We have English League Two odds and a preview of all the betting favourites in what is a wide-open title race in England's fourth division.
League 2 arguably promises to be the most interesting and competitive in Britain this season. 'Hollywood' Wrexham plus the oldest Football League club (historically) but newest (most recently promoted) Notts County make the step up following their National League domination last season.
Stockport will be tipped by many to challenge again following narrowly missing promotion last season while the in-form side from the end of last season Gillingham are expected to have their say.
Elsewhere MK Dons will be looking to make a swift return to League 1 following their relegation but that also sets up a grudge match against AFC Wimbledon. Mark Hughes managed, and former Premier League team, Bradford will want their say in things along with Class of 92-owned Salford also.
The catalyst to this escape from Non-League? Their Hollywood Owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney which we have previously discussed here.
For their exploits since taking over in November 2020, they have become one of if not the most recognisable owners in football down no small part to their Disney + Documentary “Welcome To Wrexham”.
In fairness to the Hollywood owners, they have put their money where their mouths were since the beginning. As a result they've disrupted the lower-league transfer market with the promise of higher wages and success consistently attracting players from leagues above them.
Interestingly, despite being worthy favourites for the League Two title, their only addition has been Will Boyle from Huddersfield. Is this a sign of FFP constraints now taking hold and a cause for concern or a show of the belief Phil Parkinson has in his squad? Time will tell.
They overcame Salford City in their playoff semi-final 2-1 AET but heartbreakingly lost out in the playoff final to Carlisle United 4-5 on penalties after the game finished 1-1 AET. Stockport are expected by many to bounce back this season.
The Hatters started the season slowly before finishing it strongly with no side picking up more points than them in the second half of the season.
This team is characterised by their robust defence which only conceded 37 goals throughout the entirety of the season. That defensive record was only bettered by Champions Leyton Orient who only conceded 34 goals.
Stockport finished the season with the best goal difference in the division at +28 and with the addition of goal-scoring midfielder Nick Powell (formerly of Manchester United). Expect that trend to continue as manager Dave Challinor looks to secure the club's second promotion in three seasons.
Staggeringly, they would miss out on the sole automatic promotion spot despite a total of 107 points with a phenomenal record of 32 wins, 11 draws and 3 defeats. Such was the Wrexham dominance that they would finish four points off the sole automatic promotion slot and had to be content with a spot in the playoffs.
However, Notts County got the promotion their league form deserved in the playoffs. First beating Barnet 1-2 in the Quarter-Final, Boreham Wood 3-2 AET in the Semi-Final and finally dramatically beating Chesterfield in the Final 4-3 on penalties after being 2-2 AET to finally secure their return to the Football League.
Notts County are expected to make a charge for their second successive promotion this season. Last season’s top scorers from the top five divisions (117) are expected to score plenty of goals again with the addition of Irishman David McGoldrick, Jodi Jones and Irish eligible Dan Crowley amongst others.
After 23 games last season they had only won 2 matches, rattled the net 7 times and conceded a staggering 28 goals which left them bottom of the table. However, following their cup exits in January (which kept Harris his jobs) they finished the season as the in-form team scoring 28 goals conceding 21 and winning 41 points (only Stockport won more). That form left them comfortably clear of relegation in 17th place.
The Gills will be an interesting team to watch, and you can certainly expect them to find themselves higher up the League Two standings this season, especially with some shrewd additions including Irishmen Conor Masterson and Shadrach Ogie which will likely tighten them up considerably at the back.
However, I’d thread with caution at this stage of the season. I'd contend that where you finish in the table never really lies too much and the stark inconsistency in results from stages suggests to me an air of fragility in the team.
Bradford are managed by no other than former Manchester City boss Mark Hughes. Following another off-season of backing with six additions from clubs predominately playing at a higher level than Brentford you would expect Hughes will come under massive pressure for his job if Bradford aren’t close to the top of the table this season.
Following their relegation, this prompted a large clearout with over ten players already gone from the club. However, MK Dons have most importantly retained the services of Mo Eisa who scored 25% of their goals last season.
The Dons have also recruited well with the signings of the likes of Alex Gilbey from Charlton and Tommy Smith from Colchester. If their under-performing stars from last season can combine with them this squad should be far too good for League Two.
In Graham Alexander, MK Dons have one of the most successful managers at this level also with 2 promotions under his belt, 1 from the National League with Salford, as well as 1 from this division with Fleetwood in 2014.
Enjoyed this post? Then you might also be interested in our Championship Odds and Premier League Odds posts.
Click Below For All Our League Two Odds
*Prices subject to fluctuation
League 2 arguably promises to be the most interesting and competitive in Britain this season. 'Hollywood' Wrexham plus the oldest Football League club (historically) but newest (most recently promoted) Notts County make the step up following their National League domination last season.
Stockport will be tipped by many to challenge again following narrowly missing promotion last season while the in-form side from the end of last season Gillingham are expected to have their say.
Elsewhere MK Dons will be looking to make a swift return to League 1 following their relegation but that also sets up a grudge match against AFC Wimbledon. Mark Hughes managed, and former Premier League team, Bradford will want their say in things along with Class of 92-owned Salford also.
English League Two Odds
League Two Outright Odds | ||
| Team | Odds | Chance |
| Wrexham | 10/3 | 23.1% |
| Stockport | 5/1 | 16.7% |
| Notts County | 13/2 | 13.3% |
| Gillingham | 10/1 | 9.1% |
| Bradford | 12/1 | 7.7% |
| Mansfield | 12/1 | 7.7% |
| Salford | 14/1 | 6.7% |
| MK Dons | 16/1 | 5.9% |
| Doncaster | 20/1 | 4.8% |
English League Two Betting Favourites
Wrexham – 10/3
Wrexham are returning to the EFL for the first time in fifteen years following their domination of the National League last season amassing a sensational tally of 111 points from 46 matches last season, 34 wins, 9 draws and only three defeats to come four points clear of second-placed Notts County.The catalyst to this escape from Non-League? Their Hollywood Owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney which we have previously discussed here.
For their exploits since taking over in November 2020, they have become one of if not the most recognisable owners in football down no small part to their Disney + Documentary “Welcome To Wrexham”.
In fairness to the Hollywood owners, they have put their money where their mouths were since the beginning. As a result they've disrupted the lower-league transfer market with the promise of higher wages and success consistently attracting players from leagues above them.
Interestingly, despite being worthy favourites for the League Two title, their only addition has been Will Boyle from Huddersfield. Is this a sign of FFP constraints now taking hold and a cause for concern or a show of the belief Phil Parkinson has in his squad? Time will tell.
Stockport – 5/1
Stockport were tipped last season to earn back-to-back promotions and came agonisingly close to getting promoted to League One. They finished their regular league season in fourth place with 79 points following a record of 22 wins, 13 draws and 11 defeats. That left them four points behind Northampton for the final automatic promotion slot.They overcame Salford City in their playoff semi-final 2-1 AET but heartbreakingly lost out in the playoff final to Carlisle United 4-5 on penalties after the game finished 1-1 AET. Stockport are expected by many to bounce back this season.
The Hatters started the season slowly before finishing it strongly with no side picking up more points than them in the second half of the season.
This team is characterised by their robust defence which only conceded 37 goals throughout the entirety of the season. That defensive record was only bettered by Champions Leyton Orient who only conceded 34 goals.
Stockport finished the season with the best goal difference in the division at +28 and with the addition of goal-scoring midfielder Nick Powell (formerly of Manchester United). Expect that trend to continue as manager Dave Challinor looks to secure the club's second promotion in three seasons.
Notts County – 13/2
Notts County, like Wrexham, joins the Football League for the first time since their relegation from League Two during the 2018-19 season.Staggeringly, they would miss out on the sole automatic promotion spot despite a total of 107 points with a phenomenal record of 32 wins, 11 draws and 3 defeats. Such was the Wrexham dominance that they would finish four points off the sole automatic promotion slot and had to be content with a spot in the playoffs.
However, Notts County got the promotion their league form deserved in the playoffs. First beating Barnet 1-2 in the Quarter-Final, Boreham Wood 3-2 AET in the Semi-Final and finally dramatically beating Chesterfield in the Final 4-3 on penalties after being 2-2 AET to finally secure their return to the Football League.
Notts County are expected to make a charge for their second successive promotion this season. Last season’s top scorers from the top five divisions (117) are expected to score plenty of goals again with the addition of Irishman David McGoldrick, Jodi Jones and Irish eligible Dan Crowley amongst others.
Gillingham – 10/1
A really interesting prospect for the upcoming season are Gillingham who come into the season as fourth favourites in the betting.After 23 games last season they had only won 2 matches, rattled the net 7 times and conceded a staggering 28 goals which left them bottom of the table. However, following their cup exits in January (which kept Harris his jobs) they finished the season as the in-form team scoring 28 goals conceding 21 and winning 41 points (only Stockport won more). That form left them comfortably clear of relegation in 17th place.
The Gills will be an interesting team to watch, and you can certainly expect them to find themselves higher up the League Two standings this season, especially with some shrewd additions including Irishmen Conor Masterson and Shadrach Ogie which will likely tighten them up considerably at the back.
However, I’d thread with caution at this stage of the season. I'd contend that where you finish in the table never really lies too much and the stark inconsistency in results from stages suggests to me an air of fragility in the team.
Bradford – 12/1
Bradford are a huge Football Club at this level, the former Premier League club have seen a sorrowful decade-plus of football since their relegation from the top division during the 2000/01 season. Bradford reached the playoffs last season as they finished narrowly ahead of Salford for 6th place but ultimately failed to get promoted again.Bradford are managed by no other than former Manchester City boss Mark Hughes. Following another off-season of backing with six additions from clubs predominately playing at a higher level than Brentford you would expect Hughes will come under massive pressure for his job if Bradford aren’t close to the top of the table this season.
My Pick
MK Dons 16/1
MK Dons are going under the radar in the betting market I feel, following their relegation from League One where they finished just one point away from safety last season. Is this a sign of a continued downward spiral? Or is this just a blip for a club which had been consistently tipped for promotion from League 1 in previous seasons?Following their relegation, this prompted a large clearout with over ten players already gone from the club. However, MK Dons have most importantly retained the services of Mo Eisa who scored 25% of their goals last season.
The Dons have also recruited well with the signings of the likes of Alex Gilbey from Charlton and Tommy Smith from Colchester. If their under-performing stars from last season can combine with them this squad should be far too good for League Two.
In Graham Alexander, MK Dons have one of the most successful managers at this level also with 2 promotions under his belt, 1 from the National League with Salford, as well as 1 from this division with Fleetwood in 2014.
Enjoyed this post? Then you might also be interested in our Championship Odds and Premier League Odds posts.
Click Below For All Our League Two Odds
*Prices subject to fluctuation
Categories
Football Betting Tips & Predictions
Tags
League Two