As one of the most exciting leagues in football, EFL League One betting has become extremely popular with sports punters. Because of this, we've prepared an in-depth guide below complete with the best betting sites, League One odds, tips and predictions, and more!
- 1 Best Bookies for EFL League One Betting
- 2 EFL League One Structure
- 3 EFL League One Betting Tips
- 4 Popular EFL League 1 Betting Markets
- 5 EFL League One – Livestreaming
- 6 History of the EFL League One
- 7 EFL League One All-Time Key Stats
- 8 2021/22 EFL League One Key Stats & Records
- 9 EFL League One Sponsors & Partners
- 10 ThePuntersPage Final Say
- 11 English League One Betting FAQs
Best Bookies for EFL League One Betting
UK Gambling Commission
This bookmaker is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), ensuring compliance with strict regulations designed to promote fairness, transparency, and the safety of players. The UKGC license is a mark of trust, safeguarding your funds and personal information while encouraging responsible gambling. Learn more about the UKGC here
Payment methods (7):
    18+ New customers only. Register with BETFRED50. Deposit £10+ via Debit Card and place first bet £10+ at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days to get 3 x £10 in Sports Free Bets & 2 x £10 in Acca Free Bets within 10 hours of settlement. 7-day expiry. Eligibility & payment exclusions apply. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
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UK Gambling Commission
This bookmaker is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), ensuring compliance with strict regulations designed to promote fairness, transparency, and the safety of players. The UKGC license is a mark of trust, safeguarding your funds and personal information while encouraging responsible gambling. Learn more about the UKGC here
Payment methods (11):
  18+. Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
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UK Gambling Commission
This bookmaker is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), ensuring compliance with strict regulations designed to promote fairness, transparency, and the safety of players. The UKGC license is a mark of trust, safeguarding your funds and personal information while encouraging responsible gambling. Learn more about the UKGC here
Payment methods (5):
 18+ New customers only. Opt in, bet £10 on any football market at minimum 1/1 odds. No cash out. Get £40 in Free Bets on selected events. Free Bets expire in 7 days. Debit card / Apple Pay payments only. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
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UK Gambling Commission
This bookmaker is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), ensuring compliance with strict regulations designed to promote fairness, transparency, and the safety of players. The UKGC license is a mark of trust, safeguarding your funds and personal information while encouraging responsible gambling. Learn more about the UKGC here
Payment methods (9):
18+ New UK+IRE Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first 5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 = 4x 5 free bets. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. No cashout, restrictions + Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
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UK Gambling Commission
This bookmaker is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), ensuring compliance with strict regulations designed to promote fairness, transparency, and the safety of players. The UKGC license is a mark of trust, safeguarding your funds and personal information while encouraging responsible gambling. Learn more about the UKGC here
Payment methods (8):
18+ New Customers only. Certain deposit methods & bet types excl. Min first £/€5 bet within 14 days of account reg at min odds 1/2 to get 4 x £5 free bets. Free bet available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets valid for 7 days, stake not returned. Restrictions + Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
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UK Gambling Commission
This bookmaker is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), ensuring compliance with strict regulations designed to promote fairness, transparency, and the safety of players. The UKGC license is a mark of trust, safeguarding your funds and personal information while encouraging responsible gambling. Learn more about the UKGC here
Payment methods (7):
18+ New UK players only | Min deposit req. £10 | Certain deposit methods excluded | Place 1 sport bet (3+ selections) | Excl Horse Racing | Min stake £10 | Max stake £20 | Min Odds 2/1 (3.0) | Max FreeBet £20 for football only | FreeBet valid for 7 days | FreeBet stake not returned | Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
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UK Gambling Commission
This bookmaker is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), ensuring compliance with strict regulations designed to promote fairness, transparency, and the safety of players. The UKGC license is a mark of trust, safeguarding your funds and personal information while encouraging responsible gambling. Learn more about the UKGC here
Payment methods (8):
 18+ New GB customers only. Min £10 debit card deposit. Place a £10+ bet at Evens (2.0)+ on Sports within 7 days. Opt in for £20 in free bets and £20 Casino Bonus. Valid for 7 days. Geographical restrictions. Full T&Cs apply. Bet Responsibly. GambleAware.org #ad |
EFL League One Structure
The English Football League (EFL) League 1 is the third professional tier of English football; above it is the EFL Championship and below is, quite naturally, EFL League Two.
The EFL League 1 is contested by 24 teams who, between August and May, play each other twice during the season: once at their home ground, and once away.
Teams are awarded three points for a win and one point for a draw, and all accumulated points are added to a league table, with the bottom three teams at the end of the season being relegated to League Two. Three teams will be promoted from League Two to replace the relegated trio.
At the other end of the table, the top two finishers will gain automatic promotion to the Championship, with the team that finishes in first place being crowned the winners. Places 3, 4, 5, and 6 are the playoff places, and will compete in two playoff semi-finals. Then, a playoff final will take place at Wembley Stadium in London in late May to determine the final promoted team.
Don’t miss our League One Profit & Loss Stats guide and our League One Transfers Page!
EFL League One Betting Tips
To fully understand EFL League One Betting Tips, you first need to understand the nature of the league, including how it differs from, say, Premier League betting.
With frequent upsets, over-performing minnows and under-performing giants, the league's unpredictability can be seen as both a risk and an opportunity to the eagle-eyed bettor.
Whether it's frozen or waterlogged pitches, squad rotation due to the high volume of matches, or streaky players and teams who haven't quite found the consistency to break into the upper echelons of the English football pyramid, formulating your League One betting tips can be a challenge - even for the seasoned punter.
Here's a few key betting tips to remember when tackling the EFL League One markets:
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Form Is Key: The English lower leagues are renowned for hot streaks and spectacular collapses. Simply looking at the standings to determine favourites is a rookie error and will often lead to expensive miscalculations. Individual players can have a huge impact in the lower leagues through injuries, returning to fitness, or starts and ends of loan spells.
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Betting Tip: Check the form of the team you are thinking of backing and any injuries or transfers that could impact the match.
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Home Advantage Is Real: Home advantage is a footballing phenomenon enjoyed by teams at all levels of football, including EFL League One. With studies showing that 64% of points are gained on home soil with minimal variations across the leagues, this aspect should always be factored into your betting decisions.
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Betting Tip: Check the Home and Away form of the team you are looking to back and that of the opponents they are facing.
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Fixture Pile-Up: With 46 fixtures over the course of a season (not including cup competitions), squad rotation is key in EFL League One. Quick turnarounds between matches mean you may overlook a vital injury update or an extra day of rest for an opposing team.
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Betting Tip: Check for injury updates for both teams involved in the fixture you are planning to bet on and see if you can find manager press conferences to get further insights into who may be available for the upcoming match.
Popular EFL League 1 Betting Markets
As one of the biggest leagues in football, EFL League One offers a number of lucrative betting markets. We've compiled a few of the best below:
Outright Winner
Here, bettors are required to place a wager on the team that they believe will finish the season as league title winners. As much as a heartfelt, hopeful wager on a beloved team may seem tempting, this should ideally be a bet based on research done beforehand.
Best betting site for Outright Winner: bet365
Top Goalscorer
This is simply a straightforward wager on the player in the league that you think will score more goals than anyone else.
Best betting site for Top Goalscorer: William Hill
To Be Relegated
This market requires you to predict where a team might finish. It also leaves you wriggle room for three places, because all your selection needs to do is finish in the bottom three for the bet to be deemed a winner.
Best betting site for relegation betting: Paddy Power
Next Manager to Leave Post
Yet another bet that is simple and straightforward, this market requires you to place a wager on the first manager to lose their job in the new season.
Best betting site for Next Manager to Leave: Betfair
To Win the Playoffs
In a market that’s exclusive to the lower divisions of the English game, punters can bet on the teams they think will either make or win the playoffs. These bets could be placed before the campaign begins to garner superior value despite its distinct difficulty, or just before the extra-curricular event gets underway.
Betting on the playoffs adds excitement to what is already an enthralling set of fixtures entrenched in jeopardy. You usually have to wait towards the end of the regular season before this market becomes available across the board.
Best betting site for playoff bets: Ladbrokes
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EFL League One – Livestreaming
With the Premier League’s broadcasting rights in the UK being exclusively held by Sky Sports, BT Sports, Amazon Prime, and the BBC, bookies are unable to livestream such fixtures. However, punters can access a huge number of EFL fixtures – including League One - via bookies.
There are hundreds of betting sites that offer live streaming; however, you'll often have to compromise on quality. To find the best available, be sure to check out our in-depth guide to livestreaming.
In terms of other options, Sky Sports’ current deal with the EFL means 138 league matches are shown per season. Sky’s Gillette Soccer Special programme also provides live highlights of the EFL games.
History of the EFL League One
The history of the English third tier dates back to 1920, when it was simply known as Division Three. A North/South divide was established just a year later in 1921, and would last up until 1958 before the nationwide Division Three returned. In 1992, the Premier League was established, with the third tier emerging as Division Two.
A rebranding of the Football League in 2004 saw the third tier become more commonly known as League One. In 2016, the Football League underwent another subtle re-branding with the new title 'English Football League' – although the abbreviation ‘EFL’ has been emphasised.
The unforgiving nature of the second tier - the EFL Championship - means that plenty of former and current Premier League clubs have wound up in League One.
There are currently eight former Premier League outfits competing in the seven tier (Barnsley Bolton Wanderers, Ipswich Town, Charlton Athletic, Portsmouth, Sheffield Wednesday, and Derby County), while six current occupants of the top-flight (Leicester City, Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Southampton, Brighton & Hove Albion and Nottingham Forest) have worked their way up from League One since its 2004 re-branding.
| Year | Winner | Runner-Up | Playoff Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Portsmouth | Derby County | Oxford United |
| 2023 | Plymouth Argyle | Ipswich Town | Sheffield Wednesday |
| 2022 | Wigan Athletic | Rotherham United | Sunderland |
| 2021 | Hull City | Peterborough United | Blackpool |
| 2020 | Coventry City | Rotherham United | Wycombe Wanderers |
| 2019 | Luton Town | Barnsley | Charlton Athletic |
| 2018 | Wigan Athletic | Blackburn Rovers | Rotherham United |
| 2017 | Sheffield United | Bolton Wanderers | Millwall |
| 2016 | Wigan Athletic | Burton Albion | Barnsley |
| 2015 | Bristol City | Milton Keynes Dons | Preston North End |
| 2014 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | Brentford | Rotherham United |
| 2013 | Doncaster Rovers | AFC Bournemouth | Yeovil Town |
| 2012 | Charlton Athletic | Sheffield Wednesday | Huddersfield Town |
| 2011 | Brighton & Hove Albion | Southampton | Peterborough United |
| 2010 | Norwich City | Leeds United | Millwall |
| 2009 | Leicester City | Peterborough United | Scunthorpe United |
| 2008 | Swansea City | Nottingham Forest | Doncaster Rovers |
| 2007 | Scunthorpe United | Bristol City | Blackpool |
| 2006 | Southend United | Colchester United | Barnsley |
| 2005 | Luton Town | Hull City | Sheffield Wednesday |
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Alfie May (Charlton Athletic) |
| 2023 | Jonson Clarke-Harris (Peterborough United) |
| 2022 | Will Keane (Wigan Athletic) |
| 2021 | Jonson Clarke-Harris (Peterborough United) |
| 2020 | Ivan Toney (Peterborough United) |
| 2019 | James Collins (Luton Town) |
| 2018 | Bradley Dack (Blackburn Rovers) |
| 2017 | Billy Sharp (Sheffield United) |
| 2016 | Bradley Dack (Gillingham) |
| 2015 | Joe Garner (Preston North End) |
| 2014 | Adam Forshaw (Brentford) |
| 2013 | Matt Ritchie (AFC Bournemouth) |
| 2012 | Jordan Rhodes (Huddersfield Town) |
| 2011 | Craig Mackail-Smith (Peterborough United) |
| 2010 | Jermaine Beckford (Leeds United) |
| 2009 | Matt Fryatt (Leicester City) |
| 2008 | Jermaine Beckford (Leeds United) |
| 2007 | Billy Sharp (Scunthorpe United) |
| 2006 | Lee Trundle (Swansea City) |
EFL League One All-Time Key Stats
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Four teams in League One history have eclipsed the 100-point barrier in a single season: Charlton Athletic (2011/12), Wolverhampton Wanderers (2013/14), Sheffield United (2016/17), and Plymouth Argyle (2022/23).
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The aforementioned Wolves side hold the record for the most points accumulated in a single League One campaign (103).
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Huddersfield Town’s Jordan Rhodes holds the record for the most prolific scoring campaign in League One history, scoring a mightily impressive 36 goals for the Terriers during the 2011/12 season.
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Walsall have played the most games in League One (552).
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Stockport County boast the unwanted record of being, statistically, the worst team in League One history. They notched just 25 points during a torrid 2009/10 season.
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Most Wins – Plymouth Argyle 31
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Most Draws – Lincoln City, Charlton Athletic 20
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Most Defeats – Crewe Alexandra, Forest Green 31
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Most Goals – Wigan Athletic, Oxford United 82
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Most Goals Conceded – Morecambe 88
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Most Bookings – Charlton Athletic 107
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Most Red Cards – Accrington Stanley 8
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Top Goalscorer – Jordan Rhodes 35 (Huddersfield)
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Most Assists - Sean McConville 17 (Accrington Stanley)
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Most Clean Sheets – Michael Cooper (Plymouth Argyle), David Stockdale (Wycombe Wanderers) 18
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Most Individual Yellow Cards – Ross Sykes 16 (Accrington Stanley)
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Most Individual Red Cards – Daniel Phillips 3 (Gillingham)
2021/22 EFL League One Key Stats & Records
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Most Wins – Wigan Athletic, Rotherham United 27
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Most Draws – AFC Wimbledon 19
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Most Defeats – Crewe Alexandra 31
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Most Goals – Wigan Athletic, Oxford United 82
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Most Goals Conceded – Morecambe 88
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Most Bookings – Charlton Athletic 107
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Most Red Cards – Accrington Stanley 8
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Top Goalscorer – Will Keane 26 (Wigan Athletic)
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Most Assists - Sean McConville 17 (Accrington Stanley)
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Most Clean Sheets – Michael Cooper (Plymouth Argyle), David Stockdale (Wycombe Wanderers) 18
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Most Individual Yellow Cards – Ross Sykes 16 (Accrington Stanley)
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Most Individual Red Cards – Daniel Phillips 3 (Gillingham)
EFL League One Sponsors & Partners
The EFL has had numerous sponsors following its inauguration in 2004. Coca-Cola emerged as the first major sponsor, taking over from Nationwide, up until 2010 when Npower assumed sponsorship duties.
In July 2013, Sky Bet announced that they had signed a five-year deal to sponsor the EFL. Consequently, between 2013 and 2016, the Football League was known as the Sky Bet Football League, then the Sky Bet EFL from 2016.
At the time of writing, this partnership still remains active.
ThePuntersPage Final Say
League One is one of the most entertaining leagues in football, providing huge drama throughout its campaigns and throwing up more than a few surprises along the way. It can be a tricky one for the punters, but you’re sure to get great value on your League 1 odds.
There are no shortage of opportunities with 46 rounds of games and even more including the playoffs. Now that you have the knowledge you need at hand, you can go out there and sample the best League One betting sites for yourself!
English League One Betting FAQs
Based on our research, as you can see here from our bet365 review and Parimatch review, these are the best bookies for EFL League one betting.
The top two teams at the end of the season gain automatic promotion to the EFL Championship. The teams that finish 3rd - 6th compete in the playoffs with the winner gaining a third promotion place. Relegation from the EFL League One sees four teams drop down to the EFL League Two.
24 teams compete in League One.
Every team plays 46 matches (23 home and 23 away)
A typical season will start in August and end in early May. Playoffs start in mid-May with the final taking place during the last week of the month.
Yes, especially with punters who are fond of accumulator betting.