David Prutton’s Championship score predictions

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 exciting season, with many soccer scores to keep an eye on across the world.

Sky Sports duo Simeon Gholam and David Prutton gave a preview heading into the next 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!

PRESTON v BLACKBURN

Simeon: Preston doing really, really well. They’re fourth heading into the weekend. They’ll go second in the table if they beat their rivals Blackburn in this Lancashire hotpot sizzler. Big feisty game. This Blackburn were on a good run. Saw that ended by Derby County before the international break, which feels very, very, very long time ago now. On a cold night at Deepdale, things should really heat up between these two, should they not perhaps?

David: Yeah, they should. Obviously there’s a reaction needed from Valerian’s men, given the fact that they were three wins on the spin and then cut short by Derby County. And I just think as early season kind of slaps on the back go, Preston deserve one of the biggest ones because they’ve done almightily well, given potentially what we expected from them before ball was kicked. But knowing Hecky like I do, the fact that he’s a very ambitious man and they’ve got a nice togetherness, which is showing really well, especially at Deepdale. Some big, big results, haven’t they, at home against big teams. And this one, given the underlying animosity of it, should be a cracker.

Simeon: But yeah, they’re sliding under the radar in a lot of ways, Preston. But doing really, really, really good stuff, especially after how poorly they ended last season. I feel like we’re just at the end of how we can talk about how last season ended now. We’re in mid-November. We’re so far into this season.

David: Yeah, but we spoke to, on the last Saturday show we did, we spoke to Paul and he was very happy with the work that they’d managed to do. There’s a big turnover of players, of course. He had a good pre-season with the side. And just lots of ticks in the right boxes for giving the manager the opportunity to start the season as well as he has done. And the rest of it was down to him and his players. And they’ve answered any questions that have been thrown their way so far.

Simeon: Should be good fun, this one in general, shouldn’t it? In terms of it’s always an atmospheric game and it always gets a bit heated on the pitch, doesn’t it?

David: And I’ll tell you what, because it’s not too far from me here, if it’s as cold as it is now, my word, it’s going to be bitter up there. Because the wind blows through Deepdale almost on a Stoke-sized basis. Wowzers.

Simeon: The last three league meetings between these two sides of Deepdale have all ended in draws, but different scoreline draws. They’ve been 1-1, 2-2 and 0-0. Fascinating. What’s the score going to be at Deepdale?

David Prutton’s score prediction: 2-1 Preston win

COVENTRY v WEST BROM

Simeon: Coventry are our leaders in every single way. Five clear of the top, seven clear of third. West Brom down in 14th. They beat Oxford 2-1 last time out, but they’re still four points off the playoffs and they have slipped away a little bit.

David: They have. And the ones that aren’t slipping, Coventry, the questions that were asked to Frank’s side after the Wrexham game, very, very quickly answered, weren’t they? And a West Brom side which I’ve enjoyed watching Ryan’s team. There’s been a couple of times when he’s done post-match when he’s been quite fired up and very honest about what he’s seen from his players and honest about what he wants from the side and the club and what his expectations are. So this one’s nicely teed up. And again, the question going into the last few international breaks was about whether they could maintain momentum, Coventry City. That gets thrown straight back at them on Saturday lunchtime.

Simeon: The only thing you can say, Coventry is maybe not quite, their last couple of wins, not quite as free-flowing as maybe they were before. Obviously, the Mason-Clark goal against Stoke was brilliant to win it. It’s become quite a set-piece heavy of late. Is that something that maybe West Brom could hope for or are Coventry just going to be too strong for them?

David: Well, I think collectively, West Brom can cause Coventry a lot of problems. I know what you’re saying. I mean, the Sheffield United game was literally a game of two halves in the sense of they weren’t too good in the first and then they just went through the gears in the second. And as you say, that Mason-Clark goal against Stoke shows the strength and depth that they’ve got. So yeah, I mean, challenging both camps, West Brom to try and cut the gap on where they are and where the playoff places are and where the automatics are. But Coventry shouldn’t feel too much trepidation given they know that they can score goals from all parts of the pitch and defensively, they’ve been pretty sound.

Simeon: West Brom have won four of their last five league matches against Coventry, but they did lose the last one in April.

David Prutton’s score prediction: 2-1 Coventry win

BRISTOL CITY v SWANSEA

Simeon: Bristol City have picked up just a point in their last three games, although that did come last time out, but they have also slipped eighth in the table. Swansea parted company with Alan Sheehan during the break. They start the weekend in 18th, seven clear. Of the bottom three, Swansea City, as we record, are yet to appoint a new manager. So we can just go on the information we have and reflect on Alan Sheehan’s departure and what that may mean for them going forward.

David: I think it’s tough. I’ve probably alluded to the facts on here that I know Alan personally. I’ve employed with him at Swindon and at Leeds United. So having seen him got the job after some very, very sterling caretaker work in charge on a couple of occasions, I was more than made up for him to be given the chance. The fact that they sit 18th, I mean, still seven points away from the bottom three. I don’t think it was panic stations as yet, but that run of form that they’ve been on in recent weeks off the back of the Man City game suggests that that unrest that was there wasn’t one that was necessarily going to be quelled, if you like. But yeah, and he’s got so much respect in the game for his coaching ability. I hope he gets a chance somewhere else, whether it’s on our staff or whether it’s out there on his own. But what does Swansea City want? What do they expect? Given what we’ve talked about so far with the Championship this season, they’re probably looking at the teams that are up there thinking, why not us? Well, why not us? Because the players haven’t performed well enough.

Simeon: It’s sad to see after, obviously, he had such a long spell at the club in various roles. So wish him the best going forward, Alan. Bristol City’s had injury problems lately. They’re not in the best of form, but the international break might have helped them heading into this one just to maybe get a few bodies back and freshen things up a bit, although there were a few long-term absences. It’s more the fact they’ve got such a small squad there, isn’t it?

David: Well, I mean, and it reflects on the great job that Liam did last season, what Gerhard’s done so far this season. When you’ve got the likes of Ameti and Scott Twine, you’ve always got a chance. Let’s not discount anything at the moment. Only a couple of points off the top six. So yes, things to deal with, but broadly, good work so far.

Simeon: Bristol City have won just one of their last six home league matches against Swansea. What’s the score going to be at Ashton Gate?

David Prutton’s score prediction: 2-0 Bristol City win

CHARLTON v SOUTHAMPTON

Simeon: The Nathan Jones derby, we can call this one. Charlton start the weekend, two points off the playoffs. They did see their unbeaten run of five games, ended by Wrexham before the break. Southampton still with Tondur Eckert in interim charge. They did win their last two under him. There are only two under him so far, and he’ll be leading them to The Valley as well. But Nathan Jones will be a man who will want to get one over.A club that dispensed with him quite quickly and show them maybe what they were missing.

David: He’s going to be so pumped for this.

Simeon: Can Nathan Jones get more pumped? Is it possible? Have we not seen Nathan Jones at full pump?

David: That should be the first question. The second question should be how pumped will he be? Yes, I don’t think he can, but I’m willing to kind of be proven completely wrong, given at home what he’s done with Charlton so far. Yes, they lost going into the international break. Would have been stewing on that for two weeks. A Southampton side that is seemingly seen off well still and then suddenly found how to coherently win matches of football. So there’s your test for you. And I think this is one I’m really looking forward to seeing. And instantly you’re chatting about it and the narratives are there and the undercurrents, and it just feels very Jones-like victorious, doesn’t it?

Simeon: The caveat for Southampton’s two wins where they went to a really, really out-of-form QPR team and then played Sheffield Wednesday at home, which everyone would expect to realistically beat at the moment with the best will in the world to Sheffield Wednesday, who we’ll talk about a little bit later. Southampton are winless in the last 10 away league matches against Charlton. But this is the first time they played there since 2011.

David Prutton’s score prediction: 2-1 Charlton win

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY v SHEFFIELD UNITED

Simeon: It’s a midday. It’s 24th versus 22nd, this perhaps. It does feel like there’s a lot more riding on it for United than Wednesday, just because of the general situation. We don’t need everyone knows what’s going on. They start the weekend through drift of safety, the Blades, just a point in the last four. Is this a free hit for Wednesday? This is must win for United as well, though, isn’t it?

David: Well, I mean, I think it’s must win for both. And I understand what you’re saying with the context of everything that’s happened with Wednesday and the points, the deduction, etc. But if not now, then when? When are they going to start chipping away at this mammoth task of getting out of the bottom three, which right now and for a lot of cynics seems insurmountable. And I know what you mean for Chris and United. It’s been a lot tougher results-wise than we possibly presumed it to be. It’s still a bit of a head scratch to that, given the fact that whatever happened under Ruben Selles has seemingly taken a long time to unpick, or will take a long time to unpick. So I’m looking forward to this. We’re there, we’re pitch side. It should be an absolute cracker. The atmosphere will be hostile. It will be energetic. It will be dynamic. And it’s absolutely everything you want from a Championship game, isn’t it?

David: To steal an analogy from Michael Owen, not everyone can build a house, but anyone could knock down a house if they’ve given it enough time to do it.

Simeon: Sheffield United are unbeaten in their last six league games against Sheffield Wednesday, and they’ve kept a clean sheet. In each of their last five against their rivals, what’s the score going to be at Hillsborough in a must-win six-pointer, seven-pointer?

David: 17-pointer.

David Prutton’s score prediction: 2-2 draw

BIRMINGHAM v NORWICH

Simeon: Birmingham were beaten in Middlesbrough before the break. Norwich have a new manager. Philippe Clement is in from his last job at Rangers, of course. In they start the weekend for a drift of safety. Norwich, what’s the score going to be at St Andrews?

David Prutton’s score prediction: Birmingham to win 2-0.

DERBY v WATFORD

Simeon: Derby have won five games on the bounce. Watford drew their last two before the break. What’s the score going to be at Pride Park?

David Prutton’s score prediction: Derby to win 2-1.

IPSWICH v WREXHAM

Simeon: Ipswich three wins in a draw in the last four. Wrexham unbeaten in five. Three wins in that time. What’s the score going to be at Portman Road?

David Prutton’s score prediction: I’m going to go for 1-1 draw.

LEICESTER v STOKE

Simeon: Leicester back to winning ways before the break. But that was at Norwich. Stoke beaten at home by Coventry last time out. What’s the score going to be at the King Power Stadium?

David Prutton’s score prediction: 2-2 draw

OXFORD v MIDDLESBROUGH

Simeon: Oxford were beaten in the last two. Middlesbrough beat Birmingham last time out. As we record, Middlesbrough still don’t have a manager in charge. What we do know is they’re second in the table heading into the weekend. What’s the score going to be at the Kassam Stadium?

David Prutton’s score prediction: 1-0 Middlesbrough win.

PORTSMOUTH v MILLWALL

Simeon: Portsmouth have drifted down to 20th. Millwall are up in sixth. What’s the score going to be at Fratton Park?

David Prutton’s score prediction: Millwall on the road to win 1-0.

QPR v HULL

Simeon: QPR. No wins in four. While Hull are up to fifth, flying in the table. What’s the score going to be at the Maitre’d Loftus Road Stadium?

David Prutton’s score prediction: Hull City to win 2-1.

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