With a quarter of the season almost completed, teams in the EFL Championship now have a clear idea of where their season is heading.
The current top five teams are separated by just three points, while 17th-placed Charlton Athletic are only five points behind sixth-placed Stoke City.
Burnley, Derby County and Preston North End, meanwhile, seem destined for relegation.
All three have won just once this season, and their current form offers little sign of an end to their woes.
The gap between them and the rest of the teams seems to be widening with every gameweek.
There is plenty at stake for all teams as we head into Gameweek 12 of the EFL Championship.
Bolton Wanderers vs Middlesbrough – Friday, October 23, 20:00
Championship Gameweek 12 starts with Bolton Wanderers hosting Middlesbrough at the Toughsheet Community Stadium on Friday, October 23, 2026.
The newly promoted Bolton will be looking to secure another big result against a powerful opponent, while Boro will aim to return to winning ways after settling for a draw in their last match.
Form guide
Bolton have been impressive this season after earning promotion back to England’s second division.
They started the season with four points from their first two matches, including a 2-1 win over Preston North End in their opening game.
Then came a four-game losing run, starting with a 0-2 home defeat at the hands of Lincoln City.
But here’s the impressive part: since losing 2-3 at home to West Ham, Bolton have picked up 10 points from five matches.
This run included a 1-0 home win over Cardiff City, a high-scoring 4-3 away win at Norwich, a 1-3 away win at Bolton and a 0-0 away draw at Southampton.
That is quite impressive, considering most of these teams are eyeing promotion to the Premier League.
However, Bolton must improve their home form if they have ambitions of finishing in the top six. They currently rank 19th in the home standings, having accumulated only six points from five games.
Middlesbrough, on the other hand, are one of the most in-form teams in the Championship.
They currently boast the joint-longest unbeaten run in the league, with both Boro and West Ham having gone nine games without defeat heading into this match.
However, Boro will be disappointed with last weekend’s result, having missed a golden opportunity to reclaim second spot from West Ham.
They registered 28 shots on target against Cardiff City, who were also reduced to 10 men after Gabriel Osho’s red card in the 83rd minute.
Another concern for Middlesbrough is their backline, which has conceded 16 goals in 11 games.
That is the joint-worst record among teams in the top 10.
Team news
Chris Forino is the biggest concern for the home side due to a groin problem. Luca Stephenson and Lewis Brunt have returned to full fitness and should feature in this match.
Middlesbrough boss Kim Hellberg has been rotating his squad heavily due to a congested fixture schedule.
He even left Championship leading goalscorer Will Lankshear on the bench in the last game against Cardiff, although the striker came on to score Boro’s second goal.
Expect Lankshear to start this match.
Alfie Jones, Rokas Pukštas and David Strelec remain sidelined for Middlesbrough heading into this game.
Match odds
Middlesbrough are the favourites at 7/10, while Bolton Wanderers are priced at 18/5 to pull off an upset. The draw is available at 10/3.
Suggested bet
Bolton to score but Middlesbrough to come away with a 2-1 win.
Portsmouth vs Millwall – Saturday, October 24, 12:30
Portsmouth host Millwall in a Championship match at Fratton Park, with both teams looking to break away from the congested midtable and move closer to the top six.
Expect a tight affair, with just one point separating the two teams heading into this game. Both Portsmouth and Millwall will be looking for a win after settling for draws last weekend.
Form guide
Pompey have lost just once in their last five games and arrive on the back of a three-game unbeaten run, which includes a 3-2 home win over Sheffield United and an impressive 1-0 away win over Norwich City.
Their winning run came to an end in the last match, as they could only manage a 1-1 away draw at Wolves.
Despite that, manager John Mousinho will be pleased with the way his team showed fight at Molineux, as Terry Devlin’s late strike earned them a crucial away point.
Portsmouth currently sit on 15 points from 11 games. Only three points separate them from 18th-placed Lincoln City, while seventh-placed Wolves are also just three points ahead.
With so little separating the teams, a win could take Pompey within touching distance of the top six.
Millwall are currently the sixth-best offensive team in the Championship, but defensive issues have been their main problem this season.
They have conceded 18 goals in 11 games, with only six teams conceding more, all of whom are currently in the bottom seven.
If Millwall are to build on last season’s third-place finish and secure another play-off spot, tightening up at the back will be crucial.
Alex Neil’s men have 15 points from 11 games, the same as Portsmouth, making this a key fixture for both sides as they look to move up the table.
Team news
Portsmouth are the worst-hit team in the Championship when it comes to injuries, with as many as 10 players sidelined and unavailable for selection.
Luke Brooke-Smith, Márk Kosznovszky, Jacob Farrell, Benjamin Arthur, Josh Murphy, Connor Ogilvie and Franco Umeh-Chibueze remain out through injury.
Conor Shaughnessy has no set return date, with head coach John Mousinho monitoring his recovery day by day following a setback in his rehabilitation.
However, Thomas Waddingham made a surprise return ahead of schedule and was named on the substitutes’ bench for Portsmouth’s 1-1 draw at Wolves.
The 20-year-old could feature in this game.
Millwall are also dealing with injury concerns of their own. Casper De Norre, Mathis Servais, Lukas Jensen and Mihailo Ivanović remain among the absentees.
Filip Marschall and Josh Coburn are also some way off returning to matchday squads.
Massimo Luongo and Tairyk Arconte are doubtful and will need to pass late fitness tests.
However, Tristan Crama returned to the starting line-up against Lincoln, giving manager Neil a more natural option at right-back.
Match odds
Portsmouth are priced at 166/100 to win, while the draw is available at 5/2 and a Millwall win at 9/5.
Suggested bets
Both teams to score with 1-1 being the most likely outcome at Fratton Park.
Sheffield United vs Derby County – Saturday, October 24, 12:30
Sheffield United will take on Derby County in a Championship match at Bramall Lane on Saturday, October 24.
The Blades are one of four teams currently level on 15 points after 11 matches.
Chris Wilder’s side started the season with three draws and a win in their first four games but have since suffered four defeats in their last seven.
Derby, on the other hand, have collected just six points from 11 games and sit second from bottom, with only one win to their name heading into this match.
Form guide
Sheffield United are going through a difficult run of form, having lost four of their last seven Championship matches.
Chris Wilder will be particularly concerned about his side’s home record, with the Blades winning just once in five matches at Bramall Lane this season.
They rank 16th in the Championship for home form and are conceding an average of 1.2 goals per game on their own turf.
The only positive for Wilder and his men heading into this game is that their opponents, Derby County, have also struggled for results this season.
However, the Blades cannot afford to take the visitors lightly, especially given that four of Derby’s six points this season have come away from home.
The Rams, though, have struggled for results in recent weeks and are without a win since their 2-0 victory over Portsmouth on September 2.
Since then, they have lost five of their last seven matches, failing to score in three of those games.
Team news
Hamza Choudhury is set to return to the matchday squad after serving a one-match suspension.
Mark McGuinness remains doubtful after picking up a knock against Bristol City.
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves player Matt Doherty is also a major doubt for this game, while Patrick Bamford is likely to return to the starting XI for Derby’s visit.
For Derby, midfielder and captain Lewis Travis is the latest name to join the lengthy injury list.
The Rams will also be without several players, including Max Johnston, Patrick Agyemang, Derry John Murkin, Matt Clarke, Craig Forsyth, Jacob Widell Zetterström, Charlie Taylor, Eiran Cashin and Sondre Langås.
Match odds
Sheffield United are priced at 10/11 to win, while the draw is available at 29/10 and a Derby County win at 57/17.
Suggested bets
Sheffield United to keep a clean sheet and win 2-0.
By Anuraj Tyagi
