EFL odds: Reading 16-1 to rock League One in 2025-26

And the heartache prize for the 2024-25 Championship campaign goes to Sheffield United, agonisingly pipped on the line at Wembley for a place in next season's Premier League.

Their 'reward' for Saturday's gut-wrenching 2-1 loss to Sunderland in the playoff final is to have to wait a few weeks before beginning the slog towards the promised land once again, this time accompanied by a 9-1 quote to go up as champions.

Here we take a look at the early prices for all three EFL divisions and suggest a couple of eye-catching bets.

Best bet

Reading to win League One
1pt 16-1 each-way bet365

Grimsby to win League Two
1pt 20-1 bet365

Championship

They weren't away for long and with the whiff of a single Premier League campaign still in their nostrils and hefty parachute payments to soften the landing, Ipswich, Southampton and Leicester will all hope to be factors in the 2025-26 promotion fight.

It is Ipswich at 9-2 and 11-2 shots Southampton who head the betting despite wretched seasons in the elite, where between them they clocked up a paltry six wins.

Town are resigned to losing top scorer Liam Delap, Saints have rolled the managerial dice again - Will Still from Lens the new man - and even in a league where competition remains stiff, it's hard to envisage either doing a Luton and disappearing the other way after relegation.

The bookies are lukewarm towards Leicester, who are seemingly set to replace Ruud van Nistelrooy with Russell Martin, the man who only 12 months ago was celebrating guiding Saints to promotion so he certainly has pedigree.

Sheffield United, like Leeds a season before, failed to go up with 90 points and - again just like their Yorkshire rivals - went on to blow it at Wembley to the side who finished fourth.

So, if history continues to repeat itself, they will presumably go up as champs and land odds of 9-1 in the process.

The layers aren't taking any chances with promoted Birmingham (who look short enough at 10-1) and nor with the side who followed them up, Wrexham.

Those two are jostling in the market alongside Frank Lampard's vastly improved Coventry and Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough, whose season ended lamely.

More interesting may be Norwich at 16-1 given - certainly 13-2 for promotion - if they appoint Liam Manning, fresh from masterminding a pretty ordinary Bristol City's run to the playoffs.

League One

After the Birmingham procession comes potentially a big-hitting bunfight of epic proportions toward the top of League One.

Luton, Cardiff and Plymouth make a formidable trio of Championship discards and predictably go straight to the head of the title market.

But railed against them will be clubs of the calibre of Bolton, Huddersfield and Rotherham who will all expect to improve on last term while it is hard to see 11-1 shots Stockport vanishing without trace after making the playoff semis.

Leyton Orient outran their odds 12 months ago to make the top six and are being slightly more respected this time - 6-1 for promotion - though it's Reading who are a big tempter at 16-1 outright.

The Royals were 17th after relegation in 2023-24, improved to seventh last term, and critically have seen the back of their unpopular owner, Dai Yongge, the man accused of running down the Berkshire club.

Noel Hunt did nothing wrong as manager - they lost only three of their last 19 matches - and presumably gets trusted to oversee a summer in which they will have money to spend.

League Two

There is a wide-open look to the betting in the basement with the layers confident Paul Warne's MK Dons, after last season's surprising no-show, will be among the contenders.

The Dons are 9-1, the same price as Chesterfield, with relegated Bristol Rovers and another playoff semi-finalist Notts County available at 10-1.

Gareth Ainsworth breathed life into Gillingham at the back end of last term, Ian Holloway doing likewise at Swindon and those two are 12-1 and 20-1 respectively.

Grimsby are also 20-1 and that is worth an interest. David Artell's men were automatic promotion challengers until hitting the buffers at the end and finished up not making the playoffs.

They certainly catch the eye at 5-1 to win promotion.

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