The 2025/26 EFL Championship kicks off this weekend, and we’ve put together a cracking four-fold that’s packed with value.
A familiar theme is occurring in the second tier of English football, with all three promoted teams from 2023/24 back in the league for the second season in a row.
Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton failed to make their mark on the Premier League and ended up 13+ points from safety by the time the dust had settled.
From League One, Birmingham City, Wrexham and Charlton Athletic did enough for promotion and all three will be looking to kick on and establish themselves in what looks to be an incredibly competitive season in the Championship.
Opening weekend is always tricky to call. Pre-season only gives a glimpse into how teams have prepared, so while it can take a couple of game weeks before concrete data can be applied, it also creates opportunity as we dive a little into the unknown.
EFL Championship Acca Tips – Gameweek 1
With a feast of games to choose from this weekend, we’ve picked out four bets that we think have a ton of value. Individually, they are strong, but throw them into a four-fold accumulator and you’re getting a cool £436.90 from a £10 stake with one of our leading football betting sites, bet365.
| Game | Result | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Southampton vs Wrexham | Southampton to win and BTTS | 11/4 |
| Sheffield United vs Bristol City | Sheffield United -1.5 Asian Handicap | 2/1 |
| Coventry vs Hull | Coventry to win | 8/11 |
| Leicester vs Sheffield Wednesday | Leicester to win and over 3.5 goals | 13/10 |
*Odds correct as of 12:30 08/08/2025. Odds subject to change.
Bet 1: Southampton vs Wrexham – Saints to Win + BTTS
Southampton were truly humbled in the Premier League and managed to avoid Derby County’s record for the lowest number of points (11) by the skin of their teeth.
There are, however, reasons to be optimistic at St Mary’s. The appointment of Will Still as the new manager was a real coup, and he’s working towards a more proactive and entertaining approach for Saints fans.
Goals are going to be at the heart of his philosophy, and we’ve seen that in pre-season, scoring 11 in three games. Keeping core players like Mandela Keita and Adam Armstrong has been key, with the latter one of the front-runners in the Championship top scorer odds.
Wrexham’s Hollywood fairytale continues to roll on. They’re in the Championship (Second Division) for the first time in almost 40 years as they look to establish themselves amongst some of the biggest clubs in the country.
Their recruitment has been smart, securing seasoned players with Premier League experience like Lewis O’Brien, Conor Coady and Kieffer Moore for not a lot of money.
But it’s about as tough a game as they could have hoped for, and Southampton should be too strong. Given Still’s insistence on a you score three – we score four approach, Wrexham can nick a goal to make it interesting, and we think that’ll happen given they scored in 43/46 league games last season. Southampton to win and both teams to score is the first of our Championship picks.
Bet 2: Sheffield United vs Bristol City – Sheffield United -1.5 Asian Handicap
The Blades missed out on a return to the Premier League last season by the barest of margins. They’ll be looking to go one better this year, and they kick things off with a friendly run of fixtures, starting with Bristol City at home.
Their record at Bramall Lane was exemplary, winning 15, drawing four and losing four. At 2.13 points per game, it was the joint-best in the division.
On top of that, they’ll have that new manager bounce, with Ruben Selles replacing the departed Chris Wilder. In terms of style, Selles will be a lot more positive, opting for aggressive front-foot football, as opposed to Wilder’s more methodical approach.
It’s fair to say that Bristol overachieved last season. Making the play-offs was way beyond expectations, and while they’d love to recreate it this year, their lack of signings and the departure of 13-goal Tommy Conway leave them looking light from an attacking sense.
United beat them 3-0 in both games in 2024/25 and are unbeaten in their last nine head-to-heads. We’re expecting more of the same on Saturday, and United at -1.5 goals is the play.
Bet 3: Coventry City vs Hull City – Coventry to Win
Frank Lampard’s impact at Coventry has been nothing short of revolutionary. He took charge in November 2024 with the team flagging in 17th before guiding them to a fifth-place finish and a pla-yoff spot.
They’ve looked solid in pre-season, beating Bristol Rovers 2-0 and drawing with Spanish La Liga side Real Betis.
Hull survived by the skin of their teeth last season, and even though they’ve brought in new boss Sergej Jakirovic, they look like a team that is going to have to work exceptionally hard to stay in the division.
Coventry’s home record of seven wins in their last nine games makes this a relatively straightforward pick for a home win, and EFL betting odds of 8/11 are good value.
Bet 4: Leicester vs Sheffield Wednesday – Leicester to Win and Over 3.5 Goals
Our Championship acca tips run into Sunday when Leicester City take on Sheffield Wednesday at the King Power Stadium.
The Foxes have recently appointed Marti Cifuentes at the helm, and he’s already got to work setting out a blueprint for high-tempo positional play.
We’ve seen some of this in pre-season, with games averaging 3.25 goals, including a slick 2-0 win over Serie A outfit, Fiorentina.
It’s a stark contrast to the goings on at Sheffield Wednesday. The club are in turmoil with delayed wages, a transfer embargo and a squad down to just 19 players. All of their pre-season has been played behind closed doors, and the outlook for the club is grim.
This is a game that Leicester are big favourites for, and it’s got all the hallmarks of a torrid opening day for Wednesday fans. A Leicester win and over 3.5 goals makes up our fourth and final pick.
