Football League Play-Off Odds – Football Betting

Play-offs have bookmakers in a quandary

Championship Betting

For neutrals, they are arguably the most exciting stage of the season. For supporters of the clubs involved, they are a nerve-wracking climax to a gruelling campaign during which dreams will be either fulfilled or shattered.

I’m talking, of course, about the end-of-season play-offs. They’ve been a remarkably popular innovation since their inception and a dozen teams are still dreaming of promotion having missed out on automatic elevation from their respective divisions.

Promotion to League 2 to League 1 is probably worth about half a million pounds to  the winners. That rises to five million for the League 1 play-off winners but the team that goes up from the Championship to the Premier League can anticipate almost untold riches.

The latest estimations, due to a new TV deal, suggests the Championship play-off winners will rake in £160million in additional revenue in their first season in the top flight alone.

Brighton could not have got much closer to automatic promotion, only losing out to second-placed Middlesbrough on goal difference after failing to beat the Teessiders on the final day of the regular season. The Seagulls are a best 5/2 with Stan James to win the Championship play-offs but are no shorter than Hull City with Derby also well regarded by bookmakers at a best 14/5.

It’s not long since the Tigers were winning a Championship play-off final at Wetherby and they have a squad littered with experienced Premier League players. But they’ve been inconsistent over the last month and so have the Rams, who lost the play-off final to a late QPR goal two years ago when favourites. Brighton have lost a little of their discipline lately and they’ll be tested by Sheffield Wednesday in the semi-finals.

Both matches between the sides in the regular season ended 0-0 and Brighton have not won any of their last seven meetings with the Owls, who are a big-looking 4/1 with Paddy Power to make their first appearance in the Championship play-offs a winning one.

Championship Play-offs Best Odds

Brighton and Hull City (5/2), Derby County (14/5), Sheffield Wednesday (4/1)

Like Brighton, Accrington blew their chance of automatic promotion from League 2 on the final day of the regular season and it remains to be seen if that has had an impact. Stanley are best 3/1 to go up via the play-offs but Portsmouth are favourites at 2/1 with Paddy Power.

Pompey will sell out their Wembley allocation if they get to the final but were ante-post favourites to win League 2 this season and fell well short. They face another well-supported side, Plymouth Argyle (a best 4/1), in the semi-finals and will be under a lot of pressure. AFC Wimbledon will be using the fact that they’ll be playing arch-nemesis MK Dons next season if they can win the play-offs and are also a best 4/1.

League 2 Play-Off Best Odds

Portsmouth (2/1), Accrington Stanley (3/1), Plymouth Argyle and AFC Wimbledon (4/1)

The League 1 play-offs look the hardest to call as all four teams have ended the season with a flourish. Walsall won 5-0 at Port Vale on the final day but fell just a point short. Barnsley won 4-1 at champions Wigan in their last match to secure their play-off spot and have already won the Johnstones Paint Trophy at Wembley this seasn. Millwall are a tough, uncompromising outfit who are looking to bounce back to the Championship at the first time of asking while Bradford City are no strangers to Wembley having played beneath the Arch in a League Cup Final and an FA Cup semi-final in recent years. The betting reflects bookmakers uncertainty about which of the four teams should be favourites.

Skybet League 1 Play-Offs Betting

Millwall (12/5), Barnsley and Walsall (13/5), Bradford City (11/4)