championship, following their relegation to League One this past weekend. Blues' 13-year stay in the second tier came to an end despite seeing off Norwich City at St Andrew's. They were relegated because Plymouth Argyle, Sheffield Wednesday and Blackburn Rovers all matched their result elsewhere.
Work begins now on ensuring that their stay in the third tier is as brief as it was the last time they found themselves in this division, in 1994 - back then, they were guided back at the first attempt by Barry Fry, as part of a league and cup double - and, simply, they're fancied by the bookmakers to do exactly that.
With SkyBet, Blues are 11/10 to win promotion in any form next term, be that automatically or through the play-offs. For context, the next shortest price side are fellow relegated outfit Huddersfield Town, who are 9/4. Wrexham, who have only just been promoted to League One after successive promotions from the non-league and League Two under Phil Parkinson, are third favourites at 11/4.
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Then you have the other side to drop out of the Championship, Rotherham United, who are 7/2 and Reading - formerly of the Championship - are 9/2. It's a similar story in the title-winning market; Blues are the short favourites at 7/2, while Huddersfield are 7/1, Wrexham 9/1, Rotherham 12/1 and Reading 14/1. Blues are just 1/2 to finish in the top six.
The 24-strong league has yet to be confirmed; the League Two play-offs commence this week and Crawley Town, MK Dons, Doncaster Rovers and Doncaster Rovers do battle in the coming weeks to determine who'll join Wrexham, Stockport County and Mansfield Town in making the step up and who'll join Blues, Huddersfield and Rotherham in making up the new faces of the division.
