The 2023/24 English Football League season begins on Friday, August 4th, when Sheffield Wednesday host relegated Southampton at Hillsborough in the opening match of the Championship season.
Below, we chart the key contenders in each EFL division.
- Leicester and Leeds to be promoted
- Derby to be promoted
- Wrexham to be promoted
Leicester And Leeds To Bounce Back
Leicester and Leeds were relegated alongside Southampton last season and those three teams dominate the betting for the Championship with Leicester rated the most likely to bounce straight back to the Premier League.
The Foxes, who appointed Enzo Maresca as manager in the summer, have lost big-name players James Maddison, Harvey Barnes and Youri Tielemans, but Harry Winks and Conor Coady look sensible signings at this level and there is likely to be more to come through the King Power Stadium doors.
Leeds have recruited a manager who knows the division in former Norwich boss Daniel Farke, and they are rated most likely to challenge the Foxes, while Southampton have done well by bringing in Russell Martin from Swansea.
The relegated trio are available at single-figure odds to win the Championship with Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough, who were beaten in last year's play-off semi-final by Coventry, also among those teams who are fancied to secure Premier League football.
Norwich, Watford, Ipswich and Sunderland round out the top eight in the betting market.
LEICESTER AND LEEDS TO BE PROMOTED
Rams Hoping To Seal A Championship Return
Unlike the Championship, the main contenders in League One spent last season in that division with Derby and Bolton the two teams the bookmakers expect to mount the strongest bid for automatic promotion.
After several seasons of instability, the Rams had a year of consolidation in 2022/23 which saw them finish one point out of the League One play-off places despite remaining under a transfer embargo.
That embargo was lifted this May and manager Paul Warne has since been able to refresh Derby's squad with players who boast experience at a higher level than League One.
Bolton, meanwhile, fell short in the play-offs but Ian Evatt's men are expected to produce another bold promotion bid with Barnsley, Portsmouth and Peterborough also among those sides towards the top of the market.
Of those teams relegated from the Championship last season, Reading are rated slightly more likely to seal an immediate return ahead of Blackpool.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney will be hoping for more
Wrexham Favourites For Back-To-Back Titles
With the help of their high-profile owners, documentary darlings Wrexham could argue that they are the most well-supported team in the Football League despite only sealing a return to League Two at the end of last season.
The Welsh club chalked up an impressive 111 points to gain automatic promotion from the National League and are favourites to continue their climb up the ladder by winning the League Two title.
However, big-spending outfits such as Salford City and Stockport have fallen short in the fourth tier in recent seasons so there are no guarantees that this will be a cakewalk for Phil Parkinson's men, who will begin the season without injured talisman Paul Mullin.
Wrexham are followed in the market by Stockport with another promoted side, Notts County, third in the betting. Gillingham, Bradford and Salford are also in the League Two title hunt.
