West Ham enter the 2026-27 Championship campaign as the bookmakers' favourite to secure promotion at the first time of asking, following their relegation from the Premier League last term.
Their odds are the shortest in both the outright Championship winner and promotion markets ahead of their first season back in the second tier in 14 years. Although key names such as Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville have left, West Ham have retained captain Jarrod Bowen and manager Nuno Espirito Santo to spearhead their campaign.
West Ham title and promotion odds
Across the leading bookmakers, West Ham opened the season as clear favourites to win the Championship title outright. A combination of parachute payments, Nuno's previous experience of winning the division in 2018 with Wolves, and keeping skipper Bowen has the bookies predicting the east London outfit will take the second tier by storm.
The promotion market covers all routes back to the top flight: the two automatic promotion spots as well as the play-off final at Wembley. West Ham approach the new season as the only Championship team odds-on for promotion, with Betway offering a best-price of 4/7 on them going straight back up at the start of the campaign. Their two previous promotions from the Championship came via the play-offs in 2005 and 2012.
Top scorer and relegation odds
Captain Jarrod Bowen heads the Championship top scorer market on betting apps ahead of team-mate Valentin (Taty) Castellanos, with the pair set to lead the charge for the Hammers. Despite being the market favourite, with bookies pricing him between 5/1 and 6/1 as of August 11, Bowen has never been a prolific scorer by trade. His best season in front of goal came in 2023/24 when he scored 16 league goals in the Premier League.
Castellanos could provide value over Bowen. After seven goals in 22 appearances for a struggling West Ham side in the Premier League, Castellanos is priced around 10/1 to claim the Championship Golden Boot.
As one of the best-resourced squads in the division, West Ham start the season at the bottom of the relegation betting. But the market exists for every club, and clubs relegated from the Premier League can be involved at the wrong end of the table - just look at Leicester City last year.
West Ham summer transfers 2026
West Ham's window has been dominated by outgoings rather than incomings. The sales of Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville were plenty enough to fund a summer rebuild, although the Hammers have only added three players to their first-team squad so far. As the summer transfer window doesn't shut until 1 September 2026, more incomings and outgoings are still possible.
Incomings: Keiber Lamadrid (Winger, Deportivo La Guaira, £1m), Joel Veltman (Defender, Brighton & Hove Albion, Free), Manor Solomon (Winger, Tottenham Hotspur, £5m).
Outgoings: Crysencio Summerville (Winger, Al-Hilal, £55m + £5m add-ons), Lucas Paqueta (Midfielder, Flamengo, £36.5m), Freddie Potts (Midfielder, Club Brugge, Undisclosed), Callum Marshall (Striker, Luton Town, Undisclosed), Callum Wilson (Striker, Brentford, Free), Adama Traore (Winger, Released, Free), Lukasz Fabianski (Goalkeeper, Retired, -), Mateus Fernandes (Midfielder, Tottenham Hotspur, £85m).
Where to bet on West Ham
Several major bookmakers offer competitive West Ham odds for the 2026-27 Championship season. Sky Bet is the official Sky Bet Championship title sponsor with deep EFL coverage, offering Sky Bet Club, AccaFreeze, and Super 6. Betfair provides exchange betting, a bet £10 get £10 offer, and a 90-minute guarantee. Paddy Power offers money-back specials, enhanced odds, and free-to-play games. Betfred has Double Delight/Hat-Trick Heaven, money back on losing bet builders, and Acca Flex. Betway offers a free bets club, boosted odds, and 4 to Score.
All the bookmakers listed on this page provide responsible gambling tools, including deposit and loss limits, session time reminders, time-outs, and access to GAMSTOP registration for self-exclusion across multiple bookmakers. Using these tools helps punters maintain responsible gambling practices. Our betting experts recommend setting a budget, taking regular breaks, and not chasing losses.
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