League One Betting Markets & Odds

Despite being the third tier of English football, League 1 remains one of the most exciting and unpredictable divisions around.  

While this is great news for fans and viewing neutrals, it can be a double-edged sword for punters, who may find it hard to predict match winners and the outcome of outright betting markets.  

However, you can at least find competitive odds and a broad range of League 1 betting markets here at Parimatch, alongside generous price boosts and bonuses! 

League 1 is the third tier of the English football pyramid and was referred to as the Third Division prior to the formation of the Premier League in 1992. 24 teams compete in the division every season, with each side playing a total of 46 games between August and May. 

Currently, the top two sides at the end of the season earn automatic promotion to the EFL Championship. The teams that finish between third and seventh compete in the playoffs to determine the third and final promoted side, while the bottom four clubs will all be relegated to League 2. 

Plenty of former Premier League sides currently ply their trade in League 1, including Bolton Wanderers, Portsmouth, Derby County and 2013 FA Cup winners Wigan Athletic. The division also features relative minnows like Fleetwood Town and Burton Albion, creating a fascinating mix of fallen giants and plucky underdogs. 

The changeable and unpredictable nature of League 1 is reflected by the fact that just two clubs have won the title twice since its rebranding in 2004. One of these is Luton Town, who prevailed in 2004/05 and in 2018/19 on their journey back to the Premier League. Wigan Athletic have also achieved this feat, winning the League 1 title twice in three seasons between 2015 and 2018. 

As with football betting markets such as those available in the Premier League, League 1 unlocks a number of different wager types and odds. We cover a huge range of League 1 betting markets here at Parimatch, but which of these are the most popular? 

• Outrights: Each season, a select number of teams compete to see who will win the League 1 title and battle for promotion (and scrap to avoid relegation). These underpin popular outright betting markets, and you can wager on the eventual league winner, the sides that will be relegated and the identity of the playoff winner. Our outright odds are highly competitive and published well ahead of time, too, while you can also combine different outcomes within a single wager. 
• Match Betting: A total of 552 matches are contested during the League 1 campaign, with each side playing 46 times each. This creates ample opportunity for match betting, which enables you to bet on the likely winner of an individual game or back the draw. The odds associated with match betting tend to be shorter due to the highly competitive nature of the division, but there are ways in which you can create additional value here (we’ll touch on these below). 
• Team and Player Prop Betting: At Parimatch, we also offer a huge selection of team and player prop bets, which focus on the occurrence (or non-occurrence) of in-game events that don’t directly affect the final result or outcome. For example, we enable you to bet on the next goalscorer in a particular game, or the over/under on the total number of corners that will be won. You can also wager on anytime goalscorers and the timeframes in which goals will be scored. 

While the popularity of these betting markets and wager types is not in doubt, the question that remains is: how can you successfully leverage them to your advantage? Here are some League 1 betting tips to keep in mind: 

Consider BTTS and Over/Under Betting 

When engaging in match betting, you can unlock even money markets such as BTTS (both teams to score) and the over/under on total goals scored. 

These markets often offer superior value, especially when you consider the unpredictable nature of League 1 and the ability of any side to beat another in the division. 

You can also study form, team performance and division statistics to help inform such selections. For example, 552 matches played during the 2022/23 League 1 season produced 1,414 goals at a rate of 2.56 per game, so you may be more likely to back over 2.5 goals being scored in a specific contest. 

Use Handicap Betting Wisely 

If you do intend to bet on the outcome of individual matches, you may want to leverage wager types that help you create additional value. 

Take handicapping, for example, which requires you to apply a theoretical handicap to a heavy betting favourite in a particular game. This allows you to bet on the rare League 1 matches where there’s a clear frontrunner while also accessing extended odds and potentially higher returns. 

For example, let’s say that Derby County were priced at 1.57 to win at Fleetwood. Applying a -1.5 goal handicap to the East Midlands side would immediately boost the price to 2.63, and the Rams would simply need to win by two clear goals for the wager to be successful. 

Watch Matches When Betting In-Play 

In-play wagering remains incredibly popular at Parimatch, but we’d recommend that you watch or live stream the matches that you intend to wager on in real-time. 

This enables you to gauge the momentum in games and make more informed selections, especially when backing the next team to score or which player is most likely to find the back of the net as an anytime goalscorer. 

This also makes you more selective when comparing the huge range of in-play betting markets at Parimatch, which in turn enables you to manage your bankroll far more effectively. 

Before you submit that first bet slip with us, please take some time to familiarise yourself with our Safer Gambling Portal. This is our all-important hub explaining all the responsible gambling tools at your fingertips to help you stay in control of your soccer betting activity. 

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