Saturday League 1 and 2 Tips: Back Leicester City to make winning start in Saturday 11/1 treble

League One

Leg 1: Notts County v Leicester Tip: Back Leicester @ 1/12.00

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Saturday 15th August, 12:30

Leicester won just one of their final 13 away league games last season (D7 L5), although that sole victory did come in their last match on the road when they beat Blackburn 1-0. The Foxes' fall from grace means they start this season with a new manager in Russell Martin and new opponents.

You can read what Ryan Deeney says about Leicester's chances in his 1-24 Season Prediction here. As the 9/43.25 favourites for the title, Leicester can, and should be considered a fair price at 1/12.00 here, especially against a team that was playing in League Two last season.

Admir Bristric signed on the dotted line earlier this week from Slovenian club Olimpija Ljubljana for an undisclosed fee to take Martin's business to eight incomings at the King Power.

The 23-year-old spent last season on loan at Slovenian club Bravo, scoring 10 goals in 24 appearances and helped them secure qualification for the Europa Conference League.

That sort of signing is beyond quite a few clubs in this division and Martin's focus on keeping possession, a hallmark of his sides, was evident in the recent 1-0 EFL Cup win over Northampton with 77% of the ball.

KEY OPTA STAT: Leicester City have lost just one of their last seven league games against Notts County (W4 D2), though the Foxes will be looking to avoid losing successive league fixtures against the Magpies for the first time since 1914.

Leyton Orient v Sheffield Wednesday Tip: Back Orient @ 15/82.88

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Saturday 15th August, 15:00

A corker to look forward to at Brisbane Road, as I call it in old money (I'm allowed, as I scored a goal there in a charity game).

Orient's business regarding incomings has cushioned the blow of losing top-scorer Dom Ballard to Bristol City, and Jaze Kabia looks an excellent replacement from Grimsby.

Somto Boniface from Ipswich and Alfie Gilchrist from West Brom look excellent loans too and I cannot help but feel Orient have been written off at too big a price for the title at 50/151.00.

A recent 4-0 loss to Oldham in a pre-season game was embarrassing, but I never place any faith in pre-season matches, but it has raised the question whether Henrik Pederson is the right man for the job.

Wednesday are still operating under EFL restrictions and such a massive club in League One will create some big games. But I like the look of Orient's transfer business and, while not quite going for the win, I am happy playing the home win here at 15/82.88.

KEY OPTA STAT: Sheffield Wednesday have lost four of their last five away league games against Leyton Orient (W1), with each loss coming via a different scoreline (1-0, 2-0, 3-0 & 4-0).

Leg 3: Huddersfield v AFC Wimbledon Tip: Back Huddersfield to make a fast start

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Saturday August 15th, 15:00

Town have finished 10th and ninth in the past two seasons in League One after being relegated from the Championship in 2024 and last term under Lee Grant were one of the title favourites.

Martin Drury, who ended the season in interim charge, was confirmed eventually as the head coach, the ninth at the club since 2022 so it's not exactly been stable but they are still fancied for a good season and chalked up at 12/113.00 for the title.

The Terries signed winger Derensili Sanches Fernandes from Dutch Eredivisie side Excelsior Rotterdam on a four-year deal recently, which was Drury's fifth addition and they look as though they need a little more.

The 6/101.60 in the match betting is obviously not going to make anyone rich and are priced up accordingly. The Dons lost their matchday one fixture of the 2025-26 season 1-0 against Luton when they were camped in their own half for virtually 90 minutes.

The hosts can dominate and early too, so backing the 11/102.11 in the HT market is the bet.

KEY OPTA STAT: AFC Wimbledon have won just one of their last six league games against Yorkshire opponents (D3 L2), losing their last 4-0 against Huddersfield Town back in May on the final day of the season.

League Two

Leg 1: Grimsby Town v Exeter City Tip: Back Grimsby to win HT @ 4/51.80

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Saturday 15th August, 15:00

Grimsby at 10/111.00 are prominent in the League Two winner market and you can find out how I rate their chances in my season predictions. While Opta tell us they have failed to score in four of their last five opening matches of a Football League campaign, they did win on matchday one last season when defeating Crawley 3-0.

With Town, you usually get goals. Last tern home and away they had the second best xG to Barnet, and at home it was a massive 1.81 with an xA of just 1.02. If those metrics can be replicated, it's not impossible that we'll see them as promotion candidates.

Add to those numbers, last term Grimsby recorded 219 shots on target - the joint-most of any side (exc. play-offs). The Mariners also ranked first for total xG (78.7) and second for shots (637).

There are ways to skin a cat, a win and goals could be an option to boost the acca but I would have them a little shorter than the 4/51.80 on offer.

KEY OPTA STAT: Exeter have failed to win any of their last nine away league games (D5 L4), last enduring a longer winless run on the road in the EFL between January and April 2012 (10 games).

Leg 2: Barnet v Salford City Tip: Back Barnet @ 13/102.30

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Saturday 15th August, 15:00

Barnet finished off last season like a train and narrowly missed out on a playoff spot. Salford were playoff finalists under Karl Robinson, who rather harshly lost his job to make way for Peter Cklamovski.

Salford's financial muscle has lured in Macauley Langstaff from Millwall, who could have a field day at this level, but Barnet's excellent manager Dean Brennan Barnet oversaw that five-match winning run in the competition in the spring, the Bees last enjoyed a longer winning run in the EFL between August and September 1999, so progress was made.

The Bees suffered a slow start last year and that will need to be addressed, having won just one of their last 12 opening matches of a Football League campaign (D4 L7), the exception coming with a 1-0 victory over Morecambe in 2011.

I fancy Barnet for a big season and it's telling they are shorter in the betting than moneybags Salford.

KEY OPTA STAT: This is just the third meeting of Barnet and Salford City in the Football League, after Salford won both matches during last season by a combined 5-1 scoreline.

Leg 3: Oldham Athletic v Port Vale Tip: Back Oldham to win @ 13/82.63

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Saturday 15th August, 12:30

Oldham only lost five times at home last season and conceded just 18 goals - a better defence on their own patch than eight of the nine teams in the top 10.

Their metrics were solid too at xG 1.54 and xA 1.27 at home (compared to away 1.48 and 1.5) and backing the stable Latics under Micky Mellon at home might be angle in to the first half the season.

We have a price of 13/82.63 facing a side down from League One, and let's face it, Vale stank out the division and facing an opponent who during the 2025-26 League Two season, only promoted Cambridge kept more clean sheets in total than Oldham (19).

The Latics also conceded the second-fewest goals of any side (44).

KEY OPTA STAT: Only Wolves and Sheffield Wednesday netted fewer goals than Port Vale (36) across England's top four tiers during the 2025-26 season. The Valiants underperformed their total xG by -13.3 during the campaign, the fifth-worst return of any top four tier side.

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