1. bet365
Our top list for the best EFL Championship Betting Sites for 2023
- Bet365 – Early payout
- Betway – Loads of stats
- William Hill – Depth of markets
- BetUK – Acca Club
- Coral – High odds on League 1 matches
Bet365
Sponsors of Championship side Stoke City bet365 are a fantastic bookmaker for football. They provide thorough coverage of England’s lower divisions too and are deservedly viewed as one of the UK’s best EFL League 1 betting sites.
Bottom line:
Depth of markets, bet boosts, early payouts and a strong in-play section make bet365 a great betting site for those who want a punt on League 1.
Why we like Bet365:
Punters at Bet365 will find Bet Boost markets at the top of each page. League 1 bettors can secure an early payout if their team takes a two-goal lead, which sets them apart from many of their rivals.
| Pros | Cons |
| Bet Boost Early Payout Quality live betting Football Bet Builder | Unimaginative website design Welcome bonus could be better |
What Bet365 offers you
- Boosted odds: You will notice the small green symbol next to many fixtures on Bet365. This means you can locate a Bet Boost for the match.
- Two-goal payout: Should your team take a two-goal lead, you don’t need to worry about a comeback, as Bet365 will mark the wager as a winner.
- Customisable wagers with Bet Builder: Put together all sorts of markets through the Bet365 Bet Builder.
- Reliable customer service: Punters speak highly of the Bet365 customer service team, helping you deal with whatever issue you are trying to address.
Betway
An excellent online bookmaker, Betway are high profile within English football and provide a great service in the third tier.
Bottom line:
Betway consistently provides competitive odds across the EFL. They provide a huge amount of info in the lead up to each League 1 match.
Why we like Betway:
Betway offer enhanced prices thanks to the Betway Boost and regular bettors on their website and app can earn free wagers through the Free Bet Club. The bookie provide loads of stats and info in the build up to matches in order to help punters make more informed choices.
| Pros | Cons |
| Loads of stats and info to help you with your choices Betway Boost Free Bet Club | Frequent winners limited Support is hard to contact |
What Betway offers you
- Good odds: Betway consistently provide fair and competitive odds in the EFL.
- Boosted markets: Alongside their standard, competitive odds, you can also find boosted prices across the Betway site.
- Great stats: Betway provide a load of stats and info to help you with your picks.
- Free Bet Club: Opt in to the Betway Free Bet Club and you can land £10 in free wagers each week providing you meet the qualification criteria.
- Smart website and app: Simple is sometimes better for punters. The Betway website and app are clean in their design, with the black and white colour scheme making for a smart look. It is rapid to load, too.
William Hill
WIlliam Hill are a stalwart of the UK sports betting industry. They have moved with the times and have a high quality online sportsbook. William Hill are up there with the best EFL League 1 betting sites in 2023.
Bottom line:
William Hill give punters a range of betting options, including more outright markets than most others.
Why we like William Hill:
William Hill have a huge depth of markets for outrights and individual matches, pre-match and in-play. You can build your own wager through the #YourOdds feature. Accas can be insured thanks to Acca Freedom.
| Pros | Cons |
| Choice of outright markets Huge depth of League 1 markets #YourOdds on League 1 matches Acca Freedom | No VIP section |
What William Hill offers you
- Outright options: Alongside the standard options of relegation and league winner, you can bet on a top two finish, top goal scorer and many other markets at William Hill.
- Depth of markets: William Hill offer a huge range of markets for league one betting
- Create your wager: Use #YourOdds when signed in to your William Hill account to build your own bet.
- Acca Freedom: The Acca Freedom promotion enables punters to either boost the odds of an accumulator or insure against one leg falling short.
- Plenty of enhanced odds: Markets with a blue arrow on a yellow background indicate enhanced odds are available. You can find many enhanced odds on their League 1 page.
Read the full William Hill Review
BetUK
BetUK might have only been formed in 2020, however, the standard of their football coverage means they up there with the best EFL League 1 betting sites in the UK.
Bottom line:
A great football bookie, BetUK has good promotions, solid odds and a solid range of markets.
Why we like BetUK:
BetUK’s offering is headlined by the Acca Club. Punters who enjoy accumulators should strongly consider this bookie. Their football coverage as a whole is excellent and they generally offer competitive odds.
| Pros | Cons |
| Acca Club Widespread football coverage Intuitive website | Live chat option is unreliable No loyalty rewards |
What BetUK offers you
- Acca rewards: Profit boosts are available for qualifying accumulators at BetUK. You can learn more by reading up on the promotion terms and conditions.
- Abundance of football markets: Comprehensive EFL League 1 coverage is part of a comprehensive football offering from BetUK.
- User-friendly website: Their website is structured in a way which makes it easy for punters to navigate. Switching between sports and markets is easy.
- Fair and competitive odds: Bet UK offer fair and attractive football odds throughout English football.
Coral
Founded back in 1926, Coral has transformed from a successful high-street bookmaker to become a top EFL League 1 online betting site.
Bottom line:
You are never short of betting options at Coral thanks to their consistent supply of specials. They also boast great League 1 odds.
Why we like Coral:
Find all sorts of football specials at Coral including enhanced accumulators. The 2Up payout allows you to relax if your team takes a comfortable lead. You can find some unique wagers in the #YourCall section. Thay offer attractive and competitive odds for League 1.
| Pros | Cons |
| Tonnes of football specials Odds Boosters Quality League 1 odds 2Up payout | Customer service isn’t the best No loyalty scheme |
What Coral offers you
- Stacks of specials: Coral have a range of specials available including enhanced accas and any three to win with BTTS and much more.
- Odds Boosters: Find enhanced trebles and other wagers under the Odds Booster title on Coral’s football page.
- Competitive odds: Coral have excellent League 1 odds.
- 2Up payout: Your wager will be paid out if the team you backed takes a two-goal lead.
- #YourCall: Some unique combinations will be provided through #YourCall. You can wade through bets others have put together or make something for yourself.
How our experts choose the best sites to bet on EFL League 1
There is plenty to bear in mind when trying to find the best EFL League 1 betting sites in the UK. Bookies need to perform to a high level in multiple categories, including offering a secure platform, good customer service and competitive promotions.
Chris Sampson: In my opinion, the top EFL League 1 online betting sites should allow punters to create their own wagers and provide an extensive list of ready-made bets to choose from. Competitive odds and a depth of markets are important too.
Compare the best EFL League 1 betting sites of 2023
With some of the traditional names in English football, EFL League 1 attracts a lot of bettors. A bookmaker needs to have a good allround offering to compete with the best EFL League 1 betting sites in 2023.
Punters need to weigh up value, security and flexibility. This table to compares some of the top options for EFL Championship betting:
| Site Name | Betting.com Rating | Best For | Sign-up Bonus | Full Review |
| Bet365 | 4.5/5 | Early payout | Bet £10, Get £30 Free Bets | Review |
| Betway | 4.2/5 | Great stats | £30 Matched Free Bet | Review |
| William Hill | 4.2/5 | Depth of markets | Bet £10, Get £30 Free Bets | Review |
| BetUK | 4.2/5 | Acca bonuses | Bet £10, Get £30 Free Bets | Review |
| Coral | 4.2/5 | High odds | Bet £5, Get £20 Free Bets | Review |
How to choose the best site for you
While Betting.com have done some groundwork on the top EFL League 1 betting sites, it is still a good idea for you to do some of your own research. Each punter has different preferences and you need to pick the best site for you. These are some of the areas you may need to look at:
- Licences are important: Staying safe when gambling is important. You want to be confident your cash and data are protected. Look around for a bookie’s licences before settling on where to bet.
- Read up on sign-up deals: Bookies make a big deal of their welcome offers, and it can be a key factor in choosing where to sign-up. How you qualify for a welcome promo could determine if it makes sense for you.
- Check out the League 1 odds: You naturally want to bet somewhere with high League 1 odds. You will also want to make sure they have a range of markets. If there is a specific wager in mind, check it is available.
- Look into payment options: The number of payment options available varies between bookmakers. Learn about which methods are available, and how long it takes for deposits and withdrawals to process.
- Research the opinion of others: Getting an idea of what others think can tell you a lot about a bookmaker. There are plenty of reviews across the internet to find out what previous punters have made of a site.
- Download the app: The best EFL League 1 betting sites are accompanied by quality mobile apps. Download the app on your preferred device and give it a try.
- Try signing up: Once all the other boxes have been checked, it’s time to trial the sign-up process and see if the site is a good fit for you.
Betting on EFL League 1 explained
Starting in late July/early August and finishing in May, League 1 is a long season with each team playing 46 matches. Bookies will provide outright odds year-round.
Odds
League 1 odds cover everything from teams to be relegated to top goalscorer or the number of corners in a match. Bookies offer odds on the regular season and the promotion play-offs. The best EFL League 1 betting sites will provide match odds several days before kick-off.
Picks
It can take a fair chunk of time to make well-informed League 1 picks. You need to do plenty of research before placing your wagers, looking into injuries, up and coming fixtures, form and style of play.
Types of EFL League 1 bets
The types of EFL League 1 bets available will be familiar to anyone who regularly bets on football. It is the outright markets where there are some different wagers to consider, such as League 1 winners, play-offs, relegation places and player outrights such as top goalscorer.
Match winner
Back a team to win the match is as straight-forward as it sounds. Your bet will be marked a winner if the team takes all three points.
Total goals
Betting on the over/under for total goals is popular in football. Bookmakers provide a ‘line’ for betting on the total goals in a Championship match. It is usually set at 2.5, but you will occasionally see 1.5 or 3.5.
Anytime goalscorer
One of many player-specific markets, betting on a player’s anytime goalscorer odds is backing them to score at some point in the match.
To gain promotion
League 1 has a lot of outright betting options. One of those is betting on a team to gain promotion, which can be achieved through a top two finish or winning the playoffs.
EFL League 1 betting strategies
It is vital put some time in to develop a betting strategy for your EFL League 1 wagers. You want to have websites earmarked for research. Learn about form, statistics, injury news and betting trends before placing your wagers.
Get to know more about EFL League 1 to bet smarter
The English Football League 1 is the second-highest division of the English Football League and the third tier overall in the English football league system. Introduced in the 2004–05 English football season as Football League 1, it is a rebrand of the former Football League Second Division, which itself is a rebrand of Football League Third Division before the 1992 launch of the Premier League.
There are 24 clubs in this division. Each club plays each club twice (once at home and once away). Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. At the end of the season a table of the final League standings is determined.
At the end of each season the top two clubs, together with the winner of the play-offs between the clubs which finished in the third to sixth positions, are promoted to EFL Championship and are replaced by the three clubs that finished at the bottom of that division.
Likewise, the four clubs that finished at the bottom of EFL League 1 are relegated to EFL League 2 and are replaced by the top three clubs and the club that won the fourth to seventh place play-offs in that division.
Plymouth Argyle, the 2022/23 champions, have the most third tier titles in English football. Wigan have the most third tier titles since the rebranding of the league.
English League One Past Winners
- 2022/23 – Plymouth Argyle
- 2021/22 – Wigan Athletic
- 2020/21 – Hull City
- 2019/20 – Coventry City
- 2018/19 – Luton Town
- 2017/18 – Wigan Athletic
- 2016/17 – Sheffield United
- 2015/16 – Wigan Athletic
- 2014/15 – Bristol City
Who is the favourite to win the EFL Championship in 2023?
Plymouth Argyle have won the EFL League 1 title in 2022/23. Ipswich Town are also promoted. Sheffield Wednesday, Barnsley, Bolton Wanderers and Peterborough United will contest the play-offs.
Who is competing in the EFL Championship in 2023?
Season start-end: 30th July 2022 – 28th May 2023
All teams and their home stadiums
- Accrington Stanley, Crown Ground
- Barnsley, Oakwell
- Bolton Wanderers, University of Bolton Stadium
- Bristol Rovers, Memorial Stadium
- Burton Albion, Pirelli Stadium
- Cambridge United, Abbey Stadium
- Charlton Athletic, The Valley
- Cheltenham Town, Whaddon Road
- Derby County, Pride Park Stadium
- Exeter City, St. James Park
- Fleetwood Town, Highbury Stadium
- Forest Green Rovers, The New Lawn
- Ipswich Town, Portman Road
- Lincoln City, Sincil Bank
- Milton Keynes Dons, Stadium MK
- Morecambe, Globe Arena
- Oxford United, Kassam Stadium
- Peterborough United, London Road Stadium
- Plymouth Argyle, Home Park
- Port Vale, Vale Park
- Portsmouth, Fratton Park
- Sheffield Wednesday, Hillsborough Stadium
- Shrewsbury Town, New Meadow
- Wycombe Wanderers, Adams Park
2021/22 Champions: Wigan Athletic
What are the key dates to keep in mind?
- 29th July 2022 – Season starts
- 13th November 2022 – Final matches before World Cup
- 3rd December 2022 – Season resumes
- 7th May 2023 – Regular season ends
- 29th May 2023 – Playoff final
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Bet365, Betway, Coral, BetUK and William Hill are five of the best gambling sites for football in the UK.
The nature of gambling means no bet is truly ‘safe’. There are markets, however, which allow you to cover a couple of outcomes in return for shorter odds, including double chance.
There are a lot of expert EFL League 1 predictions out there. You can find plenty of predictions for League 1 matches to inform your betting decisions.
Coral, bet365 and William Hill are generally considered to have the highest odds among the best EFL League 1 betting sites.