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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Chris Wilson

League One Odds: Latest 2025/26 League 1 betting odds

Birmingham City won League One in 2024/25 - (Getty Images)

The 2025/26 League One season begins on 1 August as fans get ready for what is sure to be another fascinating season in the third tier of English football.

League One remains a vital part of the English Football League (EFL) pyramid, with a club’s performance in the third division potentially shaping their future for years to come.

And once again, 2025/26 will see 24 sides fight out for promotion, play-offs and survival as each one looks to take a step up to the second division.

This page will detail League One odds for the 2025/26 season, helping punters stay up to date with the latest League One betting markets throughout the 2025/26 season.

We use the latest live League One betting odds from the best football betting sites to help readers find the best prices throughout the course of the 25/26 season.

Punters will find top value on League One football odds, with any changes to markets made by betting sites immediately reflected by our odds comparison tool.

All League One odds come from recommended online bookmakers, all of which are licensed by the UK Gambling Commission.

League One Match Odds

In this section, bettors can find live League One odds for every fixture.

Each team in the league plays 46 games across the season, with the first fixtures taking place across the weekend of 2 August. Luton Town vs AFC Wimbledon opens the season on Friday, 1 August.

The League One season concludes on 3rd May, with the play-offs taking place through the month before the final game of the season, the play-off final at Wembley.

League One odds will shift in response to injuries, team form, suspensions, managerial changes, and other factors.

League One Winner Odds

Punters can find the latest League One winner odds for the outright winner of the competition.

By betting on this market, punters are wagering on a certain team to win the League One championship.

You can also place an each-way bet on the 2025/26 League One winner odds market, which would return at 1/4 the original odds on a top 3 finish.

Birmingham City won the League One title last season with a record number of points (111) breaking Reading’s EFL record total of 106 for their Championship-winning season in 2005/06.

Birmingham were pre-season favourites to win the title, but this is a division which has thrown up its fair share of surprise winners. As expected, relegated Championship sides are often early favourites, but the competitive nature of the division makes it a tough one to escape.

Excluding Birmingham’s record-breaking win and the Covid-shortened 2019/20, the average number of points needed to win League 1 over the last 12 years is 96.

Previous Betting Odds League One Winners

Season

Winner

Points total

Pre-season Odds

2024/25

Birmingham City

111

2/1

2023/24

Portsmouth

92

10/1

2022/23

Plymouth Argyle

101

20/1

2021/22

Wigan Athletic

92

11/1

2020/21

Hull City

89

8/1

League One Promotion Odds

This section will provide the latest League One promotion odds for the 25/26 season.

The top two teams in the division gain automatic promotion to the Championship, while those placed 3rd to 6th enter the play-offs. The winner of the play-offs is then promoted.

There is no each-way option on betting apps for this market, so bettors will only secure a payout by backing one of the three promoted teams.

Last season, Wrexham went up automatically with Birmingham City, while Charlton were play-off winners.

League One Play-off Odds

As an extension to the odds for League One promotion, there is a separate market for play-off-related bets.

Betting sites will offer League One odds on a “top six finish” – meaning a team finishing in 1st to 6th would qualify as a winning bet.

The odds for this market will be shorter than the promotion odds, as a team wouldn’t need to be promoted for the bet to win.

There can be a big gap between the team that finishes first and the team in sixth, including Birmingham finishing 33 points better off than sixth-placed Leyton Orient last season.

The side that has finished third in League One has only won the play-offs once out of the last four seasons, which came when Sheffield Wednesday triumphed in the 2022/2023 campaign.

League One Relegation Odds

The bottom four clubs in the division are relegated to League Two, meaning there’s more chance of backing a relegation winner than in any other English professional league.

Newly promoted teams from League Two are often tipped to struggle, but many have survived and thrived in the third tier.

Over the last three seasons, only one newly promoted side out of four has failed to survive its first season in League One. The average number of points needed to avoid relegation over the last five years is 46.

When looking at League One relegation odds, remember to check which teams are having any financial issues and which sides may have lost several star players.

League One Top Scorer Odds

The League One Golden Boot market is a popular long-term bet.

Bettors can have an each-way bet on the League One top scorer market and get a return at 1/4 the odds on a top four or five finish, depending on the bookmaker.

Prolific strikers in League One can attract interest from Championship or Premier League clubs, resulting in some being snapped up mid-season and making this market particularly dynamic.

There are several other factors to consider too, including penalty duties, playing time, tactical systems and January transfer risks.

Previous League One top scorers

Season

Name

Club

Total goals

2024/25

Charlie Kelman

Leyton Orient

21

2023/24

Alfie May

Charlton Athletic

23

2022/23

Conor Chaplin & Jonson Clarke-Harris

Ipswich & Peterborough

26

2021/22

Will Keane

Wigan

26

2020/21

Jonson Clarke-Harris

Peterborough

31

Responsible Gambling

Bettors should always practice responsible gambling. When using gambling sites be aware that sports betting can be addictive. Please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget.

The same applies whether you’re using new betting sites, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium.

Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses.

It’s particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution.

You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs.

You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

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