English League One Predictions and Tips

We’re dedicated to delivering the best EFL League One predictions each week. Our vastly knowledgeable team of experts will use their years of experience, skills, and understanding of England’s third tier to deliver accurate League 1 tips for each matchday throughout the 2025-26 season.

There are no predictions available for this league / competition at the moment. We aim to update predictions two days before the day of the fixtures. Please check back soon.

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League One standing

Regular Season P W D L
G - A
GD Pts
1 Cardiff City 5 4 1 0 7 - 1 +6 13
2 Huddersfield Town 5 4 0 1 10 - 3 +7 12
3 Stevenage 5 4 0 1 8 - 4 +4 12
4 Bradford City 5 3 2 0 7 - 4 +3 11
5 Stockport County 5 3 1 1 9 - 6 +3 10
6 Barnsley 5 3 1 1 8 - 6 +2 10
7 Lincoln City 5 3 1 1 7 - 5 +2 10
8 Doncaster Rovers 5 3 1 1 5 - 4 +1 10
9 Mansfield Town 5 3 0 2 10 - 6 +4 9
10 AFC Wimbledon 5 3 0 2 6 - 3 +3 9
11 Luton Town 5 3 0 2 5 - 3 +2 9
12 Wigan Athletic 5 2 1 2 7 - 6 +1 7
13 Leyton Orient 5 2 1 2 6 - 9 -3 7
14 Exeter City 5 2 0 3 6 - 6 0 6
15 Bolton Wanderers 5 1 3 1 5 - 5 0 6
16 Burton Albion 4 1 1 2 5 - 6 -1 4
17 Rotherham United 4 1 1 2 4 - 7 -3 4
18 Northampton Town 5 1 1 3 3 - 6 -3 4
19 Plymouth Argyle 5 1 0 4 4 - 9 -5 3
20 Blackpool 5 1 0 4 6 - 12 -6 3
21 Wycombe Wanderers 5 0 2 3 5 - 8 -3 2
22 Port Vale 5 0 2 3 2 - 5 -3 2
23 Reading 5 0 2 3 4 - 9 -5 2
24 Peterborough United 5 0 1 4 2 - 8 -6 1
Date Match Team 1 to Win Draw Team 2 to Win
30.08
Cardiff City Cardiff City Plymouth Argyle Plymouth Argyle

1.62

4.25

5.5

Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Rotherham United Rotherham United

1.7

4

5

Wigan Athletic Wigan Athletic Stockport County Stockport County

3.1

3.3

2.45

Reading Reading Port Vale Port Vale

2.52

3.5

2.87

Blackpool Blackpool Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers

3.1

3.65

2.38

Barnsley Barnsley Huddersfield Town Huddersfield Town

2.5

3.75

2.7

Bradford City Bradford City AFC Wimbledon AFC Wimbledon

1.8

3.65

4.93

Burton Albion Burton Albion Luton Town F.C. Luton Town F.C.

4.85

3.95

1.71

Exeter City Exeter City Peterborough United Peterborough United

2.26

3.75

3.1

Leyton Orient Leyton Orient Northampton Town Northampton Town

1.81

3.75

4.66

Lincoln City F.C Lincoln City F.C Mansfield Town Mansfield Town

2.25

3.6

3.25

Stevenage Stevenage Wycombe Wanderers Wycombe Wanderers

2.45

3.3

3.16

English League 1 Predictions 25/26 by MightyTips

The English third tier is one of the most popular divisions when it comes to placing bets. It is always hugely competitive, and there are many familiar names in the division, including several former Premier League clubs. The season gets underway at the beginning of August and will conclude in May with the play-offs. These will determine which team will be promoted to the Championship alongside the top two. 

Here at MightyTips, our analysts are dedicated to following the progress of this division and will provide you with everything from League 1 outright predictions to betting previews of key matches involving the promotion-chasing teams. Our League One predictions 25/26 will cover every single matchday, focusing on current form, key injuries and head-to-head records. 

Who will win the EFL League One 25/26?

Naturally, the recently relegated teams tend to be priced up favourably, and this season is no exception, with Luton having been installed as the early favourites for an instant return to the second tier. The Hatters ended the season strongly, but weren’t able to avoid the drop, and they will be fancied for success under Matt Bloomfield, who was a highly-rated coach at Wycombe. 

The other two relegated teams, Cardiff and Plymouth, are also in the top three of the outright betting market, although both sides will be working under new managers this time around. Nevertheless, Tom Cleverley proved to be a competent coach at Championship level, and Brian Barry-Murphy arrived in South Wales with a burgeoning reputation. 

Huddersfield have made several significant additions this summer, and they are also fancied for a shot at the title, alongside Bolton, who should be stronger with a full pre-season under Stephen Schumacher. Stockport and Blackpool are also potential challengers. 

If Bloomfield can get Luton off to a strong start, it could be difficult to stop the Hatters from righting the wrongs of last season. 

League 1 Winner Prediction: Luton

Who will be promoted from League 1?

Naturally, Luton will be popular when it comes to many bettors’ League 1 promotion predictions, and the additions of Hakeem Odoffin and Nahki Wells will bolster their strong squad. Cardiff, despite their off-field issues, are expected to challenge, especially if Yousef Salech sticks around in the Welsh capital. There has been a significant squad churn at Home Park; however, Plymouth should still throw their hat in the ring for an instant return to the Championship. 

Huddersfield dropped away last season and suffered an injury crisis, yet under a different manager and with a re-moulded squad, they should be in contention for a top-two spot. Nevertheless, there are still questions about whether the inexperienced Lee Grant can guide the Terriers to promotion.

Steve Bruce has years of experience managing at the top level, and his Blackpool side will be expected to challenge. They’ve signed Stockport’s Fraser Horsfall and Leyton Orient’s Jordan Brown, weakening their rivals, and have re-signed striker Niall Ennis, giving them some much-needed firepower. 

Bolton, Stockport and Reading, who have put their financial turmoil behind them, are also potential promotion contenders. 

Back Blackpool at a decent price to use their experience to achieve promotion this season. 

Promotion Prediction: Blackpool 

English League One relegation predictions

As always, the four promoted sides are amongst the contenders to drop straight back down to League Two. AFC Wimbledon won the play-offs, and as a fan-owned club, their budget is significantly lower than many of their rivals. Johnny Jackson has shown that he is a pragmatic manager whose side will hope to come out on the right side of several low-margin matches. 

Northampton and Exeter regularly flirt with the relegation zone, and they are both in the mix once again. The Cobblers looked stronger under Kevin Nolan; however, they still lack firepower. There is a general feeling that Exeter’s squad is weaker, despite re-signing goalkeeper Joe Whitworth, and Gary Caldwell has suggested that he may leave at some point during the season. 

Burton escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth last season, and they could be in danger once again. Their squad looks slightly weaker, and although they possess a brilliant manager in Gary Bowyer, they may not have enough to pull off the great escape for the second season running. 

League One Relegation Prediction: Burton

EFL Sky Bet League One format: how it works

League One gets underway on the first weekend of August. There are 24 teams in the division, with sides facing one another twice throughout the course of the regular campaign.  Across the season, that’s a total of 552 games. 

Fixtures take place most weekends, although the league will take a break for the FA Cup first, second and third rounds in November, December and January, respectively. There are also several full midweek matchdays, with games tending to take place on a Tuesday evening. 

Teams will be competing for a place in the Championship the following season, with the top two in the EFL League One standings being automatically promoted to the second tier. Following the conclusion of the 46-game regular season, the teams that finish third, fourth, fifth and sixth will compete in the play-offs. The two semi-finals are held over two legs, with the winning sides meeting at Wembley Stadium at the end of May. The winner of the play-off final will join the two automatically promoted sides in the Championship. 

At the other end of the table, there are four relegation spots that teams are hoping to avoid. The sides who finish in these positions will be relegated to League Two and will be replaced by the four promoted outfits. 

What Type of League 1 Tips Do We Offer?

Bookmakers now offer vast swathes of markets for upcoming League One matches, particularly those which are being televised worldwide. As a result, our League One betting tips aren’t restricted to just one or two options, with our experts carefully analysing the full collection before settling on their final predictions. 

Every so often, we will keep it simple by predicting the 1X2 markets, whereas on other occasions, we may need to dip into the handicap market or potentially create a bet builder to unearth some value. 

Here are some of the markets that you will find on this page: 

  • Correct Score
  • Both Teams to Score
  • 1x2
  • Over 2.5 Goals / Under 2.5 Goals 
  • Handicaps
  • Bet Builders
  • Accumulators 

Statistics for the EFL League One betting tips

Stats are vitally important when it comes to creating accurate League One football tips. Our experts need to ensure that they keep up with all of the latest data, and with the hectic schedule often resulting in a quick turnaround, we need to make sure we’re armed with up-to-date numbers. Although things tend to change with each passing season, key statistics do tend to follow similar paths, and we’ve put together a list of the most important betting metrics from the 2024-25 campaign. 

  • Home wins: 45.64%
  • Draws: 23.59%
  • Away wins: 30.77%
  • Average goals per match: 2.57
  • Over 1.5 goals: 72.82%
  • Over 2.5 goals: 48.21%
  • Over 3.5 goals: 23.59%
  • Over 4.5 goals: 13.33%
  • Both teams to score: 52%
  • Under 1.5 goals: 27.18%
  • Under 2.5 goals: 51.79%
  • Under 3.5 goals: 76.41%
  • Under 4.5 goals: 88.67%
  • Correct score: 0-0: 8.21%
  • Correct score: 1-1: 8.21%
  • Correct score: 1-0 or 0-1: 18.98%
  • Correct score: 2-0 or 0-2: 16.43%
  • Correct score: 2-1 or 1-2: 17.44%
  • Average shots per match: 21.45
  • Average cards per match: 4.01
  • Top goalscorer: Charlie Kelman (Leyton Orient): 23

How to make reliable predictions for League 1 matches?

If you wish to make an accurate and reliable English League 1 prediction, then you must consider some important factors before settling on your final decision. There are many quirks and idiosyncrasies which may only be spotted by dedicated League One followers, and we’ve picked out some of the main considerations that need to be factored into your bets: 

  • Take extra care in August and January - Transfer windows are essential for successful squad building, and many League One teams will conduct late business in order to strengthen their side ahead of a potentially energy-sapping campaign. Always factor in new signings and look out for any teams who have seen their key players make unexpected exits. This can potentially disrupt the rhythm and result in unexpected defeats. League One sides are also allowed to strengthen throughout January, with incomings and outgoings often having a significant impact on results. 
  • Injuries tend to hit much harder at this level - Many League One sides, particularly those towards the bottom of the table, tend to operate with smaller squads. As a consequence, the absence of one or two key players can significantly skew results, and this is something which cannot be taken lightly. 
  • Geography is likely to have an impact - Some League One teams are tasked with travelling huge distances for their away games. Trips to Plymouth and Cardiff may be tricky on a Tuesday night, whereas very few of the Southern sides will fancy a Thursday night trip to a blustery Doncaster. Take a closer inspection of each team’s fixture list and consider how several long-distance away trips bunched together are likely to impact their performance and energy levels.
  • Former managers should not be taken lightly - Some League One managers have been in charge of several sides at this level, and they love nothing more than getting one over on their former employers. Furthermore, if a head coach has just swapped one L1 club for another, they are likely to know all about how the opposition set up tactically. This should be factored into your bets.

Our English League One tipsters

Our team of League One tipsters has been carefully assembled to ensure that you get the best possible insight and analysis into the English third tier. With a combined 50+ years of industry experience, our experts will not leave anything to chance and are dedicated to bringing you the best bets using the latest statistics. 

They’ve enjoyed successful careers across a variety of industries and have spent time working as football scouts, data analysts, data scientists, statisticians, as well as working as traders for both high street and online bookmakers. 

These jobs have allowed them to understand the inner workings of a professional football club, enabling them to consider mitigating factors which may affect current form and potentially have an effect on the final score. 

They understand that hard work is required to be successful at betting on League One matches and will work hard to ensure that everything from injuries to unwanted transfer speculation has been calculated ahead of making their predictions.

More football predictions

Alongside our EFL League One predictions, we have experts who specialise in providing tips across a variety of competitions and tournaments taking place throughout the year. Why not take a look at the rest of MightyTips’ free football predictions:

English League One FAQ

? How many matches are in the English League 1?

There are 552 League One matches taking place each season, with every team playing each other twice, once at home and once away.

? What are the odds of winning the EFL League One?

The odds for winning League One will depend on your chosen bookmaker; however, current favourites Luton can be backed at around 7/2 or 3/1 with most online betting sites.

? How many teams get promoted from League One?

Three teams are promoted from League One each season. The top two sides will be promoted automatically, with the winner of the play-offs joining them in the Championship the following season. 

? How many teams get relegated from League One?

League One is the only division in the EFL in which four teams get relegated each season. Sides are desperate to avoid finishing in 21st, 22nd, 23rd, or 24th as they will be relegated to League Two at the end of the campaign.

? What is the EFL League One points record?

Birmingham City smashed the League One points record in 2024-25 by accumulating 111 points en route to promotion. The previous record had been set by their neighbours, Wolves (103) in 2013-14.