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EFL play-offs predictions, tips, best bets, odds, preview & schedule for Championship, League One and League Two

Football
Sun May 03, 2026 · 5h ago

Football betting tips: Play-offs

2pts Hull to win Championship play-offs at 7/1 (General)

2pts Millwall to win Championship play-offs at 13/5 (General)

2pts Stevenage to win League One play-offs at 5/1 (BetVictor)

2pts Chesterfield to win League Two play-offs at 3/1 (BetVictor)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair

When are the Championship play-offs and who has qualified?

Promotion odds (via Sky Bet)

  • Southampton - 15/8
  • Middlesbrough - 2/1
  • Millwall - 9/4
  • Hull - 6/1

The final day of the Sky Bet EFL season did not disappoint - especially in the Championship.

While there was no drama in the battle to join Coventry as the second team to be automatically promoted, with Ipswich settling any nerves by scoring twice inside nine minutes before eventually beating QPR 3-0 to render Millwall and Middlesbrough results irrelevant, slightly further down the table there was a proverbial game of snakes and ladders taking place.

It was Wrexham, then it was Hull, then it was Derby, then it was Wrexham again, then back to Derby.

The Rams then threw away a lead to lose at home to Sheffield United and Wrexham, after fighting back before being pegged back by Middlesbrough, couldn't find a winner, allowing Oli McBurnie to take advantage.

The Hull striker's brace hauled his team kicking and screaming from 1-0 down to their first win in seven matches, beating Norwich to clinch sixth and set up up a semi-final tie with Millwall.

HULL have been underestimated all season, and continue to be written-off by the bookmakers as they are a staggering 7/1 TO WIN PROMOTION, considerably bigger than any of the other 11 teams contesting the EFL's end-of-season extravaganza.

The other three sides in the Championship play-offs head into them needing to shake the fact that they just missed out on an automatic spot, with Millwall pipped by a point, Middlesbrough's late-season collapse costing them and Southampton's failure to hold on to a lead at home to Ipswich in their penultimate match proving decisive in removing any real final-day pressure from the Tractor Boys.

Sergej Jakirovic's side will go into their semi-final confident, hugely encouraged by their performances against the Lions in their two league meetings, as they will be by how they've fared against all the play-off sides (W4 L2).

In December the Tigers dominated to win 3-1 at The Den, and while they were beaten by the same scoreline in the reverse fixture four months later, they were incredibly unfortunate to lose. Not only did they create 3.04 xG to Millwall's 1.38, it was described by Jakirovic as "the best home performance" of his tenure.

With Hull such a big price I'm also prepared to hedge and back MILLWALL TO WIN PROMOTION at 13/5.

It makes no sense that the team who are overwhelming favourites to win their semi-final are third-favourites to win promotion, making this almost an automatic value selection.

Add in that they finished third in the table, only a point shy of promotion, and they have a manager in Alex Neil who has won both the Championship (2015 with Norwich) and League One play-offs (2022 with Sunderland) and there is even more reason to get them onside.

Southampton have been phenomenal under Tonda Eckert, with the initial caretaker boss taking them from a relegation battle to fourth and an FA Cup semi-final. Middlesbrough were superb under Kim Hellberg until their late season wobble, and even during that run played superbly well, simply missed a hatful chances.

With both of those teams priced too short to back, siding with the other half is the way to play it in the second tier.

When are the League One play-offs and who has qualified?

Promotion odds (via Sky Bet)

  • Bolton - 7/4
  • Stockport - 9/4
  • Stevenage - 3/1
  • Bradford - 7/2

Bolton head into their third League One play-off campaign in four seasons, and are incredibly short-priced favourites. No firm is willing to go above 2/1, making them the shortest team to win promotion in any of the three EFL divisions.

This should be opposed, as not only have Wanderers been patchy all season under Steven Schumacher despite having one of the strongest squads in the division, they won only four of their final 15 matches.

The problem is they meet a Bradford team who also stuttered to the end of the campaign (won three of last 10) with it very possible that even one more round of fixtures would have caused Graham Alexander's men to be pipped by Luton or Plymouth.

For very different reasons to the Championship it's just not a semi-final I like the look of from a betting perspective.

Stevenage boss Alex Revell

I'm going to follow a very similar tactic to the one used in the second tier and back the biggest-priced side by taking STEVENAGE TO WIN PROMOTION at 5/1.

It's a huge achievement for Alex Revell's side to have reached the play-offs, but it is well deserved.

Their form dipped either side of the new year as they won just once in 11 league games, but they rallied superbly to clinch sixth place with a stoppage-time winner on the final day.

Stevenage are incredibly tough to beat, losing only one of their final nine league matches, and even that was an away game at Bolton where they were reduced to 10 men in the first half.

That is the only time they have lost against the other play-off participants this term, with an overall record of W3 D2 L1.

Ollie Norwood is key to Stockport's chances but they are suffering an centre-back crisis

They won both meetings with Stockport, 3-1 away and 2-1 at home.

Last season Dave Challinor's men were 2/1 favourites to win the play-offs but this campaign they have never got close to the level of consistency displayed in 2024/25.

Injuries have hampered them throughout, and their current crisis at centre-back, a problem that has seen top scorer Kyle Wootton move from centre-forward to central defence as an emergency solution, pretty much sums things up.

It also means they are very much worth opposing, especially against a team as physically dominant as Stevenage.

When are the League Two play-offs and who has qualified?

Promotion odds (via Sky Bet)

  • Salford - 9/4
  • Notts County - 5/2
  • Chesterfield - 11/4
  • Grimsby - 3/1

What a division League Two is, summed up by the fact the four teams in the play-offs are priced between 9/4 and 3/1 to win promotion; understandable given they were separated by just three points after 46 rounds of fixtures.

For the second season in succession CHESTERFIELD finished like a train (W7 D2 L1) and won on the final day to make the top seven, this time beating Swindon in a winner-takes-all clash away from.

In a very un-League Two manner, three of the four play-off teams arrive in great form.

Grimsby (W9 D2 L3) and Salford (W8 D2 L3) are also flying, with only Notts County, whose ability to win just two of their last eight matches ultimately cost them automatic promotion, running out of steam in recent weeks.

Chesterfield manager Paul Cook

With Chesterfield a top price of 3/1 TO WIN PROMOTION they are the bet in the fourth tier.

The Spirerites were desperately unlucky to lose their semi-final to Walsall 12 months ago, something Paul Cook will no doubt remind his players of when they get another chance to reach Wembley.

Like the Saddlers last season, Notts will need to find their best performance for weeks, and a fair amount of luck if they are to reach the final.

Odds correct at 22:20 BST (3/5/25)

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