David Prutton’s Championship score predictions have been revealed ahead of the next round of matches for the 2025/26 season.
The ex-Nottingham Forest, Southampton, Leeds, Swindon, Sheffield Wednesday, and England U21 footballer who currently works as a presenter, pundit, and commentator, has given his verdict.
Watch plenty of games live across Sky Sports with highlights of the other EFL matches on Sky Sports News, ITV and YouTube.
It’s set up to be another end to the season, with many soccer scores to keep an eye on across the world.
Sky Sports duo Simeon Gholam and David Prutton, joined by Andy Hinchcliffe, gave a preview heading into the final game of the regular season, predicting the results of every fixture; listen to the podcast below or via any of your regular podcast providers.
Transcribed with the help of TurboScribe!
Simeon: Ipswich in second on 81 points. Who are there because they got that point at Southampton on Tuesday night. Millwall a point further back on 80 points. With a much worse goal difference than Ipswich. And Middlesbrough are two points behind Ipswich. With a slightly worse goal difference on 79 points. So, it’s all set up. Ipswich are the favourites. But, you know, it’s two points between three teams going to the final day. It’s quite remarkable. I don’t remember it being this close between three teams before anyway. At this stage of the season. It is pretty incredible, isn’t it?
Andy Hinchcliffe: Yeah, I think we’ve been talking about games in hand for Ipswich. And they’re going to, obviously, win them. And they’ll be four or five points clear. And all of this would have been done well before the final game of the season. But, it kind of sums up Ipswich’s season. It’s kind of stuttered along. They haven’t really been sensationally good at any point. They’ve not really played like Coventry have done. You know, scored loads of goals and really pummelled teams. It’s been a grind. It’s very different than two years ago when they got promoted. Different team. And they’ve had to play in a very different way. Probably a bit more of a pragmatic way. But, ultimately, I do think they will beat QPR. I think if you’re hand-picking a game, final game of the season. Ipswich, brilliant at home. You want to be at home. Against a team with nothing to play for. Aren’t in great form. I know sometimes teams can relax when they’re not under pressure. And they can be dangerous. But, I still think Ipswich will be looking forward to that. And, I think the way that they’ve played. I looked at the last two games. I was at the Hawthorns when they played West Brom. That, again 0-0. They weren’t great, Ipswich. They could have lost that game. But, they didn’t. They got a point from it against an in-form West Brom team. How they played at Southampton, though. I was really impressed. They stepped it up massively from that West Brom game. And, I think they took the game to Southampton. Deservedly took the lead. Then, went behind. Showed a lot of character. And, if not for a couple of great saves from Perez. They could have actually won that game. And, been virtually promoted. Even though, not mathematically. So, if they take that brave performance against Southampton. Into the game against QPR. Start well. Get an early goal. I think it’ll be just how many they want to score. It could be real party time at Portman Road for them.
Simeon: Here are the permutations for you. Ipswich will be promoted if they win. A draw will also be enough. If Millwall fail to win. And, Middlesbrough do not win by more than five goals. Ipswich will also be up regardless. If Millwall and Middlesbrough fail to win. For Millwall, Millwall will be promoted if they win and, Ipswich fail to win. So, pretty straightforward for them. And then, Middlesbrough will be promoted if they win, Ipswich lose, and, Millwall fail to win. They will also be promoted if they win by six plus goals. Ipswich draw. And, Millwall fail to win. But, as you said. Obviously, the big game is Wrexham versus Middlesbrough. Because of what Wrexham have to play for as well. We’ll get on to that a little bit later. But, as we said before. If we just kind of go through. You’re expecting Millwall to win and beat Oxford. But, you’re also expecting Ipswich to win. Which, it might not be straightforward on the day. We’re expecting, you know. A lot of as it stand tables. That type of thing. But, come 2.30 on Saturday afternoon. Are you expecting Ipswich to be in a Premier League team again, Hinchy?
Andy: Yeah, I’ve been… I’ve said this. I’ve said this for some time now. I always thought it was going to be Ipswich plus one. Which, obviously, will be Coventry. But, I looked at their squad. But, they never. As I’ve said before. They never really sparked. They were never really sensational. They didn’t put brilliant runs together of sparkling football. Loads of goals. Because, we’re kind of expecting the Ipswich we saw two years ago again. And, that hasn’t really materialised. They’ve managed to kind of grind it out. And, that’s how I’d describe the season for them. It has been a real grind. They’ve got that depth of squad. They can make loads of changes. It’s one of the strongest Championship squads I’ve ever seen. So, if they get over the line and get promoted. I’m sure Kieran and everybody at Ipswich will say. Well, we’ve got promoted again. That is a very difficult thing to do. Especially, when you just drop down from the Premier League to bounce back. Everyone expects you to be there. I expected them to be there. So, they’re going to get over the line. So, I think we can’t be too critical of them. And, the way that they’ve approached it. It’s been a really competitive league. And, Coventry, you know, far and away their best side. Most consistent side. Best attacking side. I expected Ipswich to be somewhere near them. But, it’s not quite worked out like that. But, that’s been the odd game. I remember the game. Ipswich and Coventry. I think they laid down a bit of a marker there. Played really well. Won by a couple of goals. And, I thought, right, okay, they’re showing us now. And, they will show us now, run of games, where they’re going to blow everyone away. But, it’s never really happened. But, it is just about getting over the line. We know how tough a league this is. It’s very, very tough indeed. But, as I say, this scenario, with those two tough away games, the worst away games. West Brom and Southampton, you could pick. They didn’t lose either of them. Okay, they didn’t win either of them. But, it still just kept them, you know, just ahead of everybody else, going into the final day. But, I just think, at Portman Road, if away at QPR, maybe it would be a slightly different story. But, I just think, at home, they have been, the second best team in the league, at home. They have been a very, very tough team to beat.I expect Millwall and maybe Boro to win. All they can do. Is go into their games and win. And, cross their fingers. And, hope that Ipswich slip up. Even Millwall fans. Boro fans will be thinkin it’s the playoffs now. Because, they will expect Ipswich to win. Like I do.
Simeon: We’re expecting Ipswich to join Coventry. Millwall and Middlesbrough into the playoffs. They’ll be joined there. By Southampton. So, there’s one spot left to decide. Hinchy. It’s down for sixth, it’s a shootout between Wrexham and Hull City and, Derby County. Wrexham are going to play Middlesbrough. I don’t think we’ve quite confirmed what we think the result’s going to be there. The other two games are Hull City versus Norwich City. Norwich obviously with nothing to play for now. But, still a very very threatening team at this stage of the season. And, Derby County are facing Sheffield United. Who are not a very threatening team at the moment. So, that gives Derby real hope. I’m going to do the permutations first. Wrexham will be in the playoffs if they win, providing Hull do not win by one more goal than they do. A draw will be enough if Hull and Derby fail to win, and Wrexham will also be in the top six regardless if Hull and, Derby lose, providing Wrexham’s margin of defeat is not more than Hull’s. Wrexham and Hull are both on 70 points and, just separated by one goal. Hull will be in the playoffs if they win and, Wrexham fail to win, or they win by one more goal than Wrexham’s margin of victory. A draw will be enough if Wrexham lose and Derby fail to win. Hull will be in the top six regardless, if Wrexham lose by one more goal than Hull’s margin of defeat, and Derby also lose. This is the complicated bit. There is a scenario in which Wrexham and Hull could both win for example 3-0 and 2-0, or, 4-2 and 3-0 and finish with identical records, completely identical records. And, in this scenario, the head-to-head records between the sides would come into play. And, because Hull did the double over Wrexham this season, they would end up finishing higher in the table. And, then there’s Derby, who will be in the playoffs, if they win, and Wrexham and Hull City fail to win. A point will be enough if Wrexham and Hull lose.
Andy: Of the three games, Wrexham – Middlesbrough, Hull – Norwich, Derby – Sheffield United. Derby’s game is the most winnable for me. Because you look at the form that they’re in, the job that John Eustace has done. We could talk about that. For ten minutes, unbelievable. When you consider the goal scorers he’s had missing. The creative talents that he’s had missing. What an extraordinary job he’s done to get them threatening the playoffs. I can see them beating Sheffield United. So then it really is down to what happens with the other two teams. Norwich are no push over. Wrexham – Middlesbrough, tough game for Wrexham, at home they’re not as good as away. Should be goal. Got a feeling Middlesbrough will come out on top. Derby could be the ones to leapfrog the other two teams and finish 6th. The form they’re in, off the back of six straight wins at Pride Park. Earlier in the season, it was their away form was what was kind of giving them a chance. Of making the playoffs. That’s completely turned around. John Eustac, to keep this team, the belief that he must have built in that team. All those individuals. To work together as a team is just, it is absolutely magnificent. He’s proven, what a brilliant coach he is at this level.
Simeon: That will lift Derby up to 72 points. So let’s do Hull City v Norwich next. Are we expecting Hull City to drop points here?
Andy: Yes. Absolutely yes. I was really disappointed with Norwich in the Derby against Ipswich. I thought they really failed to deliver. Ipswich did a bit of a job on them because they were in fabulous form. If they’d have won that game they would have been right in the mix as well. So again they’re just too far back. But they’ve come they’ve come storming up the league, you know Clement has done an amazing job there. So I’m a bit. So I think they’ll want to, I don’t think they’ll go into the game wanting to kind of knock Hull out of the playoffs. But I think sometimes. The final game of the season. When you can’t make the play. You’ve got to have some motivation. And maybe that will be it for Norwich is to end the season really well.
David Prutton enters into the chat.
Simeon: Derby are winning apparently, Hull are dropping points. So Wrexham need to win against Middlesbrough to stay in the playoffs. What are you thinking? What’s the score going to be?
David: I’m on board with the whole Wrexham thing. I’ve been wooed. I’ve been charmed by them. I can’t pull away from it. Wrexham win to get into the playoffs.
Andy: What makes you think. Wrexham?
David: Your first error it’s all vibes based.
Simeon: Ryan Reynolds smiled at him, Ryan Reynolds smiled at him so now he wants Wrexham in the playoffs basically. That’s all it took, that’s all it took for him to see his Hollywood mates again when they get to the playoffs basically.
Andy: I think Derby will break in, I think Middlesbrough will win at Wrexham. Just give us an as it stands table, all the permutations are, you can’t understand them, as goals go in and they will, it’ll be, because I said they’re putts, I know what you think, but in the race for the playoffs I think Derby, Hull and Wrexham, Wrexham are in there at the moment, all three will be in a playoff place at some point during the course of the games and then it’ll be final ten minutes, there’ll be a goal going somewhere or they’ll concede a goal and it’ll all change and that’ll be it. I just think it’s going to be, for fans it’ll be brilliant.
David: The thing that makes you think about Wrexham though, what I was going to say to you about Wrexham though, and obviously anyone that’s there is there on merit, however there’s a slight element of the default about Wrexham and Hull City right now given their recent form so I can absolutely see how that late surge from Derby given their goal difference as well could be something that could be very, very pivotal, but yeah that’s amazing, second spot’s amazing, the whole end of the season’s fantastic so we can’t wait.
Simeon: You know what I’m going to do, I’m going to represent, you’ve gone between you Wrexham and Derby so I’m going to represent the city that Hull, that our boy Pruts should be representing rather than the one he’s swooning for and I’m going to say Hull City again, just for some balance.
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