EFL Trophy 2025-26 English Football Betting Odds, Tips & Live Stream Soccer
The EFL Trophy is a knockout competition held every year featuring English football clubs. It features several academy under-21 teams of teams from the Premier League and EFL Championship, the top two levels of the English football pyramid, as well as the full squad of clubs in League One and League Two, the third and fourth levels of the English football pyramid.
While sometimes overlooked compared to other competitions like the Premier League or the EFL Cup, the EFL Trophy is a compelling tournament. By joining Stake Sportsbook, you can place bets on EFL Trophy matches. However, just to make sure you understand soccer betting odds and how the competition works, we put together a sports betting guide right here on Stake to explain everything you should know about the EFL Trophy.
What is the EFL Trophy? The Bristol Street Motors/Vertu Trophy Explained
For sponsorship reasons, the EFL Trophy is officially known as the Vertu Trophy. The sponsorship changed in 2024 after the trophy was previously known as the Bristol Street Motors Trophy during the 2023-24 competition.
Structure of the English Football League System
The English football league operates as a hierarchical system that allows better teams to move up the pyramid, while other teams move down. The highest level of the Premier League, which includes teams like Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham Hotspur. Next is the EFL Championship, which features teams like Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol City.
In recent years, clubs like Leicester City and Sheffield United have experienced promotion from the Championship to the Premier League, as well as relegation from the Premier League back to the Championship. Below the EFL Championship are League One, the third level, and League Two, the fourth level. These are the four full-time pro levels in the English football pyramid, as the levels below are semi-pro leagues.
History of the EFL Trophy
The EFL Trophy was created in 1983. It initially only included clubs from the third and fourth levels of the English football pyramid. While performing well in the EFL Trophy competition doesn’t help a team’s promotion odds, it does give smaller clubs a better chance to play at Wembley Stadium and win a trophy. In 2016, academy teams from Premier League and Championship clubs became eligible to participate in the competition.
Format & Schedule of the 2025-26 EFL Trophy
The 2025-26 EFL Trophy features 64 teams, equally divided into the Northern Section and the Southern Section. Each section has 8 groups of 4 teams each. Teams in the same group will play each other once. Unlike typical league play, any match tied after 90 minutes goes to a penalty shootout. The shootout loser earns one point for the draw, while the winner of the shootout earns an extra point. The top 2 teams from each group advance to the knockout stage of the tournament, which features 32 teams. The matchups for the knockout stage are drawn based on the Northern and Southern regions until the semifinals.
When is the EFL Trophy
The group stage of the 2025-26 EFL Trophy will be played from early September to mid-November. The championship title for the EFL Trophy is scheduled for Sunday, April 12, at Wembley Stadium.
Which Teams Play in the EFL Trophy?
All 48 teams in League One and League Two participate in the EFL Trophy. The other 16 participants are academy teams from Premier League clubs.
Who Won the 2024/25 EFL Trophy
Peterborough United won the 2024-25 EFL Trophy. They defeated Birmingham City 2-0 in the final, winning the EFL Trophy for the third time. That tied them with Bristol City for the most EFL Trophy victories, with 3 titles each.
How to Bet on the EFL Trophy & Types of Soccer Betting
Betting on the EFL Trophy at Stake Sportsbook starts with taking advantage of the many deposit and withdrawal options. At Stake, you can use several local currencies including Canadian Dollars, Turkish Lira, Vietnamese Dong, Argentine Pesos, Chilean Pesos, and Indian Rupees. You can find more information about our local currency options on our community forum as well.
Stake also supports fast, easy and reliable crypto exchange platforms such as Mesh or platforms like Moonpay and Swapped to exchange and purchase cryptocurrencies. You can find the full list of available cryptocurrencies, including BTC, ETH, USDT, EOS, Doge, LTC, SOL, and TRX, as well as our guide for choosing the right coin on Stake. No matter what deposit method you use, Stake’s customer support guide can answer your questions. Also, the Stake vault ensures that all of your funds will be safe.
The types of bets for EFL Trophy matches are similar to the betting markets you’ll find for other soccer competitions. Those betting markets include the following:
1x2 (moneyline betting)
To Qualify
Draw No Bet
Asian Handicap
1st Goal
Correct Score
Both Teams to Score
Halftime/Fulltime
Outright markets
How to Live Stream the EFL Trophy & Live Betting Markets
Stake Sportsbook makes it easy to live-stream games from the EFL Trophy and other sporting events. Live streaming on Stake Sportsbook doesn’t require extra fees or an added subscription. Just browse the list of upcoming events and look for the live-stream icon to enjoy the action in real time from the comfort of your own home! This makes it easier to track your bet and also place live bets on that game as you are able to keep track of the action more closely.
EFL Trophy Odds & Payouts
The odds and payouts for EFL Trophy matches vary from one match to the next. It’s always best to look closely at the sport’s betting odds and potential payout before placing a bet. At Stake, you can view American, fractional, and decimal odds, so just choose your preferred odds format, and you should have no trouble understanding the odds and payout.
EFL Trophy Betting Tips, Predictions & Strategies
Creating a plan is always a good idea with any type of betting. This is why many bettors use a proven strategy like the Kelly Criterion system to help guide their betting decisions. For the EFL Trophy, in particular, keep these tips in mind:
Avoid betting before starting lineups are released. Not every team makes the EFL Trophy a priority, so they could rest their best players in favour of younger or unproven players.
Similarly, motivation matters when betting on the EFL Trophy. If a team has a chance to win its league or is in a relegation battle, it may not take EFL Trophy matches as seriously as other clubs.
The current form of a team often matters more than its overall record. Look closely at what teams have done in their last five matches and previous head-to-head games with their opponent.
Bet Bonuses & Responsible Gambling Online
Stake Sportsbook is a top-tier platform for many reasons, including its selection of ongoing promotions and bonus opportunities. This can include profit boosts, referral bonuses, or a reload bonus. Stakes also offers loyal customers a chance to join the VIP club and receive additional benefits and rewards, including access to a dedicated VIP host. If you have questions, check out our FAQ page for answers.
Stake is also serious when it comes to our customers following safe gambling practices. Betting should always be done for fun and entertainment purposes. This is why Stake offers safe betting resources, including our Stake Smart guide, to make sure our customers know how to be safe and responsible when they bet.
