Sky Sports’ Championship score predictions for 23–24 October 2026 are in, with Andy Hinchcliffe joining Simeon Gholam on this week’s Essential EFL podcast.
Hinchcliffe is making the selections this week, rather than David Prutton. This is the latest update to our rolling Championship predictions article; previous editions remain in our archive.
Sky’s four televised Championship fixtures are covered below. These are Hinchcliffe’s score forecasts, kept separate from the Fan Banter predictions in our full Championship weekend preview.
Bolton Wanderers v Middlesbrough
Last 5 league games · oldest → newest · points
BoltonWWLWD10MiddlesbroughDDWWD9League head-to-head
Full match preview, interviews and away travel →
Andy Hinchcliffe’s predictionSky Sports · Essential EFLBolton Wanderers1Middlesbrough2Listen to the score call · 26:00 ↗
Hinchcliffe’s view
Hinchcliffe played down the idea that Middlesbrough’s strong historical record against Bolton would decide this match. He explained that players concentrate on the current challenge, while supporters are more likely to remember a club’s record at a particular ground.
His point was that teams, circumstances and the time of year change: an old run of results does not make another win inevitable. He expected a difficult evening for Boro but still selected them to win 2–1.
Charlton Athletic v Norwich City
Last 5 league games · oldest → newest · points
CharltonDLDDL3Norwich CityLLLLL0League head-to-head
Full match preview, interviews and away travel →
Andy Hinchcliffe’s predictionSky Sports · Essential EFLCharlton Athletic1Norwich City0Listen to the score call · 30:00 ↗
Hinchcliffe’s view
Hinchcliffe expected a tense, low-scoring game between two sides who badly needed a win but could scarcely afford another defeat. He discussed Charlton returning to a back five, seeing defensive solidity as central to their chances because they were not creating a large volume of opportunities.
He contrasted Charlton’s ability to grind out narrow results with Norwich repeatedly finishing on the wrong side of tight matches. That distinction shaped his 1–0 Charlton prediction: he felt the hosts were better suited to winning this kind of contest.
Portsmouth v Millwall
Last 5 league games · oldest → newest · points
PortsmouthDLWWD8MillwallDDWLD6League head-to-head
Full match preview, interviews and away travel →
Andy Hinchcliffe’s predictionSky Sports · Essential EFLPortsmouth1Millwall1Listen to the score call · 33:40 ↗
Hinchcliffe’s view
Hinchcliffe discussed the difficulty of Millwall reproducing the previous season’s momentum after their play-off disappointment. He also pointed to injuries and the importance of recovering a settled, strong starting line-up.
For Portsmouth, he praised the response to their Southampton defeat and their ability to compete and collect results despite missing players. He admired the coaching behind that resilience, even when the football was not glamorous. With neither side an obvious winner in his assessment, he settled on 1–1.
Sheffield United v Derby County
Last 5 league games · oldest → newest · points
Sheffield UnitedLLWLW6Derby CountyLDDLL2League head-to-head
Full match preview, interviews and away travel →
Andy Hinchcliffe’s predictionSky Sports · Essential EFLSheffield United2Derby County0Listen to the score call · 38:15 ↗
Hinchcliffe’s view
Hinchcliffe argued that Derby’s missing key players mattered greatly in a thin squad, with injuries forcing some players into unfamiliar positions. He supported patience with John Eustace, explaining that a change of manager would not automatically solve those limitations.
He felt Sheffield United had enough quality to challenge much higher up the table, but needed to turn inconsistent performances into a sustained run. Although a home game against struggling Derby brought expectation and pressure, he backed the Blades to win 2–0.
How do the Sky picks compare with Fan Banter’s?
Our Saturday selections agree on Charlton and Sheffield United winning. Portsmouth–Millwall is where the verdicts differ: Hinchcliffe calls a draw, while our preview favours Portsmouth. Each Fan Banter selection has its own explanation alongside the recent form and head-to-head snapshot.
Read all 12 Championship fixture previews and have your say in the fan polls →
Championship weekend preview
Sources
Header image: editorial composite based on Sky Sports’ Andy Hinchcliffe portrait. The podcast studio setting is digitally created; it is not a photograph of the recording.
The source is Sky Sports’ Essential EFL episode, Hammers close in on the top, Birmingham hitting form & can Preston turn things around?, published on 22 October 2026. It features Simeon Gholam and Andy Hinchcliffe.
Match context and pre-match form: Fan Banter’s sourced Championship preview. The sections headed “Hinchcliffe’s view” paraphrase his discussion in the linked podcast; they are summaries, not verbatim quotations. Fan Banter’s own predictions remain in the separate preview article. Podcast timings can shift slightly if adverts change.
Score predictions are forecasts, not match results. Friday’s selection is retained as a dated pre-match record.
Ground photograph credits
- Toughsheet Community Stadium: Mark Hammond from London, England · CC BY 2.0. Archive photograph, cropped.
- Fratton Park: Ben Hardinge · CC BY 2.0. Archive photograph, cropped.
- Bramall Lane: Arne Müseler · CC BY-SA 3.0 de. Archive photograph, cropped.
- The Valley: en:User:Superbfc · CC BY-SA 3.0. Archive photograph, cropped.
Previous predictions
Browse earlier editions, including David Prutton’s previous Championship predictions →
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