Forty-six games, but not in the same order
Everyone plays everyone else. Twice. One at home, one away. On paper, the Championship fixture list is perfectly fair.
On paper.
Opta has gone through the opening rounds with its Power Rankings, a system that rates more than 10,000 clubs on a scale from 0 to 100. In the Championship, the range runs from Southampton (85.5, the toughest opponent) to Stoke City (77.5, 502nd in the world).
Watford have landed the worst draw. Their first five opponents average 82.8. That includes home games against title favourites Southampton and West Ham. It also means two trips into Wales, to Wrexham and then Swansea. And a third away day at West Brom.
Southampton (81st) and West Ham (96th) are the only two clubs in the division inside the world top 100. Watford are the only side to face both before round six. Watford, who the supercomputer had already marked down as relegation candidates.
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Birmingham face eight weeks of punishment
Across the eight rounds played between August 14 and September 20, before a three-week international break, Birmingham have the hardest run of all. Their opponents average 82.5, the highest in the division.
Three of the four best-ranked clubs in the league are coming to St Andrew’s: Southampton (81st), Middlesbrough (127th) and Wolverhampton (138th). They also have to go to Sheffield United (235th), Wrexham (244th) and Norwich (200th).
Behind them, Burnley and Birmingham share second place for the toughest first five games (82.4), ahead of Stoke City (82.2).
Portsmouth and Preston got the lucky breaks
Portsmouth have the easiest five-game start. They face Derby County, promoted sides Lincoln and Cardiff, plus QPR and Bristol City, who finished 15th and 12th respectively last season.
Over eight rounds, Preston North End come out best with an average of 79.6. Two promoted teams are on the menu, Bolton and Lincoln, along with two of Opta’s three leading relegation picks, Charlton and Watford.
A quick reminder before anyone starts drawing big conclusions. Sheffield United were the pre-season favourites for the title last year. They lost their first six matches and had to wait nine games for a win. Ruben Selles was gone after five. Chris Wilder, the man he replaced three months earlier, was back in the dugout.
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