After a summer of top football, the English football season is nearly upon us. The English Football League will kick off on the weekend of August 8th, with all 72 teams across the EFL being in action. With fans returning to the stands, it looks set to be an exciting season ahead. We’ve taken a look at the best EFL League One betting odds for you in key markets and shared our thoughts.
When it comes to the promotion race, League One is going to be very interesting. Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town, Wigan Athletic, and Sunderland are all looking strong.
Wigan’s capture of Charlie Wyke is no doubt the headline-grabbing signing of the summer. Other signings like Stephen Humphrys and Gwion Edwards have also not gone unnoticed. As well as this, retaining key players from last year’s squad like Will Keane is only going to be a difference-maker. You can find them at odds of 13.0 to win the league and 5.0 for promotion, which are some of the best value odds around if you ask us.
Ipswich have also made some significant signings over the summer. Paul Cook is a manager who knows what it takes to get out of this division. Plus, the team he has built looks strong. New signings like Joe Piggott, Macauley Bonne, and Conor Chaplin will add plenty of firepower upfront, while George Edmundson is going to be one hell of a player at this level. They are favorites for both winning the league and promotion at 8.0 and 3.5 respectively.
Elsewhere, Sunderland will want to build on their strong finish to last season under Lee Johnson. They are without talismanic striker Charlie Wyke but have signed well elsewhere. A new deal for Luke O'Nien will give the team a boost and they will hope to finally get out of the division. They are available at 8.0 to win the league but we think a 4.0 bet on promotion is a safer bet.
Sheffield Wednesday are going to be many people’s favorites, and it’s easy to see why. They have managed to keep a good chunk of the team from last season despite a few losses, and the likes of Barry Bannan are far too good for this level. The addition of goalkeeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell could prove to be an important bit of business for the Owls.
Outside of this, Charlton and Portsmouth could also be considered at 5.0 for promotion. Portsmouth will be hoping to rectify last season’s last-day disaster with Danny Cowley in charge and they could have unearthed a real gem in Gassan Ahadme, while Charlton are never too far from a promotion race and have signed well this summer.
Unfortunately, the EFL League One relegation battle could be the least interesting across all of the leagues. Morecambe’s play-off victory from League Two last season was a big shock. Yet, without Derek Adams at the helm, it’s tough to see anything but relegation for them.
Cambridge, who also surprised everyone with promotion last season, may do a little better, but it will be an uphill struggle. The loss of Paul Mullin to non-league Wrexham is a big blow to them, and the club just doesn’t have the squad to compete at this level. You can find EFL League One betting odds for both teams at 1.91 to go down.
If you’re looking for an outside shout for relegation, Crewe and Plymouth could be it. Neither team has signed particularly well during the summer and at 5.0 each, they could be worth a punt. Gillingham and Fleetwood have both been hit with transfer bans, so a relegation battle could befall them if they don’t get a good start, but their current squads should be strong enough to survive. You can get both of these at odds of 5.0 as well.
The top goalscorer market in EFL League One is one of the most interesting across the divisions. Charlie Wyke and Joe Pigott, both of which have joined new clubs this summer, are the two current favorites. They are available at 10.0 and 11.0 respectively. Wyke scored 26 for Sunderland and Pigott got 20 for Wimbledon, they have since moved to Wigan and Charlton.
Mo Eisa had a tough time in League One last year at Peterborough, bagging only two goals all season. He will be hoping to recapture former glory at MK Dons this season and will have a lot less competition in his way. He is available at 17.0 with PaddyPower.
A real outside shout here is Gassan Ahadme. The Morrocan striker is a bit of an unknown at this level but he has had a fantastic pre-season for Portsmouth. His eight goals in four games saw him secure a loan deal to the South Coast from Norwich and if he can replicate that in the league, then everyone better watch out. He can be found at 26.0 if betting at Bet365.
Luke Jephcott is another young player who has been improving each year. The 21-year-old banged in 18 goals in all competitions for Plymouth last season and will no doubt play a key role for them again this year. He can be found at 21.0 with PaddyPower.
As far as good value bets go, then one that immediately jumps out is MK Dons to make the playoffs at 5.0 with Paddy Power and several other bookmakers. They have made some notable signings throughout the summer, with former Peterborough striker Mo Eisa being the biggest. Other signings like Scott Twine, who they allegedly beat Portsmouth to the signature of, are also worthy of some attention. The loss of Russell Martin to Swansea will be a blow but they have a great squad that can definitely get over the line under the right guidance. They can also be found at 7.0.
If you’re looking for real outsiders, then Burton Albion and Shrewsbury Town could offer some value at 7.0 and 8.0 respectively. Both sides were stranded at the foot of the League One table last November and new managers, Jimmy Floyd Hasslebaink and Steve Cotterill steered them both to safety comfortably.
While neither team could sustain long runs of form, the blueprint was there. The two meet on the opening day of the season in what could be an interesting clash. Of course, Burton have tasted the Championship in recent years, while Shrewsbury have not touched the second flight for over 30 years. Of course, a lot of business will be done after the season has kicked off so we recommend keeping an eye on the EFL League One betting odds throughout August.
All odds were correct at time of writing - July 30th.