STAR FOOTBALL PREVIEW: EFL Weekend Betting Tips – 9–11 October 2026

EFL football returns this weekend following the international break, with the season well underway and the league tables starting to take shape across all three divisions, writes LOUIE TRUMAN.

The action gets underway tomorrow night at the London Stadium, where West Ham host QPR (8pm Friday) in a London derby.

This weekend’s EFL betting preview covers three selections from across the Championship, League One and League Two.

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CHAMPIONSHIP

West Ham have made an excellent start. The Hammers are sitting in second, two points below league leaders Swansea. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side has lost just one of their opening eight matches, and they’ve been brilliant going forward.

In fact, they lead the Championship scoring charts with 22 goals. This includes six against Wrexham and four against Wolves.

On the other hand, West Ham have looked vulnerable at the back, conceding 11 goals so far. West Ham were also forced to fight back from 2-0 down to earn a point against Millwall in their final game before the international break. It was a good comeback from West Ham, although they are still struggling to keep clean sheets.

QPR have also had a positive start; the Hoops are sitting in sixth, and they’ve scored in five of their eight league fixtures. Despite the good start, QPR have had a few injuries, Harvey Vale and Justin Obikwu both missing games.

Dennis Cirkin is unavailable after being sent off in their last match. West Ham midfielder Mohamadou Kante will also miss out following his red card against Millwall.

Only QPR and West Ham are yet to lose on the road in the Championship. The Hammers have enough attacking quality to take all three points, but their defensive record suggests QPR could get on the scoresheet.

West Ham to win and both teams to score is currently priced at 9/5 with starsports.bet. For me, that is the bet of the weekend.

⭐️ WEST HAM UNITED VS QUEENS PARK RANGERS MARKETS ⭐️

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LEAGUE ONE

In my opinion, the early kick-off between Notts County and Oxford (3pm Saturday) offers some value. The Magpies secured promotion from League Two last season, and they’ve had an inconsistent start to their return to League One football.

Martin Paterson’s side comes into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 home win against Grimsby in the EFL Trophy. Prior to this result, County lost their last two in the league against Bradford and Reading. The Magpies were unable to find the back of the net during both games, and they’ve won just one league match at Meadow Lane.

Oxford have scored 13 goals in six league matches, compared to Notts County’s seven from seven. United have also lost just once this season, while County have managed only one win.

However, the expected goals figures tell a slightly different story. Oxford have generated 7.8 xG and conceded 9.0 xGA, while Notts County have produced 7.9 xG and allowed just 5.8 xGA.

Oxford have been taking their chances well, although I do question if they can keep scoring at this rate. Notts County haven’t had the results, but their performances have been better than the table suggests.

That said, it’s difficult to ignore Oxford’s start to the season. They’ve lost just once in the league and come into this fixture unbeaten in their last three.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Notts County get on the scoresheet, but Oxford have shown enough attacking quality to make me favour the visitors. At 15/4 with Star Sports, I’m happy to take a chance on Oxford to win and both teams to score.

⭐️ NOTTS COUNTY VS OXFORD UNITED MARKETS ⭐️

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LEAGUE TWO

After seven league matches, Barnet are sitting in second place with 15 points. The Bees come into this fixture (3pm Saturday) with momentum, securing back-to-back wins against Accrington and Fleetwood.

Bristol Rovers made a decent start to the campaign, but I’m still not completely sold on them. Four league defeats already suggest there’s plenty of work to do, and I think Barnet could cause them problems this weekend.

I was tempted by the double chance market, but I think there’s enough value in backing Barnet to win. Bristol Rovers have shown they can be beaten, and Barnet have made a strong enough start to fancy their chances of taking all three points. Starsports.bet are offering 19/10.

⭐️ BRISTOL ROVERS VS BARNET MARKETS ⭐️

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RECOMMENDED BETS
BACK West Ham to win & BTTS 1pt at 9/5 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Oxford to win & BTTS 1pt at 15/4 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)
BACK Barnet to win 1pt at 19/10 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

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(OCTOBER 2026): PROFIT/LOSS: -4.10 points

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