MIDDLESBROUGH are being tipped to recover from this season's play-off disappointment and once again get themselves in the promotion mix next term.

Sunderland, on the other hand, will once again have to defy the odds to make the top six - but they are in the thinking of the bookies.

After the make-up of next season's Championship was confirmed over the Bank Holiday weekend, bookmakers released their early promotion prices for the 2023/24 campaign.

Boro and Sunderland will be joined by Leicester, Leeds United and Southampton who are coming down from the Premier League, while Sheffield Wednesday's dramatic League One play-off final victory over Barnsley means they're heading up alongside Ipswich Town and Plymouth.

Ipswich, interestingly, are fancied to build on the momentum of their League One promotion winning campaign and compete at the top of the Championship next season.

Unsurprisingly, the three relegated Premier League teams are among the top contenders with the bookies, with Leicester the early favourites at 13/8 followed by Leeds at 7/4, with SkyBet.

Southampton are 3/1, but so are Boro - who are preparing for their first full season with Michael Carrick in charge.

Carrick led Boro from trouble at the bottom of the table to a fourth place finish, and although they were beaten in the play-offs over two legs by Coventry City, the bookies fancy Carrick's side to recover and again contend.

Rivals Ipswich and Norwich City are both 4/1, as are West Brom, with Sunderland and Stoke - managed by Alex Neil - 11/2.

Beaten play-off finalists Coventry are seen as long shots to repeat this season's success, with Mark Robins' side priced at 15/2 to go up.

Rotherham are the promotion outsiders at 20/1, with Birmingham, Cardiff, Bristol City, Plymouth, Preston, QPR and Huddersfield all priced at 11/1 and higher.