EFL play offs preview: Get £40 in free bets with talkSPORT BET

The EFL play offs get underway this weekend, with 12 teams across three divisions all battling for their respective final chances at promotion this season.

talkSPORT BET are offering new customers up to £40 in free bets to those who bet on any of the football between now and the end of the season, an offer which can be claimed by following this link*.

talkSPORT BET New Customer Offer: Get £40 In Free Bets – CLAIM HERE*

Championship play off semi final first legs:

• Hull v Millwall (Fri, 8pm) (2nd leg: Mon, 8pm)
• Middlesbrough v Southampton (Sat, 12:30pm) (2nd leg: Tue, 8pm)

Championship play off winner odds:

• Southampton – 13/8
• Millwall – 9/4
• Middlesbrough – 5/2
• Hull – 11/2

Southampton head into the Championship play-offs, which get underway on Friday, as the favourites for promotion having picked up the most points in the league since Tonda Eckert took over as manager in November with the side sat 21st in the table.

The Saints, looking to bounce straight back into the Premier League following their relegation last season, finished just four points shy of automatic promotion in the end and snuck into the top four to guarantee themselves a home second leg on the final day of the season with a 3-1 win at Preston.

The Hampshire side will take on Middlesbrough over two legs for a place in the Wembley final, Boro having spent the entire season in the top six and the majority of the campaign in the top two before falling short in the closing couple of months in the campaign.

Kim Hellberg’s side dropped to fifth on the final day of the season and face the unenviable task of taking on a Southampton side who have been without doubt the most form team in the division since the turn of the year, as they look to end a 10 year wait for top flight football.

Millwall finished just a solitary point outside the automatic promotion places this season to secure a third placed finish in their hunt for promotion back into the top flight for the first time since their relegation back in 1990.

Alex Neil’s side have been in and around the play-off spots for the majority of the season and in ever present since November, even spending a fleeting few days in the top two over the Easter weekend, but will fancy their chances at reaching the final as they take on Hull on Friday night to kickstart the play-off period.

Hull had a slow start to the season under new manager Sergej Jakirovic but have spent the majority of the second half of the campaign in the top six, until they started the final day in seventh, but an impressive win against Norwich saw them leapfrog Wrexham into the final play-off spot in their bid for a first top flight season since their relegation in 2017.

League One play off semi final first legs:

• Stevenage v Stockport (Sat, 3pm) (2nd leg: Wed, 8pm)
• Bolton v Bradford (Sat, 8pm) (2nd leg: Thu, 8pm)

League One play off winner odds:

• Bolton – 15/8
• Stockport – 2/1
• Bradford – 11/4
• Stevenage – 5/1

Bolton, despite having slipped from third to fifth on the final day of the season following a home defeat against Luton, head into Saturday’s opening leg of the League One play offs as favourites for promotion.

Steven Schumacher’s side have been an ever-present in the play-offs since November, as they bid to reach the second tier for the first time since 2019, having reached the League One play offs for the third time in four seasons.

Saturday night sees them host a Bradford side bidding for their second consecutive promotion in what has been a hugely impressive season which has seen them stay in the top five in the table since mid August.

Graham Alexander’s side even moved up from fifth to fourth on the final day of the season with a 2-1 win at Exeter to confirm their home second leg as they seek a first season in the second tier since 2004.

The other semi final sees Stockport, who climbed from fourth to third on the final day with a 3-1 win at Barnsley, take on sixth placed Stevenage over two legs for a place at Wembley.

Dave Challinor’s side are another team have occupied a top six place constantly since mid October, even spending a few brief weeks in the top two before Lincoln and Cardiff ran away from the rest of the league to secure automatic promotion.

The Manchester side haven’t played second division football since 2002, and only seven years ago were playing their football as low down as the National League North in the sixth division.

Their opponents Stevenage have never been as high as the second tier of English football in their history and have the chance to achieve that goal now having just equalled the club’s highest ever league finish.

Alex Revell’s side started the season like a house on fire, spending the majority of the opening three months at the top of the League One table before a slump in form forced them to battle back into the play-off positions at the end of February, and held onto that top six spot with victory against Wigan on the final day despite the best efforts of the chasing pack.

League Two play off semi final first legs:

• Grimsby v Salford (Sun, 3pm) (2nd leg: Fri, 7:15pm)
• Chesterfield v Notts County (Sun, 6pm) (2nd leg: Fri, 8pm)

League Two play off winner odds:

• Notts County – 5/2
• Salford – 5/2
• Chesterfield – 11/4
• Grimsby – 11/4

The League Two play offs get underway on Sunday with Grimsby and Salford going head to head, with the latter heading into the tie as favourites despite having been beaten twice by their Lincolnshire opponents this season.

Karl Robinson’s side are bidding to promoted to the third tier of English football for the first time in the club’s history, and have enjoyed a steady season, occupying the play offs for the vast majority of it to secure a fourth placed finish.

They take on a Grimsby side who, after a strong start, have been in and out of the play offs for much of the last few months of the season but secured their seventh placed finish with a run of four wins in five to end the season as they hunt a first League One campaign since 2004.

The other semi final sees Chesterfield and Notts County go head to head, the latter having been in control of an automatic promotion place with only four games of the season remaining, but won only one of those, forcing them to settle for a play off place.

The Magpies are chasing a first season in League One since 2015, while Chesterfield last came down from the third tier two years later, but could be in for a return having snuck into the top seven on the penultimate day of the League Two season.

Paul Cook’s side are unbeaten in their last eight games, and back to back wins over Crewe and Swindon, the latter a play-off decider on the final day, saw them not only into the play-offs but into the top six.

All odds correct at the time of writing.

talkSPORT BET – Get £40 In Free Bets – CLAIM HERE*

Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply.

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.

Free Bet Offers

See all the best free bets and betting offers available in the UK over at our dedicated page

See all free bets

18+ gambleaware.org. T&Cs apply

*18+ New customers only. Opt in and bet up to £40 (min. £20) via mobile or app on any football (odds 1/1+) within 7 days of registration. Get up to £40 in free bets on selected markets, which expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. GambleAware.org | Please gamble responsibly