Championship: Derby lead Boro in seven-club title feud

Championship leaders Derby still have plenty of work left to do

Michael Lintorn assesses the latest Championship title odds, as Norwich re-emerge as legitimate contenders...

Brace yourself for a barrage of enthusiastic "The Championship is the best league in the world" uttering because England's second tier is threatening to unleash one of the craziest title races in football history.

With just 13 matches to play, a mere seven points separates the division's top seven.

Derby lead on 65 points, Middlesbrough are second on 63, Ipswich are third on 60 and Bournemouth are fourth on 59 with an impending game in hand at Nottingham Forest. Then come Norwich and Watford, also on 59, with Brentford right behind on 58. Even Wolves aren't quite done on 54.

Usually when such a fuzzy picture develops, the reason is that the early pacesetters are fading and some fresher forces are beginning to catch them, but that isn't really the case this time.

Derby have spent almost all of their time since mid-October in the top three, Middlesbrough haven't dipped lower than fifth since October 4, nor Bournemouth since October 25, and Ipswich have been up there since November 4.

Meanwhile, Norwich, Watford and Brentford (and Wolves if you wish to count them) have pretty much been top-half constants.

Most extraordinarily, given the Championship's self-styled reputation as the most unpredictable division on the planet, all seven of the top-eight sides in action on Tuesday night won, five of them by margins of two goals or greater.

Bournemouth are 2.427/5 to complete the set with a victory at Nottingham Forest.

As far as the Championship winner betting goes, the frontrunners appear in what will be table order should the Cherries leave the City Ground with at least a point. Derby head the market at 2.6613/8, Middlesbrough are next up at 4.47/2 and Bournemouth aren't too far off the pace at 5.85/1.

Intriguingly, it diversifies from there with fifth and sixth-placed Norwich and Watford more fancied than 30.029/1 shots Ipswich.

Five successive February triumphs under young boss Alex Neil - who was promoted from Scotland's Championship with Hamilton last term - have launched the Canaries in from 34.0 to 7.06/1.

Their win at Watford marked the sole occasion that the Hornets dropped points in their last four fixtures, with their 20.019/1 odds to finish first perhaps a nod to their perseverance having been seventh or higher since early August.

You can find 44.043/1 on Brentford's controversial summer split from their impressive manager Mark Warburton being made as awkward as possible by him crowning them champions before stepping aside.