The start of the Premier League may still be one week away, but this weekend sees the start of the Football 
League’s three divisions, as well as the traditional curtain-raiser to the new season, the Community Shield, featuring last season’s Premier League Champions Manchester City, taking on the FA Cup Winners, Chelsea.
While our main focus on football over the season is on events in the Premier League, Champions League, Europa League and International fixtures in the main, there is still a burgeoning betting industry generated on matches at lower levels of English football and of course, the race for the ÂŁ100 million guaranteed to teams on promotion to the Premier League means that there is always plenty of interest in the Championship.
In this special preview, we will review the opening weekend’s fixtures in the Championship, League One and League Two of the Football League, before taking a quick glance at the Community Shield and seeing who is likely to come out on top of this big clash. We will also bring you our predictions for which teams will be challenging for top honours in each of the three divisions of the Football League this coming season.
As always, you can enjoy plenty of great betting throughout the season on all levels of football at bet365 Sport.
For the fixtures below, all kick offs are 3pm on Saturday 4th August unless otherwise stated.
Football League – Championship – Opening Weekend Fixtures
- Reading v Derby County (Fri 3rd Aug – 8pm)
- Birmingham City v Norwich City
- Brentford v Rotherham United
- Bristol City v Nottingham Forest
- Ipswich Town v Blackburn Rovers
- Millwall v Middlesbrough
- Preston North End v Queens Park Rangers
- West Brom v Bolton Wanderers
- Wigan Athletic v Sheffield Wednesday
- Sheffield United v Swansea City (Sat 4th Aug, 5.30pm)
- Leeds United v Stoke City (Sun 5th Aug – 4.30pm)
- Hull City v Aston Villa (Mon 6th Aug – 7.45pm)
Championship Preview
This season’s Championship promises to be a real battle for the top spots with the likes of relegated West Brom, Swansea City and Stoke City all likely to be in an amongst the battle. Marcelo Bielsa taking over at Leeds is hugely interesting and could be potentially brilliant, or a total disaster. Other teams that will likely feel they stand a chance of a run at promotion include last year’s beaten Playoff finalists Aston Villa, Middlesbrough, Derby County, both Sheffield clubs, while new managers at Ipswich Town and Birmingham City could have a positive influence on those teams.
Who do the bookies think will challenge for the Championship?
- Stoke City – 5/1
- West Brom – 8/1
- Middlesbrough – 9/1
- Swansea City, Nottingham Forest – 11/1
- Leeds United – 12/1
- Brentford, Derby County, Aston Villa – 16/1
- Sheffield United – 20/1
- Norwich City, Bristol City, Sheffield Wednesday, Birmingham City – 25/1
- 33/1 bar
Who are our Championship tip?
In recent years, teams that have recently been relegated from the Premier League tend to bounce back strongly in the Championship, with just one or two exceptions. This year, I can see both West Brom and Stoke City doing that. Bielsa at Leeds is the joker in the pack and that could be a masterstroke or a disaster depending on how things play out, but for me I think the smart money here is Swansea City (11/1) who have appointed a very shrewd and talented manager in Graham Potter.
Football League – Division One – Opening Weekend Fixtures
- Sunderland v Charlton Athletic (Sat 04 Aug, 12.30pm)
- Accrington Stanley v Gillingham
- Barnsley v Oxford United
- Burton Albion v Rochdale
- Coventry City v Scunthorpe United
- Fleetwood Town v AFC Wimbledon
- Peterborough United v Bristol Rovers
- Portsmouth v Luton Town
- Shrewsbury Town v Bradford City
- Southend United v Doncaster Rovers
- Walsall v Plymouth Argyle
- Wycombe Wanderers v Blackpool
Division One Preview
Division One looked well matched last season and after the promotions and relegations of last season, this year’s Division One looks even more evenly matched. Sunderland are the biggest name here and after two successive relegations, they are favourites to bounce back and probably rightly so based on finance and supporter base alone. Barnsley should go well and I think the likes of Scunthorpe, Portsmouth, Charlton, Luton and Plymouth should all go close too. Watch out also for newly promoted Coventry City, who I think have the potential for a strong season.
Who do the bookies think will challenge for the Division One title?
- Sunderland – 3/1
- Barnsley – 8/1
- Charlton – 12/1
- Portsmouth – 14/1
- Luton Town, Scunthorpe United, Oxford United, Peterborough United – 16/1
- Fleetwood Town, Plymouth Argyle, Burton Albion, Coventry City – 20/1
- 25/1 bar
Who are our Division One tip?
Wigan and Blackburn dominated this division last season but I can’t see that happening again. I do fancy Sunderland to get promotion, but I can’t see them finishing top of the table. For me, I think Charlton at 12/1 are the solid bets here, especially if they can keep some of their very talented youngsters and Lee Bowyer as manager.
Football League – Division 2– Opening Weekend Fixtures
- Bury v Yeovil Town
- Cheltenham v Crawley Town
- Crewe Alexandra v Morecambe
- Exeter v Carlisle
- Grimsby Town v Forest Green Rovers
- Mansfield v Newport County
- Northampton v Lincoln City
- Notts County v Colchester
- Oldham v MK Dons
- Port Vale v Cambridge United
- Stevenage v Tranmere Rovers
- Swindon Town v Macclesfield Town
Division 2 Preview
With four promotion places up for grabs, as well as just two relegation places to avoid, Division Two is arguably the most evenly contested of all four divisions in England in terms of ability between the teams. Tranmere Rovers and Macclesfield will be happy to be back in the League and they could surprise a few teams this season in League Two. Relegated MK Dons will be popular picks to win, as will Notts County, who missed out in the playoffs last season. I expect the likes of Lincoln, Swindon, Mansfield, Northampton, Oldham and Carlisle to also be in the running.
Who do the bookies think will challenge for the Division 2 title?
- MK Dons, Notts County – 6/1
- Lincoln City, Mansfield Town – 10/1
- Northampton Town, Swindon. Town – 12/1
- Bury – 14/1
- Oldham, Colchester, Port Vale – 20/1
- Tranmere, Carlisle, Exeter, Cambridge United – 25/1
- 33/1 bar
Who are our Division 2 tip?
For me, this division is wide open and I feel any of the teams rated as 25/1 shots or better listed above would feel they have a chance at the title. However, I think that Notts County at 6/1 showed their quality last season under Kevin Nolan and after defeat in the playoffs, I think they’ll be itching to avoid the same fate this year. That said, this could be a division that is so close, it could well go down to the last day to decide the winner.
Community Shield Tip – Manchester City v Chelsea
Manchester City face Chelsea on Sunday afternoon in the Community Shield, the traditional curtain-raiser to the Premier League season and it will be interesting to see how both teams line up, given that this game will take place just a few weeks following the completion of the World Cup. The bookies have the current Match Result odds at:
- Chelsea to win – 12/5
- Man City to win – 21/20
- Draw – 5/2
Of the two teams, I think Manchester City are the clear favourites here and at better than even money, I think that is an outstanding value bet to start the season off with, especially seeing as City beat Chelsea twice last season, home and away, by the same 1-0 scoreline.
Worried about your gambling?