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.

IPSWICH v SHEFFIELD UNITED

Simeon: I feel like we’re really hard launching the season now, game week five. Neither of these sides has won a game yet either, which is a real, real surprise. Ipswich, three draws and a defeat so far. Sheffield United, four defeats from four. I think we’ve reached crisis point at Bramall Lane as they head to Portman Road. Have I gone too early for crisis point?

David: Well, I mean, not started well, you’d probably lay that towards Ipswich. Started terribly, you’d point the finger at Sheffield United. They have in fits and starts show us what they’re capable of, but broadly nowhere near it. There’s been a change of manager that doesn’t seem quite to be gelling. Those scenes of him stood in front of the away crowd at Boro, I mean, having spoken to him a couple of times, I know that he’ll be absolutely laser-guided in getting it right. I just hope those scenes don’t come back to haunt him, because it was it was odd. There was some real anger there. Not odd that there was anger. I can understand the anger because of the results, but at the moment they’re just not on the same page, are they? So that needs to change. Kieran and Ipswich, plenty of experience with regards to what it takes to get out of the Championship given their promotion-winning, season, so maybe that’s more of a slow burn and, and a slightly more palatable set of results because, uh, they know that they can rely on Kieran to get what they want. So similarities, yes. Differences also.

Simeon: Yeah, I think Jobi McAnuff used the word “underwhelmed” for Ipswich, is how he described them, and he used the word “disaster” for Sheffield United. Ipswich have just two wins in 15 across all competitions against Sheffield United, and both of those came in just the one season, actually, in 2010/11, so either side of that is not a good record for the Tractor Boys against the Blades. Prutts, what’s the score going to be at Portman Road on Friday night?

David Prutton’s score predictions: 2-0 Ipswich win

CHARLTON v MILLWALL

Simeon: This is a big old fun game between two sides who do not like each other very much and haven’t played each other for a few years either as well. Charlton, four points on the board so far. Millwall, six points on the board so far. I mean, yeah, South London derby. It’s not either side’s main rival, but there’ll be plenty of heat in this one and there are two sides that will be looking forward to playing each other.

David: As soon as you start talking about the clubs, you’re instantly drawn towards the two men in charge, aren’t you? And I think what we’ve seen from Nathan getting Charlton back into the Championship has been great. Done it with a really passionate presence on the touchline and Alex, as we know, quite mild-mannered to a certain degree. You don’t want to push his buttons though because there’s a switch in that man’s eyes that I would never want to be at the mercy of. So, no, I think, and again if you, if you take, take into account the start that Sheff U have made as we’ve just discussed and the start that these two have made, they’ve got to be happy I think given, given what we’ve seen, given the early season form, given the way that they’ve approached it so far. I’d like to think we’re gonna see a Valley that’s pretty full with a lot of noise and a lot of blood and thunder.

Simeon: Two sides with different ambitions this season. Obviously Charlton staying up. Millwall trying to push towards the top six really. Have you seen enough from either in a very small sample size to suggest that they can achieve their respective goals this season?

David: No, I mean if you take a game in isolation for Charlton which was them at home against Leicester but for a moment of magic, which changed, changed the course of the game for the away side. They were great, more than holding their own against a team that’s mooted to be, um, knocking on the door of promotion. And from what we saw of Millwall and how close they came towards the end of last season. Still very much in the chat weren’t they as dark horses to get into the playoffs? I’d like to think that under Alex that they’re gonna again go for that. With these teams it’s consistency, um, and whether they manage to tool up in the, in the transfer window with those types of players that can change the game. And I think broadly, again not damning them with faint praise just because it’s a few games in and given the size of the clubs that we’re talking about. They will be more than all right in a sense of looking over their shoulders. And I think in Millwall’s case just because they’ve got that extra few seasons, um, of Championship experience in their belt in recent years, that their, their eye is very firmly looking at the top six.

Simeon: Strong analysis. I’m impressed. Charlton have not won any of the last 12 league games against Millwall. Their last win against them came in March 1996. What’s the score going to be in The Valley?

David Prutton’s score predictions: 2-2 draw

OXFORD v LEICESTER

Simeon: Oxford picked up their first point last time out at home to Coventry. Leicester have three wins out of four so far, nine points accrued. Most importantly for them, the transfer window is shut and Cifuentes knows what his squad is going to look like till at least January now. Oxford, as we’ve said, they needed that point, didn’t they, to really try and kick on from now. For Leicester, probably more efficient than impressive from what we’ve seen so far.

David: Well, and the main thing is you’re quite right alluded to there is the players that they have at their disposal, they’ve got genuine match winners haven’t they Leicester? I’m not saying Oxford don’t because the collective that Gary Rowett’s kind of forged has been impressive. And it was that strange one at the turn of last season where we felt like they were doing terrific work, but they were still quite close to the bottom three weren’t they until the kind of last knockings of the season. Having seen what Gary wants to do with that, he doesn’t want to be survival specialists. He wants to kick on but their sluggish start seems to suggest that they do have work to do. And I think what Leicester can offer as a challenge would be good… I’m intrigued to see this on Saturday, to see where both teams are because with the greatest respect to both, if Leicester have got any… Or I presume what Leicester fans are thinking, if they’ve got any aspirations of promotion then they may see an Oxford United side as one to knock over pretty straightforwardly. Whereas Gary can set a team up to frustrate. As I said to you in the last season, some big results against some big teams.

Simeon: Leicester City have never won at the Kassam Stadium but that’s probably because they’ve never actually played there. Oxford haven’t beaten them at home since March 1990, failing to win their last four since. But equally they haven’t played them there since 1994. So make of any of that what you will. What’s the score going to be at the Kassam Stadium?

David Prutton’s score prediction: 1-1 draw

PRESTON v MIDDLESBROUGH

Simeon: Preston very, very decent so far. Middlesbrough an incredible start so far. Four wins out of four. They are absolutely flying. It feels like Rob Edwards has really, really revitalised and brought that place together after a disappointing end to last season. Still very early days of course, but the signs are good from what we’ve seen so far from them. Not conceding goals, scoring goals. They just look really, really good in general. As good as Rob Edwards’ features I think I’d have to say.

David: He’s got players that, running through brick walls for him. I mean, Aidan Morris, Hayden Hackney, what a midfield partnership that is. So much to like about the way that they’ve started the season. And again, his obvious challenge is to make sure that this isn’t just kind of a flash in the pan, because I’m sure Boro fans have been disappointed with regards to them n- not knocking on the door of the top two for such a long period of time, and also flirting with the playoffs. So that’s Rob’s challenge. Whereas with Preston, brilliant. A really good start to the season. Eye-catching results and performances. There would possibly be a bit at the end of last season where Paul knew that his side were too close to comfort when it came to who was possibly going down. And seemingly in the opening few games of the season have learned from that, but big test I think for Boro in town.

Simeon: Preston have won the last five home league games in a row against Middlesbrough, and the last three there have been by a 2-1 score line, so they have a good record against them at Deepdale, the deepest of Dales. What’s the score going to be at Deepdale?

David Prutton’s score prediction: 1-1 draw

SOUTHAMPTON v PORTSMOUTH

Simeon: We move onto Sunday now, and what is undoubtedly our game of the weekend. I don’t think there’s any real doubts about that. It’s Southampton versus Portsmouth. This is a big old doozy of a game. It’s been 13 years since these two met in a league game. Six years since they faced each other at all, when Southampton won 4-0 at Portsmouth in the League Cup. Back then Southampton were Prem, Portsmouth were League One, and now Portsmouth are above them in the table, heading into this one. Obviously it’s very early, an embryonic league table, but still, this feels big, doesn’t it? And there’s nothing quite like a big derby game that we haven’t seen in a long time, is there? This is a good one, one you know a lot about as well, I believe.

David: I do, it’s one of the biggest, I think, in EFL terms, that we get the chance to cover. I think if you got a passing, resemblance of it, you’d understand it to be a feisty affair. They absolutely hate each other, and that really does bode well for a derby, I think. It’s a really harshly fought, and hard kind of attritional at times, set of people that are coming up against each other. And I think the way the teams have started as well, I think it’s nicely balanced, really nicely balanced. I think Will, so many fantastic players at his disposal, and I think John’s team ethic of how he’s put Pompey together, both are to be well, respected. And I think given the fact that it’s early on. I mean, it’s great if you see this as, like, a title decider further on, or or a relegation six-pointer. That might be for future discussions. But right now, given where they both find themselves with this early season footing, as balanced I think as you could possibly wish for coming into this. Will gets his first taste of it. John, of course, been able to see what this fixture throws up. I say it’s set nicely when I’ve just said they hate each other. It’s set up nicely for a real exhibition of how one set of people can despise another.

Simeon: That’s all we can really ever ask for, isn’t it? What are your memories of playing on this one?

David: I remember we beat them at St. Mary’s, and that was good. I remember we got absolutely battered at Fratton, which wasn’t good. And that may be about it.

Simeon: You’ve played in a few games like this. Would you say it’s one of the fiercest you’ve played in? I think it’s underestimated, because obviously we haven’t seen it a lot in modern times how much they really, really do not like each other, as you’ve said. But was it one of the most intense atmospheres you think you’ve played in when you were there?

David: Yeah, it was amazing. And I think I’m not only saying this with, obviously a toe in the Southampton pool from a very, very long time ago. Obviously everyone discusses what the major rivalries are on this island, and we all know the ginormous ones. But I think Southampton-Pompey, given its location, given the historical significance, and you start to move into a kind of political and socioeconomic, chat, which we try and stay away from in the Championship. But why these two cities don’t like each other, it’s fascinating, and it’s laced with real, as I said, venom. I’m hoping it’s a spectacle. And again, yeah, the question you asked about playing in these types of games, yeah. East Midlands derbies were always pretty feisty, I thought, but this one’s kind of feisty as you could possibly wish for.

Simeon: Southampton have not beaten Portsmouth at home in the second tier since 1975. 50 years, in fact. They have beaten them at home, though, since in the Premier League, the League Cup, and the FA Cup, so I really have cherry-picked that stat to try and find something interesting. What’s the score going to be at St. Mary’s on Sunday?

David Prutton’s score prediction: 2-2 draw

COVENTRY v NORWICH

Simeon: Coventry still unbeaten, Norwich two wins, two defeats so far. What’s the score going to be at the CBS Arena?

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

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY v BRISTOL CITY

Simeon: Sheffield Wednesday versus Bristol City. Sheffield Wednesday just a point so far. All the other problems we’ve talked about as well recently. Bristol City taking it along nicely, still unbeaten. Eight points so far from their first four games. What’s the score gonna be at Hillsborough?

David Prutton’s score prediction: 1-0 Bristol City win

STOKE v BIRMINGHAM

Simeon: Both lost their first game of the season just before the break. They’ll be hoping to bounce back. What’s the score going to be?

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

SWANSEA v HULL

Simeon: Swansea haven’t lost since opening day at Middlesbrough. Seven points on the board so far. Hull have lost their last two and shipped seven goals in that time. What’s the score going to be?

David Prutton’s score prediction: Swansea 1-0 win

WATFORD v BLACKBURN

Simeon: Watford are on five points, Blackburn are on three points. Not much more to say than that. What’s the score going to be at Vicarage Road?

David Prutton’s score prediction: 1-1 draw

WEST BROM v DERBY

Simeon: West Brom still unbeaten, 10 points so far. Derby just two points on the board. What’s the score going to be at The Hawthorns?

David Prutton’s score prediction: 1-0 West Brom win

WREXHAM v QPR

Simeon: Both sides got their first wins of the season last time out. What’s the score going to be at the STöK Cae Ras?

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

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