The bookies are predicting that Whitehaven will finish bottom of the Betfred Championship next season.
They have priced Haven at 125/1 to win promotion, the longest odds suggesting they are heading for relegation back to League One.
But coach Jonty Gorley and his men will be extra keen to prove the bookies wrong, and point to their spectacular miscalculation last season when they had Barrow as going straight back down.
The Raiders went on to be one of the surprise teams in the competition and reached the play-offs. This time they are being offered at 25/1 to win promotion.
By the odds, Whitehaven will be competing against Swinton, Newcastle and London to stay in the Championship.
Featherstone Rovers are favourites to win promotion to Super League after losing out in 2021 with a 34-12 defeat away to Toulouse, before suffering an early knock-out to Batley during the 2022 play-offs.
The 2023 Championship campaign gets underway on Saturday, February 4, as Toulouse open their return to the second division away to Barrow, with the game set to be streamed live on Our League.
Keighley are straight into the mix following their promotion from League 1 with odds of 12/1. Rhys Lovegrove’s side were unbeaten during their 2022 campaign, and have since made several eyecatching additions to their squad.
Ben Crooks makes the move from Hull KR on a two-year deal Mark Ioane, Sadiq Adebiyi, Thomas Doyle and Ellis Robson have all also joined the side ahead of the 2023 season.
Halifax Panthers are joint-third favourites with the same odds as Keighley.
Elsewhere, Bradford are fourth favourites to win promotion in 2023, despite finishing last season in ninth spot. They have odds of 14/1.
Meanwhile, Widnes Vikings are priced at 16/1. John Kear takes charge of his first pre-season as head coach at the club, having been appointed earlier in June.
Whitehaven and Swinton sit at the bottom of the odds, with Newcastle Thunder and London Broncos just above them.
2023 Championship odds
- Featherstone Rovers – 6/4
- Toulouse Olympique – 2/1
- Halifax Panthers – 12/1
- Keighley Cougars – 12/1
- Bradford Bulls – 14/1
- Widnes Vikings – 16/1
- York – 16/1
- Batley Bulldogs – 20/1
- Barrow Raiders – 25/1
- Sheffield – 40/1
- London Broncos – 50/1
- Newcastle Thunder – 66/1
- Swinton Lions – 100/1
- Whitehaven – 125/1
