Kickstart Your Championship Season: Key Fixtures and Best Free Bet Offers
The 2025/26 EFL Championship season kicks off this weekend, and excitement is already building around some intriguing fixtures. Whether you're a casual football fan or thinking about placing your first bet, now’s a great time to explore the action — and take advantage of some fantastic free bet offers from leading bookmakers Sky Bet, Paddy Power, and Betfair.
Sky Bet Championship Football Offer - Get a £10 Free Bet For Every Shot On Target in Birmingham vs Ipswich (Max £60 in Free Bets)
Offer Expires 08/08/2025 at 20:00
Betfair Championship Football Offer - Get £50 in Free Bet Builders When You Bet £10 On Sportsbook
Paddy Power Championship Football Offer - Get £50 in Free Bets to Use on Bet Builders When You Place a £10 Bet Builder
Sky Bet Championship Acca Offer - Get £50 in Free Acca Bets When You Place a £10 Acca (5+ Legs)
Sky Bet Championship Football BuildABet Offer - Get £50 in Free Bets to Use on BuildABets When You Place a £10 BuildABet
Sky Bet Football Offer - Get £30 in Free Bets when you bet anything
Sky Bet a fan favourite across sports, with a user-friendly platform, wide range of markets, and regular price boosts helping you get added value on your bets.
Paddy Power Football Offer - Get £30 In Free Bets when you place a £5 bet
Known for its money-back specials and daily price boosts, Paddy Power is a great place to find value ahead of matches.
Betfair Football Offer - Get £30 in Free Bet Multiples when you bet £10
Whether you prefer the sportsbook or the exchange, Betfair offers flexibility and often better odds for sharper punters.
Why Use These Bookmakers?
Each of our partners brings something different to the table:
- Sky Bet – Clean interface, fast withdrawals, and frequent boosts.
- Paddy Power – Competitive odds, quirky specials, and excellent Bet Builder function
- Betfair – Ideal for value hunters with its exchange, plus strong in-fight coverage
Championship Opening Weekend: Fixtures to Watch
Birmingham City vs Ipswich Town (Friday, 8 August, 8pm)
Birmingham City arrive to the Championship fresh off a dominant League One title win with 111 points. They've bolstered their squad again and will have high hopes heading into the year.
Ipswich had a more difficult 2024/25 season, finishing second bottom in the Premier League. However, with an incredibly talented manager and a strong squad despite the departure of Liam Delap, they are primed for a title charge and a return to the Premier League.
Southampton vs Wrexham (Saturday, 9 August, 12:30pm)
Wrexham have gained a huge following with back-to-back promotions taking them to the Championship. They may have a difficult season ahead but have come to life in the trasnfer market recently as they look to build a squad strong enough to stay in the Championship.
Southampton arrive off a dreadful Premier League campaign but have talent and depth to again push for promotion to the Premier League. With new manager Will Still bringing top level coaching, Wrexham may find Southampton a difficult first weekend fixture.
Leicester City vs Sheffield Wednesday (Sunday, 10 August, 4:30pm)
Leicester City were relegated from the Premier League last season and face Sheffield Wednesday, who have been plagued by off the field issues such as multiple late payments to both playing and non-playing staff, leaving them threadbare squad with very little senior experience in the squad.
Leicester's squad has been threatened by similar off the field issues such as points deductions and trasnfer bans and will need to make a strong start if they hope to bounce back to the Premier League
Our Favourite Championship Outright Bets!
Football expert, Tom Carnduff, picks out his best Championship outrights and top goalscorer tips, predictions and best bets!
1pt e.w. Mihailo Ivanovic to be top goalscorer at 28/1
Ivanović’s goal-scoring prowess makes him a standout pick for those interested in top scorer markets, he netted 12 goals in his debut season at Millwall and can continue to get in the goals.
1pt e.w. Mathias Kvistgaarden to be top goalscorer at 40/1
A promising talent with a sharp eye for goal, he joins Norwich from Bristol City and could be worth every penny of his £7million fee. Kvistgaarden offers exciting value at longer odds and each way selections means a top 4 finish will give a return
1pt e.w. Millwall (+24 handicap) to win the Championship at 18/1
Millwall may not be early favourites, but this handicap bet offers an interesting angle for those looking beyond the favourites.
Popular Betting Markets to Explore
New to football betting? Take a look at these popular betting markets or our Football Betting Guide for more detailed advice on football betting!
- Match Result: Bet on which team will win or if the match will end in a draw.
- Over/Under Goals: Predict whether the total goals scored in a match will be over or under a specified number.
- Both Teams to Score (BTTS): Betting on whether both teams will score during the match or not.
- Goalscorer: Place a bet on which player(s) will score a goal in the match.
- Correct Score: Predict the exact final score of the match.
You can also combine the above markets, and plenty of others, into a Bet Builder to get bigger odds. Take a look at our Bet Builder guide to learn more.
.jpg)
.png)
.png)
