Norwich City’s odds are now as short as 9-4 to book a play-off place after making an instant impact on their return to the Championship.

The Canaries moved into fourth place in the table after seven matches with their 1-0 win at Preston and are among the bookmakers’ most fancied sides to finish in the top six.

Coral make Paul Lambert’s men 9-4 to reach the play-offs, while the Canaries are 5-2 with Victor Chandler for a top six spot.

City are 6-1 with most bookies to win promotion to the Premier League, but Totesport and Sporting Bet offer the shortest odds at 9-2.

As for a second successive title, Norwich are rated 16-1 with William Hill to top the Championship at the end of the season, and 20-1 with most other bookies.

Early leaders Queens Park Rangers are already odds-on favourites to go up, rated 8-11 with William Hill and Totesport for promotion, and 7-4 favourites with Ladbrokes to go up as champions.

Cardiff are 5-1 second favourites for the title with Coral, William Hill and Ladbrokes and 7-4 with Coral to be promoted.

Big rivals Ipswich are better fancied than the Canaries, however, at 9-1 with Ladbrokes to be champions, 11-4 with Totesport to be promoted and 6-4 with both Coral and Victor Chandler to finish in the top six.

BETTING ODDS

* To be champions – Coral: QPR 2-1, Cardiff 5-1, Middlesbrough 10-1, Ipswich 11-1, Burnley, Nottingham Forest 12-1, Swansea 16-1, Norwich, Leeds 20-1.

William Hill: QPR 2-1, Cardiff 5-1, Burnley, Ipswich, Middlesbrough 10-1, Nottingham Forest 14-1, Norwich 16-1, Reading 20-1. Ladbrokes: QPR 7-4, Cardiff 5-1, Ipswich 9-1, Burnley, Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest 12-1, Swansea 16-1, Leeds 18-1, Norwich, Reading 20-1.

* To be promoted – Coral: QPR 10-11, Cardiff 7-4, Middlesbrough 3-1, Burnley, Ipswich 10-3, Nottingham Forest 7-2, Swansea 5-1, Reading, Leeds 11-2, Norwich 6-1. William Hill: QPR 8-11, Cardiff 15-8, Burnley 3-1, Ipswich 7-2, Middlesbrough 4-1, Reading, Leeds 11-2, Norwich 6-1. Totesport: QPR 8-11, Cardiff 2-1, Burnley, Ipswich, Middlesbrough 11-4, Nottingham Forest 3-1, Reading 4-1, Norwich 9-2, Leeds 5-1, Swansea 6-1.

* Top six finish – Coral: QPR 1-4, Cardiff 8-15, Middlesbrough 11-10, Burnley, Forest 13-10, Ipswich 6-4, Norwich 9-4.

Victor Chandler: QPR 2-9, Cardiff 2-7, Middlesbrough 10-11, Burnley, Nottingham Forest 11-8, Ipswich 6-4, Swansea 15-8, Norwich 5-2.