All three EFL leagues will be underway for 2025/26 season this weekend as the Championship returns on Friday night.
And bet365 have previewed the three leagues where Ipswich, Luton Town and MK Dons are being backed by punters to win their respective leagues.
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In the Championship, Southampton host newly promoted Wrexham, and Ipswich begin life back outside the Premier League with a trip to Birmingham for their season openers.
With that in mind, it’s always interesting to see where punter’s bet are going, whether it be they’re all going for the favourites or are collectively hedging their bets on an outsider.
bet365 customers have had their say as they predict the outright winners across all three EFL leagues.
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Championship 2025/26 betting
In the Championship, it’s always comfortably to go with the recently relegated sides coming down from the Premier League as many of them are able to hold on to the talent that helped them get promoted in the first place.
Two of the teams that failed to survive in the Premier League last year are backed to bounce back.
The second-favourites in terms of customer-backing are a newly promoted team who have been making exciting transfers ahead of the new season.
Ipswich are the current frontrunners in both outright odds and customer pre-season backing.
Town are priced as 3/1 favourites and they also feature on over a third of the bets taken on the outright market as they look to make it back to the Premier League.
| 2025/26 Championship Outright Winners – What do bet365 Customers Think? | ||
| Team | % Bets Placed | Outright Price |
| Ipswich | 37% | 3/1 |
| Birmingham City | 17% | 7/1 |
| Southampton | 16% | 5/1 |
| Sheffield United | 14% | 8/1 |
| Leicester City | 5% | 12/1 |
The next two teams backed by customer’s bet slips are Birmingham City and Southampton. Birmingham have had a big cash injection recently, which has seen some big news move over to the Blues. The pressure is now on for Chris Davies, which is evidenced by 17% of bet slips backing the 7/1 outright winners to secure back-to-back promotion.
Southampton disappointingly ended last season at the bottom of the Premier League by 10 points.
But with new manager Will Still, who is looking to get his new club back into top flight football, they have a great sense of optimism with the season ahead.
The Saints have clubs vying for top players like Tyler Dibling, so the 5/1 outright league winners could be in for a shake up in the starting XI once the transfer window closes.
bet365’s Steve Freeth commented: “While Ipswich have garnered significant support, customers have also been impressed by the business done by Birmingham City (10/1 into 7/1), viewing them as they look for value alternatives in the Championship.”
Read the full Championship betting preview from bet365
Birmingham v Ipswich – the two most backed teams by bet365 customers go head-to-head this weekend. Returning to the Championship, Ipswich are the favourites to win the opening fixture on their road back to the Premier League.
Leicester City vs Sheffield Wednesday is also a fascinating tie this weekend, as the recently relegated Foxes also aim for a big campaign to get back into the top-flight.
Wednesday are having an awful time behind the scenes so much so it will undoubtedly leak into the performance on the pitch as financial strains have meant an exodus on their starting XI.
Sheffield United host Bristol City this weekend, with the visitors a big 15/4 price just to win.
Ruben Selles was appointed as the Blades boss in the summer and is a huge appointment for a club who’ve been knocking on the door of promotion having accumulated 90 points last season.
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League One 2025/26 betting
Luton Town had a tough time last season, facing a second successive relegation on goal difference.
However, there is enthusiastic support for them to secure a return to the Championship at the first time of asking, with over a third of bets placed on the League One Outright Winners siding with Luton.
Last season, Huddersfield Town’s first season back in League One following their relegation a season prior ended poorly last year with a tenth place finish after a flurry of losses.
The disappointing end to that campaign has not deterred punters though, with 17% backing the Terriers to fulfil their 9/2 outright winner odds.
After never dropping below the Championship in 11 seasons, Cardiff City ended last season in last place and find themselves in League One for the first time.
Due to this, 12% of customers have backed the 7/1 outright winners.
| 2025/26 League One Outright Winners – What do bet365 Customers Think? | ||
| Team | % Bets Placed | Outright Price |
| Luton Town | 38% | 3/1 |
| Huddersfield Town | 17% | 9/2 |
| Cardiff City | 12% | 7/1 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 9% | 20/1 |
| Stockport County | 8% | 13/2 |
Newly promoted Port Vale host Cardiff this weekend, who will be hoping to prove that their stay in League One will be a short one.
Vale are definitely the underdogs, at a staggering 100/1 to win the league outright, but anything could happen.
The outright winner favourites face off against Peterborough this weekend, who will be looking to capitalise on their home advantage and get their first points of the season.
Reading v Huddersfield Town – The second most backed team by bet365 customers currently sit at the top of the table after a win against Leyton Orient, and they will be hoping to replicate this against Reading on Saturday.
After their defeat to Lincoln last weekend, Reading will be wanting a win for their home supporters.
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League Two 2025/26 betting
Half of the bets on the League Two outright winner bets are on MK Dons, priced at 7/2.
Drawing on Paul Warne’s impressive promotion record and a handful of new signings, the recent changeover in management at MK Dons has punters hopeful that promotion is on the cards this season.
After closely missing out on the play-offs last season, Chesterfield have their sights set on promotion this season.
Their 1-0 victory over Barrow last weekend and their impressive form in the season prior has clearly convinced 17% of customers that the 11/2 outright winners can top the table.
Notts County to win the league outright are at 14/1, following play-off heartbreak last season.
They’ll have the help of second and third place top goalscorers, Alassana Jatta and David McGoldrick.
| 2025/26 League Two Outright Winners – What do bet365 Customers Think? | ||
| Team | % Bets Placed | Outright Price |
| MK Dons | 50% | 7/2 |
| Chesterfield | 17% | 11/2 |
| Notts County | 6% | 14/1 |
| Swindon Town | 6% | 16/1 |
| Gillingham | 4% | 14/1 |
bet365’s Steve Freeth said: “Punters clearly haven’t been put off by MK’s poor showing last time out because they’ve backed Paul Warne’s side off the boards from 9/1 into 3/1 fuelled by a series of quality signings and Warne’s impressive promotion record.”
Outright favourites MK Dons take on Barrow at Holker Street this weekend and will be wanting to build on their draw in the opener of the season last week.
Following promotion to League Two, Barnet are looking to prove that they will be staying in the EFL and get their first win of the season up against Bromley.
Bromley at 6/1 are one of the favourites to get relegated, so this match looks to be an important points battle for both teams even this early on in the season.
Championship weekend match odds
- Birmingham 7/5, Draw 23/10, Ipswich 19/10
- Charlton 29/20, Draw 23/10, Watford 15/8
- Coventry 8/11, Draw 14/5, Hull 7/2
- Southampton 7/10, Draw 11/4, Wrexham 15/4
- Middlesbrough 1/1, Draw 5/2, Swansea 13/5
- Norwich 1/1, Draw 23/10, Millwall 14/5
- Oxford Utd 31/20, Draw 12/5, Portsmouth 17/10
- QPR 13/10, Draw 11/5, Preston 11/5
- Stoke 13/10, Draw 11/5, Derby 11/5
- West Brom 5/6, Draw 12/5, Blackburn 10/3
- Sheffield Utd 7/10, Draw 11/4, Bristol City 15/4
- Leicester City 1/7, Draw 7/1, Sheffield Wednesday 16/1
League One weekend match odds
- Port Vale 8/5, Draw 12/5, Cardiff 8/5
- Peterborough 3/1, Draw 27/10, Luton 17/20
- Reading 2/1, Draw 5/2, Huddersfield 5/4
- AFC Wimbledon 2/1, Draw 9/4, Lincoln City 11/8
- Barnsley 7/10, Draw 14/5, Burton Albion 15/4
- Bolton 4/6, Draw 29/10, Plymouth 15/4
- Exeter 12/5, Draw 23/10, Blackpool 23/20
- Leyton Orient 21/20, Draw 12/5, Wigan 13/5
- Mansfield 29/20, Draw 12/5, Doncaster 7/4
- Northampton 2/1, Draw 11/5, Bradford 27/20
- Stevenage 4/5, Draw 5/2, Rotherham 7/2
- Wycombe 6/4, Draw 9/4, Stockport 9/5
League Two weekend match odds
- Notts County 1/1, Draw 13/5, Salford City 12/5
- Tranmere 1/1, Draw 11/5, Shrewsbury 27/10
- Barrow 6/4, Draw 23/10, MK Dons 17/10
- Bromley 7/4, Draw 23/10, Barnet 29/20
- Cheltenham 12/5, Draw 13/5, Chesterfield 1/1
- Crawley Town 4/7, Draw 3/1, Newport County 17/4
- Crewe 11/10, Draw 23/10, Accrington Stanley 12/5
- Fleetwood Town 29/20, Draw 23/10, Bristol Rovers 7/4
- Gillingham 7/4, Draw 21/20, Walsall 31/20
- Harrogate Town 2/1, Draw 23/10, Grimsby 5/4
- Oldham 27/20, Draw 23/10, Colchester 19/10
- Swindon 11/10, Draw 23/10, Cambridge United 12/5
*All odds correct at time of writing.
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