Championship, League 1 and League 2 betting tips and claim £400+ in free bets

The English Football League season begins this weekend and anticipation of what your club can achieve will be at its highest. For a lot of football fans, this will also mean the return of placing a weekend accumulator, aiming to get some big returns from just a small stake.

In this article, we list out some of our best tips for the first weekend of the Championship, League 1 and League 2, which you can combine into an accumulator if you so wish.

As well as that we've compiled the best free bet offers available from leading bookmakers. If you sign up for one or more of these you may be able to claim some of the free bets with which to place your acca. Following the instructions in this article claim over £400 in free bets ahead of the start of the 2023-24 English Football League season.

Unlock your Championship betting potential this week: access £400+ in free bets

Choose from an impressive array of Championship betting offers from our recommended bookmakers. Secure your free bets today and unlock greater chances of success.

• Paddy Power: Enjoy £20 in cash back
• Sky Bet: Claim £40 in free bets
• Ladbrokes: Grab £20 in free bets
• Coral: Get £20 in free bets
• bet365: Unlock £30 in free bets
• William Hill: Claim £30 in free bets
• Betfair: Enjoy £20 in free bets
• Betfred: Claim £40 in bonuses
• CopyBet: Unlock £40 in free bets
• SBK: Claim £30 in free bets
• SpreadEx: Enjoy £40 in free bets
• Fafabet: Get 50% of your first day losses back as a free bet up to £50
• BetGoodwin: Receive 50% of your first day losses back up to £25

Full offer terms and conditions are below

Step-by-step guide: how to claim your Championship free bets with each bookmaker

By signing up with one of the bookmakers for the Championship start of the season, you can unlock your free bets. Here are the steps to register with any of the bookmakers:

• Visit the bookmaker's homepage and click on the 'New Customer' button to initiate registration
• Complete the required form, choosing a unique username and password
• Make a minimum deposit to activate your account
• Start placing bets on your favourite Championship matches
• Your free bet tokens will be automatically credited to your account balance
• Repeat this process with each bookmaker if desired

Championship matchday 1 schedule + four betting tips to spend your £400 free bets on

With the start of the season upon us, the first weekend's EFL Championship schedule promises to offer some exciting clashes with the highlight arguably being Sheffield Wednesday v Southampton, the curtain-raiser on Friday night.

Friday, August 4

8.00pm: Sheffield Wednesday v Southampton

Saturday, August 5

3.00pm: Norwich City v Hull City

3.00pm: Plymouth v Huddersfield

3.00pm: Bristol City v Preston

3.00pm: Middlesbrough v Millwall

3.00pm: Stoke City v Rotherham

3.00pm: Swansea v Birmingham

3.00pm: Blackburn v West Brom

3.00pm: Watford v QPR

Sunday, August 6th

12.00pm: Leicester v Coventry

2.30pm: Leeds v Cardiff

5.00pm: Sunderland v Ipswich

Looking for ways to make the most out of your £400 in free bets on upcoming English Football League matches?

With various bookmakers offering generous promotions, you have so many options at your disposal. Consider these tips for the opening weekend:

• Bristol City to beat Preston
• Peterborough to beat Reading
• Oxford to beat Cambridge
• Doncaster to beat Harrogate Town

This accumulator pays around 23/1.

Note, these odds are subject to change

Paddy Power free bets

Unlock up to £20 in cash back when you bet on the Championship with Paddy Power.

New customer offer. Place your first bet at odds of min 2.0 (EVS) and if it loses we will refund your stake in cash. Max refund for this offer is £20. Only deposits made using debit cards will qualify for this promotion (Apple Pay deposits excluded). T&Cs apply.

Ladbrokes free bets

Make the most of the 2023-24 Championship season with Ladbrokes's exclusive offer – stake £5 and receive £20 in free bets.

18+. New UK+IRE customers only. Certain deposit methods and bet types are excluded. Minimum first £5 bet within 14 days of an account registration at minimum odds of 1/2 to get 4 x £5 free bets. Free bets are available to use on selected sportsbook markets only. Free bets are valid for seven days, and the stake is not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.

Coral free bets

Secure a £20 free bet when you place a £5 wager on the Championship with Coral.

18+. New UK & ROI customers only. Minimum deposit £5. Minimum first £5 bet at minimum odds of 1/2 to qualify for 1 x £20 free bet. Certain deposit methods and bet types are excluded. Free bet valid for seven days. Stake not returned. Restrictions + T&Cs apply.

bet365 free bets

Get in on the action this week with bet365's top offer – claim a £30 free bet bonus by staking £10 on the Championship.

Minimum deposit requirement. Free bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Minimum odds, bet, and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Registration required. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

William Hill free bets

Don't miss out on William Hill's top offer – bet £10 on the Championship this week and receive £30 in free bets.

Play safe. From 00:01 on 13.04.2022. £30 bonus. New customers only. Minimum £10 stake on odds of 1/2 (1.5) or greater on the sportsbook. Further terms apply. 18+.

Betfair free bets

Place a bet of £5 or more with Betfair this week and receive £20 in free bets.

New customer offer. Place a minimum £5 bet on the Sportsbook on odds of minimum 1/2 (1.5), get £20 in free bets. Rewards valid for 30 days. SMS verification required. Only deposits via cards will qualify. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly.

Sky Bet free bets

Calling all Sky Bet newcomers. Bet on the Championship and enjoy £40 in free bets.

New customers only. First single and each-way bet only, odds of 1/1 or greater. 4 x £10 bet tokens. Free bet stakes not included in returns only redeemable on football accumulator markets. Free bets are non withdrawable. Free bet expiry after 30 days. Eligibility restrictions and further T+Cs apply. 18+, begambleaware.org.

Fafabet free bets

Get 50% of your first day losses back as a free bet with Fafabet.

New 18+ new customers only. Deposit and bet on any sports with minimum odds of 2.0. Get 50% back of your first day's losses as a free bet up to £50+£20 casino bonus. T&Cs apply.

BetGoodwin free bets

Receive 50% of your first day losses back as a free bet with BetGoodwin.

Deposit and have a minimum of three bets of £10 or more on separate events at odds of evens (2.0) or bigger on the first day. 50% of first day losses refunded as a free bet. Max free bet £25. New accounts only.

CopyBet free bets

Before the start of the Championship, claim £40 in free bets from CopyBet for the new season.

Place a qualifying bet with at least a £10 stake and 1.5 or greater odds. Find four free bets worth £10 each in your profile. Terms and conditions apply. The offer is available only for the company's new verified clients who are UK residents. Only use single bet type. No cash-out. The free bet amount is not available for withdrawal. The payout can not exceed £500. 18+.

SBK free bets

Claim £30 in free bets from SBK for the the return of the Championship and EFL.

New UK, IE & Malta customers only. Min £10/€10 first deposit using debit card. Place a bet of £10 at min odds of 1.5 and get £10. Further £10 credited after seven days and a further £10 credited after 14 days. Full T&Cs apply. 18+, begambleaware.org.

Spreadex free bets

Spreadex are offering £40 in free bets to get stuck into the Championship season.

Place a qualifying £10 fixed odds bet at odds of 1/2 or greater. Qualifying bet cannot be placed in-play or cashed out early. Get a £10 free fixed odds bet when the bet is settled and another £10 free fixed odds bet 24 hours later. Get a £5 winning favourites spread bet and a £5 total goals spread bet when your qualifying bet settles. Get a £5 winning favourites spread bet and a £5 total goals spread bet 24 hours later. T&Cs apply. 18+, begambleaware.org.

Betfred free bets

For the start of the Championship claim £40 in bonuses from Betfred.

New 18+ UK customers only. Register using the promo code WELCOME40, deposit and place first bet of £10+ on sports (cumulative Evens+) within seven days of registration. First bet must be on sports. £30 in free bets and £10 in free spins (50x20p) credited within 10 hours of bet settlement. Free bet stakes are not included in any returns. Bonuses have a seven-day expiry. Payment restrictions apply. SMS verification and/or proof of ID and address may be required. Full T&Cs apply.

Remember, gambling should always be a form of entertainment, not a problem. Be aware of the risks associated with gambling, and take steps to minimise them. If you need help or advice, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit www.gamstop.co.uk.

To discover more EFL Championship betting offers and free bets for both new and existing clients, make sure to explore the promotions provided by other top bookmakers in the UK and Ireland:

• Ladbrokes Betting Offers
• Coral Betting Offers
• William Hill Betting Offers
• bet365 Betting Offers
• Sky Bet Betting Offers
• Betfair Betting Offers
• Paddy Power Betting Offers
• Tote Betting Offers

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing.