STAR FOOTBALL PREVIEW: EFL Opening Weekend

The EFL is back!

League One and League Two football returns this weekend, and it is sure to be another rollercoaster season in the EFL…

It’s never an easy task to predict how the opening weekend of a football season will play out, before anyone knows which teams are destined for success or doomed to failure, but that hasn’t stopped our EFL expert JOE CITRONE from trying to find some value!

He has selected three of the most intriguing match-ups from the opening weekend in League One and League Two, and picked out some betting selections that have caught his eye…

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🎩 LUTON TOWN v AFC WIMBLEDON 🔵
League One
Friday, 8pm

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League One gets underway on Friday night as recently-relegated Luton Town take on newly-promoted AFC Wimbledon at Kenilworth Road.

It’s only two years ago that the Hatters were preparing for life in the Premier League, but a disastrous 24 months has seen them suffer back-to-back relegations into the third tier of English football.

AFC Wimbledon, who were two divisions below Luton 12 months ago, enjoyed a summer of celebration after defeating Walsall in the League Two play-off final in May to earn their spot back in League One after three seasons away.

Although strange things can happen on opening weekend, it’s hard to see the Dons – the 10/11 starsports.bet favourites for relegation – threatening 3/1 title favourites Luton on Friday night.

I am backing Luton to get their season started with a win and a clean sheet.

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🐉 CARDIFF CITY v PETERBOROUGH UNITED 🔵
League One
Saturday, 12.30pm

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Cardiff City, who suffered relegation from the Championship last season after a desperately disappointing campaign, will be hoping to get their League One promotion bid off to a strong start against Peterborough United on Saturday.

Following such a disappointing season, Bluebirds fans will have been hoping for a big summer of change at the club. However, although some players have departed, at the time of writing, Cardiff City are yet to make a single signing.

It’s also been a tough summer for Peterborough, who have lost several of their players from last season, including Hector Kyprianou, Malik Mothersille and, most crucially, Kwame Poku.

It feels like neither of these sides have their house completely in order coming into this first game of the season, and that’s why I fancy them to play out a draw, which you can back with starsports.bet at a very appealing price of 16/5.

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🔴 ACCRINGTON STANLEY v GILLINGHAM 🔵
League Two
Saturday, 3pm

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In League Two, Gillingham – who are among the starsports.bet ante-post favourites for promotion – get their season started with a long away trip to Accrington Stanley.

Compared to many other clubs at this level, it hasn’t been a massively busy summer for the Gills who, at the time of writing, have made four new additions to their squad.

However, they are all signings, particularly Wycombe old boy Sam Vokes, should fit into the way manager Gareth Ainsworth will want to set up and, although it won’t always be pretty, I expect that style to be pretty effective this season.

At 13/8 with starsports.bet, I like the look of a Gills win this weekend.

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RECOMMENDED BETS
BACK Luton to win to nil 1pt at 8/5 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Cardiff-Peterborough draw 1.5pts at 16/5 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Gillingham to win 1pt at 13/8 (⭐️ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

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PROFIT/LOSS (AUG 2025): 0.00 points

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