Gameweek 9 of the EFL Championship delivered plenty of action, with three of the current top-four teams recording expected wins, while West Ham had to settle for their second consecutive draw.
West Brom lost the Midlands derby but have an immediate opportunity to bounce back as they travel to Wrexham.
Meanwhile, a mouthwatering clash awaits between Middlesbrough and Stoke City, two of the most in-form teams in England’s second division at the moment.
With crucial points at stake in the promotion race, Gameweek 10 promises some intriguing contests.
Stoke City vs Middlesbrough – Tuesday, October 13, 20:00
Stoke City will take on Middlesbrough in the EFL Championship at the Bet365 Stadium on Tuesday, October 13, 2026.
Middlesbrough currently sit in second place and are coming off a massive 1-0 win over Wolves.
Stoke City are breathing right down the necks of the top two after a strong 2-1 away victory at Bolton.
Stakes are high in this massive match between two in-form teams eyeing a top-two finish in the Championship this season.
Form guide
Stoke City are the most in-form team in the Championship at the moment. No team has collected more points than the Potters in their last six matches, during which they have won five times and drawn the other.
Their current form is even more impressive considering Stoke started the season with three consecutive league defeats.
Mark Robins’ side also showed their strong character in the last match.
Despite going down to 10 men in the 20th minute, Stoke still managed to pull off a 2-1 away win at Bolton, once again proving they are the real deal at the moment.
But this will be a real test for Stoke, as Middlesbrough are also on an impressive seven-game unbeaten run.
Will Lankshear’s second-half strike was enough for Boro to earn a 1-0 win over Wolves in their last match.
With that result, Middlesbrough moved into second place, just two points behind current table-toppers Swansea.
Team news
Maksym Talovierov is suspended for the home team after the Ukrainian centre-back was sent off in the 20th minute of Stoke’s 2-1 away win at Bolton.
Bosun Lawal is expected to replace Talovierov in the back three.
Aaron Cresswell and Svante Ingelsson remain injured and will sit out this clash.
Middlesbrough are expected to name an unchanged starting XI from their last match, with Lankshear leading the attack once again.
Boro have no fresh injury concerns apart from Alfie Jones and Rokas Pukstas.
Match odds
Stoke City are priced at 57/20 to win, while the draw is available at 29/10 and Middlesbrough at 19/20.
Suggested bet
Both teams to score in a 1-1 draw.
READ MORE: EFL Championship: Don Goodman rates Kim Hellberg, backs Middlesbrough for promotion push
Wrexham vs West Brom – Tuesday, October 13, 19:45
Wrexham host West Bromwich Albion in a huge Championship clash.
The Baggies will be eager to bounce back after a shocking home slip-up against Birmingham.
Hollywood-backed Wrexham, meanwhile, are also looking to capitalise on their home advantage at the Racecourse Ground to pull away from the mid-table pack.
Form guide
Both Wrexham and West Brom need to turn their form around, or they risk falling further behind the play-off places.
The Red Dragons might be just three points behind sixth-placed QPR, but their current form is a major concern for their fans.
The Welsh club have won just twice in their first nine matches and only once in their last five games heading into this clash.
Moreover, Wrexham were fortunate to come away with a 1-1 draw against Derby County, with Oliver Rathbone scoring an 88th-minute equaliser despite the team managing just one shot on target.
West Brom are also going through a rough patch.
James Morrison’s side are on a three-game winless run, but the 1-0 home defeat against Birmingham City will take some shrugging off. These are the kind of results that can derail a team’s confidence.
Still, the visitors will hope to pick up at least a point here to build some momentum ahead of a busy schedule, especially considering that West Brom have the league’s third-best defensive record, having conceded only nine goals in nine matches.
Team news
Playmaker Josh Windass is doubtful after picking up a knock during Wrexham’s 1-1 draw against Derby County.
Oliver Rathbone is likely to start in place of Wrexham’s number 10 after coming on as a substitute and scoring the late equaliser.
Ben Sheaf and Callum Doyle will also be assessed before the match.
In addition, George Thomason, Max Cleworth and Nathan Broadhead remain sidelined with injuries.
For West Brom, winger Mikey Johnston remains a long-term absentee, while Nolan Galves is also sidelined with an injury he picked up in September.
Match odds
Wrexham are priced at 13/10 to win, while the draw is available at 5/2 and West Brom at 23/10.
Suggested bet
Considering the form of both teams and Wrexham’s defensive issues, the visitors are likely to get on the scoresheet. But a 1-1 draw is the most likely outcome here.
Norwich vs Southampton – Wednesday, October 14, 19:45
This is a heavyweight clash between two sides looking to climb up the table.
Southampton will be keen to build on their recent momentum and break into the play-off positions, while Norwich City need to bounce back from their narrow 2-1 defeat to Swansea.
Norwich came into the season with high expectations after Belgian manager Philippe Clement guided them to a ninth-place finish last season, accumulating 56 points in 31 matches.
However, the Canaries made a poor start, losing their opening two games before showing signs of recovery with three wins in their next four.
That revival proved short-lived, though, and Norwich have struggled to maintain that momentum since.
For Southampton, things are shaping up quite well.
They have won three of their last four Championship matches, including a hard-fought 1-0 victory in the South Coast derby against Portsmouth.
Despite a four-point deduction for the Spygate scandal, Tonda Eckert’s team sit just a point behind fifth-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Team news
Norwich are on a four-game losing streak across all competitions, with their defensive issues proving costly.
Clement’s side have conceded four or more goals in three of those four defeats, highlighting the scale of their problems at the back.
With 19 goals conceded in their first nine matches, the Canaries have the worst defensive record in the Championship.
Southampton, by contrast, have looked far more balanced at both ends of the pitch.
The Saints are the division’s second-highest scorers with 20 goals in nine games, behind only West Ham’s tally of 23, and also boast the league’s fourth-best defensive record.
Match odds
Norwich are priced at 6/4 to win, while the draw is available at 3/1 and Southampton at 172/100.
Suggested bet
Norwich are likely to score, but Southampton are tipped to come away with a 2-1 away win.
Lincoln City vs West Ham, Wednesday, October 14, 20:00
Lincoln City are set to host West Ham United in a Championship clash at Sincil Bank on Wednesday night.
Relegated from the Premier League last season, the Hammers have the division’s most expensive squad and highest-scoring attack.
They currently sit third in the table with 16 points and desperately need a win, after back-to-back draws, to keep up with league leaders Swansea City.
This match also marks the first time these two teams have faced each other in a league match since the 1957/58 season.
Newly-promoted Lincoln City operate on one of the smallest budgets in the league, making this a massive test for their joint-management set-up as they host a club that won a European trophy just three years ago.
Form guide
Despite losing their last two games, Lincoln City – managed by Chris Cohen and Tom Shaw – have been impressive this season.
After all, a return of 11 points from nine matches, with three wins, two draws and four defeats, is not a bad record, especially as they sit just three points behind the top six.
For West Ham, this game offers another opportunity to return to winning ways. Nuno Espírito Santo’s team have drawn their last two matches and have slipped to third in the table.
The gap between the Hammers and current table-toppers Swansea has also increased to four points. Anything other than a top-two finish for a team of West Ham’s prestige and calibre will be considered a failure.
Team news
Tendayi Darikwa and Mason Melia remain sidelined for Lincoln City.
However, there is a chance that Andrei Coubis could return to the matchday squad after his knee scan results came back positive.
West Ham have no injury concerns, with all players available for selection.
Mohamadou Kanté is available for selection again after serving a one-match ban.
Tomas Soucek returned from a long-term injury to feature against QPR on Friday.
However, manager Nuno Espirito Santo may not want to risk the Czech international in back-to-back games within just a few days.
The 31-year-old could therefore drop to the bench for this clash.
Match odds
Lincoln City are priced at 41/10 to win, while the draw is available at 16/5 and West Ham at 69/100.
Suggested bet
West Ham have too much firepower going forward. The London-based side are tipped to win by at least a two-goal margin.
By Anuraj Tyagi
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