At one stage last term, it looked like Wycombe Wanderers would be playing in the Championship in 2025/26. But the Buckinghamshire outfit fell away after losing their manager in January, and now they must go again in League One.
Bradford City are back in the third tier after several years away. Will they announce their return to this level with a bang?
Bradford City vs Wycombe Wanderers best bets
- Bradford City to win – 6/4 with Tote
- Both teams to score – 17/20 with Paddy Power
- Richard Kone to score any time – 7/4 with SBK
Bradford City vs Wycombe Wanderers odds
Find the latest Bradford City vs Wycombe Wanderers betting odds here. All odds are provided by our recommended football bookmakers and are subject to change.
Stay in-play between matches with bet365’s live casino!
Bradford City vs Wycombe Wanderers predictions
In club legend Matt Bloomfield’s first full season as Wycombe Wanderers manager, in 2023/24, his team finished 10th in League One.
It was a respectable outcome, but one which did not exactly suggest Wycombe were ready to mount a promotion push. Yet that is exactly what they did last season, competing with Birmingham City and Wrexham for a top-two finish.
However, Bloomfield was prised away by Luton Town in January and Mike Dodds, his replacement, was unable to keep Wycombe on course.
A poor end to the campaign saw them finish fifth, before Charlton Athletic beat them 1-0 on aggregate in the play-off semi-finals.
Dodds has been retained despite his iffy record last term, and the 39-year-old could do with a strong start to the season if he is to win over the doubters at Adams Park.
Wycombe will hope to compete for promotion once again, but even in an easier division without big-spending Birmingham and Wrexham, it will not be easy for them to secure a return to the Championship, a league in which they spent a solitary season in 2020/21.
Bradford City are just delighted to be back at this level, at least for now. It took the former Premier League six seasons to get out of League Two, with promotion secured in May courtesy of a goal against Fleetwood Town in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time.
From the 10th-most populous city in England and with a stadium capacity of almost 25,000, Bradford have long felt like a sleeping giant. They will want to do more than merely make up the numbers in League One, although survival should be their first aim.
Graham Alexander has mostly been restricted to free transfers in the summer window, but Bradford look to have decent depth in most areas of the pitch. That is vital if they want to compete in League One.
The fixture computer has handed them a tough start to the season. Wycombe spent much of last season in the top two, while matchday three brings a meeting with Luton Town, a club that was in the Premier League just 15 months ago. A midweek trip to upwardly mobile Stockport County will not be easy either.
Yet Bradford have momentum behind them and they will look to use that to their advantage on Saturday.
Bradford City vs Wycombe Wanderers betting tips
Bradford City begin their League One campaign against promotion hopefuls Wycombe Wanderers.
Bradford City to win
Valley Parade will be buzzing on Saturday and Bradford City will look to make the most of their home advantage.
It is not uncommon for promoted teams to start the season strongly by putting the positive feeling around the club to good use, only to fade as the campaign wears on. We expect Bradford to be the latest such example of that.
The Bantams have done smart work in the transfer market, particularly in defence. They remain without talismanic striker Andy Cook for now, but Bradford still have enough quality to come out on top here.
Wycombe will struggle to replicate last season’s fifth-place finish and we anticipate them being second best on the opening weekend.
Go for a Bradford City to win at 6/4 with Tote
Both teams to score
Wycombe scored 70 goals last season, three more than runners-up Wrexham, but they conceded 11 times more than the Welsh team.
That is an issue Dodds will be keen to address, but Bradford will put their defence under pressure in this one.
Wycombe are capable of causing their hosts problems at the other end, though, particularly as Richard Kone is ready to lead the line for the Chairboys.
Goals are on the cards in this game, with the two attacks likely to get the better of the two defences.
Pick both teams to score at 17/20 with Paddy Power
Richard Kone to score any time
Wycombe have managed to retain Kone for now, but they will no doubt receive more interest in the striker before the window closes.
The Ivorian was a revelation last season, scoring 21 goals in all competitions, and Wycombe turned down a £6m bid for his services from Luton in January.
Kone may well end up seeking pastures new before August is out, but he looks set to start in Yorkshire this weekend.
That is fantastic news for Wycombe, whose fans must have feared his exit before the start of the campaign.
Even though we favour Bradford to win this one, Kone is the most likely goalscorer at Valley Parade.
Select Richard Kone to score any time at 7/4 with SBK
How to watch Bradford City vs Wycombe Wanderers
- Location: Valley Parade, Bradford, England.
- Date and time: Saturday 2nd August, 3pm.
- How to watch: Sky Sports+.
About the author
Greg Lea
Greg Lea is a freelance football writer from London. He predominantly covers the Premier League and has had work published by the Guardian, FourFourTwo, ESPN and others.
Follow Greg on X: @GregLeaFootball
Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talkSPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. GambleAware.org
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
- GambleAware – www.gambleaware.org
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.