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Jon
Betting Expert

2 December 2024

English Football League One Betting

The English Football League One is the third professional tier of English football, with twenty-four teams playing each other on a home-and-away basis in a bid to have a successful season. The identity of the clubs change on a season-to-season basis due to the fact that three are promoted to the Championship every year and four are relegated to League Two.

However, that still means that seventeen League One clubs remain in the same division for the next season and there are certain clubs in this league who have had this status for several years, with several teams having previously operated at a higher level such as the Championship or even the Premier League.

Over the decades, we’ve seen some notable teams drop down as low as League One before ascending back up the football pyramid and that includes Manchester City who found themselves in English Division Two during the 1998/99 season before getting promotion through the play-offs.

When Did the EFL League One Begin?

This third football division of England has operated under a number of names, although EFL League One has been in operation since the 2004-5 season where Luton Town were promoted as champions, Hull City were able to also enjoy automatic promotion as a runner-up, while the well-supported Sheffield Wednesday were able to land a play-off victory despite finishing fifth in the overall standings.

The following three winners of the League One title were Southend, Scunthorpe United and Swansea City, with the latter able to build on this play-off success and get promoted to the Premier League at a later point, although it was noticeable to find that Leicester City were champions of League One in 2008-9.

Seven years after winning the League One title, the Foxes were able to win the Premier League title and there are several other clubs who have made the jump from this division to the English top flight, with Norwich City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers able to win this league before getting a promotion from the Championship.

Wolves’ success in 2014 was followed by title successes for Bristol City, Wigan Athletic, Sheffield United, Wigan Athletic, Luton Town and Coventry City. A double success for the Latics was notable during this time, although the Lancashire club have become one of the yo-yo teams who have dropped between Championship and League One during their recent history.

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                Who Are the Teams Promoted From League One?

                In order to guarantee automatic promotion from League One, a team will either need to win the English Football League One title or finish second in the standings. Any team finishing between third and sixth place will compete in the play-offs for the final promotion spot, with third clashing with sixth and fourth clashing with fifth before the winners of the play-off semi-finals go through to the final.

                The League One play-off final takes place at Wembley Stadium and the winner of this match enjoys promotion to the Championship where they will compete with the other twenty-three teams in the division which includes the three relegated sides from the Premier League for that particular season.

                Some might argue that third-placed teams in League One might have an advantage in the League One play-offs, with Charlton Athletic triumphing in 2019 after finishing in this position, while Wycombe were awarded third place on a points-per-game basis at the end of the 2019/20 season before the Chairboys were able to win the play-offs.

                However, the previous two seasons had seen sixth-placed teams land promotion, with Barnsley being able to engineer a play-off success after an incredible final few months of the campaign to go up in 2016, while Millwall were able to get the better of Bradford in a tight play-off final in 2017 after landing sixth spot.

                Barnsley and Millwall were also promoted after winning the League One play-offs in 2006 and 2010 respectively, with Blackpool, Doncaster Rovers and Scunthorpe United among the other teams who have managed to land promotion while experiencing the lottery of the play-offs, with Yeovil Town overcoming Sheffield United and Brentford to land promotion in 2013.

                Which Teams Have Been Relegated From EFL League One?

                Since the 2004/5 EFL League One season, we have seen a number of teams drop down into League Two and some now find themselves in the non-league divisions or sometimes completely out of existence. There can be a big financial implication when it comes to being relegated from League One and sometimes a team will drop out of League Two shortly afterwards.

                At the end of the 2004/5 season, Torquay United, Wrexham, Peterborough United and Stockport County were all demoted from the division and three of these teams are now non-league sides at the time of writing. The same applies to Hartlepool who were relegated a season later, with MK Dons, Swindon and Walsall also going down that year.

                One of the interesting teams to have been relegated from League One includes Bournemouth who went down at the end of the 2007/8 season, although the Cherries wasted little time in regrouping and working their way back up the football pyramid to spend several successful seasons in the Premier League.

                League One Betting Example Image

                Controversial Tranmere Relegation and Bury Go Out of Existence

                The 2019/20 season was the first time that the EFL League One season wasn’t completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic although the English Football League decided that promotion and relegation should be determined on a points-per-game basis which was highly controversial as the twenty-four member clubs decided to vote on whether to continue the season or not.

                The plain fact was that several of the teams who voted not to continue the season were in an advantageous position including Wycombe who were able to land promotion through the play-offs, although it was at the other end of the table where Tranmere Rovers found themselves short-changed and were actually demoted by 0.04 on a PPG basis.

                Tranmere had previously been enjoying a strong run of form under Micky Mellon and considered appealing their fate, with AFC Wimbledon having benefitted from this ruling, although at least Rovers lived to fight another day, with Bury unable to even participate during this particular season.

                The Shakers had previously enjoyed promotion to League One after being one of the promoted teams from League Two, although manager Ryan Lowe and several players left the club shortly afterwards and the Lancashire outfit were the subject of a winding up order which meant that they didn’t even participate in the season.

                How to Bet Antepost on English League One

                There are a number of ways to approach betting on EFL Football League One and some customers choose to bet on the antepost markets that are made available at the beginning of a season before a ball has even been kicked. Many punters are eager to bet on the winner of League One and there is also the chance to bet on any of the twenty-four clubs to land promotion, with some big-priced teams sometimes able to leap into the Championship.

                There is the Top Goalscorer betting market where you can bet on the player who is going to score the most goals during the course of the season. This is a really interesting market and you’re ideally looking for a player who is going to manage at least twenty goals and ideally a few more.

                When it comes to betting on League One top scorer, we would recommend looking at the players who scored the most goals in the division for the previous season, although some of these players will have either enjoyed promotion with their club or alternatively be sold on to a club who are operating at a higher level.

                If you’re able to find a player who has a previous strong track record of scoring League One goals or even a player who has come up from a successful League Two club, then you could be on to a winner and there’s a choice of either betting on a player to win the prize or backing each-way where you can still make money if he’s in the top four places.

                There is also the attractive antepost League One betting market which focuses on Relegation and that means being able to pick one of the four sides who are going to be dropping down to League Two at the end of a campaign. League One is the only one of the four top professional divisions in English football where a quartet of sides are relegated. Learn more about other leagues you can bet on such as the Championship Football Betting as well as the Premier League Football Betting.

                Therefore, there are going to be one-sixth of the teams dropping down and it’s worth keeping an eye out for the teams who are likely to struggle or the ones that don’t have a lot of money to spend on new players or strengthen the squad. There are usually a large group of teams who are battling against the drop each season.

                It’s fair to say that there’s often a gulf in class between the leading sides in League One challenging for promotion and the ones who are scrapping away near the foot of the division. Therefore, if you’re looking to bet on the Full-Time Result betting market, it’s worth noting the clubs riding high in the league table.

                However, because the season lasts a total of forty-six games, we can see a lot of change during the course of a season and it’s pretty common to see a managerial change when it comes to many of the teams involved. The WhatAcca.com team believe it’s worth taking a look at each team’s recent form so you can identify the sides who have recently picked up the pace.

                Many punters like to place accumulator bets with selections from League One as there are twelve matches on a typical weekend or midweek coupon, while there is the chance to often choose from over 100 match-betting markets so there is plenty of option when it comes to finding the right angle of attack for your wager.

                There is also the chance to bet In-Play on League One football matches which is great if you happen to be watching a certain game and are able to identify a particular trend such as one team dominating play or whether a bad-tempered clash will lead to more bookings being given. There are lots of punting opportunities between the start of the clash and the final whistle.

                Notable EFL League One Goalscorers

                There are many leading players which have played in EFL League One before either helping their team enjoy promotion to a higher level or commanding a transfer to a bigger club and their career subsequently reaching the next step. The leading scorer during the 2019/20 season was Ivan Toney for Peterborough United who was subsequently sold to Brentford and continues his meteoric rise for the Bees.

                Jack Marriott top scored for Peterborough two seasons previously before commanding a move to Derby County Football club, while Bradley Dack fired eighteen goals for Blackburn Rovers and is now a leading player for the same team when it comes to the EFL Championship, while Billy Sharp was the top scorer in League One the season before this.

                Since then, Sharp has helped fire Sheffield United into the Premier League and the striker was the first player to score for the Blades on their return to the top flight, while the 2014/15 season saw none other than Dele Alli feature among the leading scorers.

                The Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder bagged sixteen goals for MK Dons while operating in League One as an attacking midfielder before kicking on and performing brightly for Spurs the following season, with Alli taking the division by storm that season and promising to be a star of the future.

                The 2013/14 League One football season also included a number of notable names and that included Callum Wilson who was able to fire twenty-one goals for Coventry City before earning a big money move to Bournemouth, with the striker earning an England call-up during his time with the Cherries and he’s now a central striker for Newcastle United despite having a number of injury woes.

                Britt Assombalonga also came of age that season for Peterborough United before making the move to Nottingham Forest and the bustling striker is now on the books at Middlesbrough, while Plymouth Argyle manager Ryan Lowe was able to score a hatful for Tranmere Rovers despite the Wirral club experiencing relegation that season.

                Many football fans will recognise the name Rickie Lambert who went all the way from League One to the Premier League with Southampton, although the centre-forward was originally on the books at Bristol Rovers before helping the Saints to earn promotion up to the Championship and then to the top-flight.

                The Best Bookies For League One Betting

                Every bookmaker will offer customers the chance to bet on League One football matches although punters should note that there can be a vastly different service offered between different operators. Some bookies might have a handful of betting markets, although others might offer upwards of 100 betting markets.

                You should also compare English Football League One betting prices to get the best value on a consistent basis. You might be surprised by the difference in the odds when you compare the different football betting sites and that is particularly the case when you place an accumulator bet where the various odds all multiply together to give you a generous return from your stake.

                There is the opportunity to bet on the goals markets with some bookies where you can bet on Over / Under a certain number of goals being scored, while there is also the chance to wager on the Asian Handicap betting markets with some firms and we recommend checking out these type of betting options as this is where you can often get the most competitive margin.

                When you sign up with a new bookmaker to bet on the EFL League One betting coupon, you should seek out the chance to claim a welcome bonus and that is usually in the form of a deposit bonus. Once you have signed up with a bookmaker and made a deposit, there is the opportunity to get a matched betting bonus once your first qualifying bet has been settled.

                When Are the EFL League One Betting Markets Available?

                You can expect to find the EFL League One match betting odds available days in advance of kick-off and some punters enjoy the opportunity to grab themselves an early price with the knowledge that a certain team will be a warm order and this could cause the odds to be altered before kick-off.

                Indeed, if a certain team is regarded as being too big a price by many punters, then it comes as no surprise to find that club’s odds being shortened ahead of kick-off, with the bookies not wanting to run up too many liabilities when it comes to a team winning the game which could mean a sizeable payout.

                If you’re talking about League One betting markets, then an increasing number of betting options are available as we get closer to the next round of matches. Therefore, it’s often the case that you will get the broadest range of markets in the hours before kick-off and that’s especially the case when it comes to player-related markets.

                Many punters like to bet on a particular player as part of a First Goalscorer bet although there’s the alternative to punt on Last Goalscorer and that means you want your player to bag the final goal of the game. If you want to back a player to score but don’t want to chance it being the first or last goal, then there’s the chance to bet on the Anytime Scorer market instead.

                Check out the EFL League One Team News Before Betting

                The EFL League One match betting coupon will be available several days before the games kick off, although the odds will chop and change, especially as we get closer to the match taking place. That is down to the number of bets and the amount staked on certain selections but also due to the team news that emerges from each of the clubs playing.

                For example, if it’s announced that there’s an injury crisis at a particular League One club, then there’s every chance that their match odds will drift on a betting market. Similarly, if a club have been in excellent form and are boasting a full bill of health, you might expect money to come for that team and sometimes early bets secure the best value.

                Many punters tend to wait until the day of the match before deciding which way to bet on a certain League One game and we always recommend taking a stats-based approach where you can examine the previous results of each team who are facing each other. You can understand the average number of goals being scored and conceded on a home and away basis, with readers recommended to look at the most recent games.

                Every League One manager will want to play a certain style of football and it’s also worth examining the league position of each team and understanding what their approach will be for the next clash taking place. Will a visiting team look to keep things tight against one of the better teams in the division, or will they go on the front foot.

                Jon

                Betting Expert
                I've made What Acca to try and help people starting out with accumulator betting. The possibilities of these types of bets are pretty much endless, with the major attraction coming from the fact that a lot of money can be won for very little outlay. What Acca will hopefully teach you how to make more profitable accumulator bets whilst also eradicating some of the mistakes that I have made over the years.

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