League 1 Top 6 Finish Odds: Can the O’s repeat feat in 25/26?

Birmingham City and Wrexham finished as League 1 champions and runners-up, respectively, last season, with Stockport County, Charlton, Wycombe Wanderers and Leyton Orient making the play-offs, but who will finish in the top six this year?

Below are the League 1 Top 6 Finish Odds for the 2025/26 season, together with an analysis of the main contenders.

Luton @ 2/7

Luton endured a dismal 2024/25 campaign, finishing 22nd in the Championship to bring up back-to-back relegations.

The Hatters will travel to grounds including Burton Albion's Pirelli Stadium this August, a far cry from two years ago, when they pitched up at Chelsea's Stamford Bridge in the same month.

It's a real fall from grace for Luton, but they're highly fancied to make an instant return to the second tier under Matt Bloomfield, who had Wycombe Wanderers second in League 1 at the time of his departure in January.

With a much better squad than the one he had to pick from at the Chairboys, you'd fancy Bloomfield to take the Bedfordshire club back up to the Championship at the first time of asking.

Certainly, it would be a major shock if Luton didn't finish in the top six, but stranger things have happened, such as them suffering relegation last season after some people tipping them to win the title...

Huddersfield @ 8/13

Huddersfield's first season back in the third tier was a big disappointment as they finished 10th, 14 points off the play-offs.

Michael Duff was dismissed in March after failing to inspire a promotion charge, with Jon Worthington brought in as interim for the rest of the campaign, which ended with six straight defeats.

The Terries have made some good signings this summer, notably recruiting the 2023/24 League 1 Golden Boot winner, Alfie May, from Birmingham City, and signing several players from Championship clubs, including Jack Whatmough (Preston) and Marcus McGuane (Bristol City).

However, their managerial appointment of Lee Grant appears to be a risky one, with the former goalkeeper in his first head coach role following a three-season spell as Ipswich first-team coach.

Squad-wise, I like this Huddersfield side, but there are too many uncertainties around Grant for me to be too big on them.

Still, a top-six finish looks well within their capabilities.

Cardiff City @ 4/6

The second of the three relegated clubs, Cardiff City are also odds-on to end the campaign in the top seven.

Former Rochdale boss Brian Barry-Murphy has been tasked with leading the Bluebirds back to the second tier, but the Irishman hasn't been in charge of a senior side since leaving the Dale in June 2021.

Yousef Salech was one of Cardiff's standout stars last season, netting eight times in 20 Championship appearances, but the Danish forward has been linked with a move to Middlesbrough, and his exit would be a big blow to the Welsh club's chances of returning to where they came from.

Still, Player of the Season Callum Robinson, who top-scored with 12 goals last term, looks like staying at the capital club, as does Rubin Colwill.

It's been a slow transfer window in terms of additions, though, as, at the time of writing, Cardiff have failed to make a signing. Goalkeeper Nathan Trott is rumoured to be on his way in a loan deal, but the Bluebirds could do with a few more men in to reinvigorate the squad.

Again, though, a play-off position should be the minimum.

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Stockport @ 5/6

For me, there's a 'Big Three', followed by several clubs who will expect to be in the mix for the play-offs.

Stockport are certainly among them after a third-place finish last season, with runners-up Wrexham only five points ahead of County.

Dave Challinor's side are a settled outfit, and they've made some interesting additions this summer, notably recruiting 12-goal striker Malik Mothersille from Peterborough United.

There are some big clubs with bigger wallets around them, but the Hatters are a good bet to make the top six again at 5/6.

Plymouth Argyle @ 10/11

The last of the relegated clubs on this list, Plymouth Argyle endured a wretched first half of 2024/25 under Wayne Rooney, who was finally put out of his misery on New Year's Eve and replaced the following month by Miron Muslic, who oversaw an improvement in results, but was ultimately unable to stop the Pilgrims from dropping down the the third tier.

Muslic has since departed for Schalke, though, with Tom Cleverley, whose services at Watford were dispensed with at the end of last season, brought in as his replacement.

This will be the former Manchester United and England midfielder's first taste of League 1 as a manager, so it's something of the unknown, but he showed enough at the Hornets for Plymouth supporters to be encouraged ahead of the new campaign.

Football Odds

Maksym Talovierov, Ryan Hardie and Mustapha Bundu were among the club's significant summer departures, with 10-goal forwards Hardie and Bundu removing much of their firepower.

You can see why Argyle are much less fancied than Luton and Cardiff, but I'm quietly confident they will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.

Bolton Wanderers @ 11/10

Bolton finally pulled the trigger on manager Ian Evatt in January, with former Plymouth and Stoke City boss Steven Schumacher brought in as his replacement.

The play-offs proved to be beyond the Trotters in 2024/25, with 10 points separating the eighth-placed Wanderers from Leyton Orient in sixth, but fans will be hopeful that a full season under Schumacher can bring about a change in fortunes.

Pre-season has been encouraging, with five wins from five, including 2-0 victories over Hibernian and Preston, while only Shrewsbury Town were able to breach their back line.

Barbados international Thierry Gale and Sam Dalby have been brought in to bolster the forward line, while Amario Cozier-Duberry is an exciting loan from Brighton.

Midfielder George Thomason, though, was lured away to north Wales by Wrexham.

Again, I'm pretty positive on Bolton, as I expect them to be battling for a play-off spot, but there's stiff competition this season, so whether they can make the grade, remains to be seen.

Blackpool @ 5/4

Steve Bruce takes charge of his first full season at Blackpool, having joined the Seasiders in September last year and guiding the club to ninth.

The veteran boss is a serial promotion winner, guiding Birmingham City (twice) and Hull City (twice) to the Premier League, but the most recent was in 2016, and he's never overseen a promotion from League 1.

Blackpool aren't as blessed personnel-wise as the likes of Luton and Cardiff, but Bruce is a savvy operator at any level, and he'll back himself to get the Tangarines into a promising situation come the new year.

A top-six tilt may be beyond them, however.

Wycombe Wanderers @ 9/4

Wycombe were on course for automatic promotion last season, but things unravelled after Bloomfield defected to Bedfordshire, with Mike Dodds only managing to take the Chairboys to fifth, and they were beaten 1-0 by Charlton in the play-off semi-finals.

Leading marksman Richard Kone remains at the club, but the 22-year-old only scored five of his 18 league goals after Bloomfield left.

It's a big ask to expect another first half of the season like in 2024/25, and I fear for Dodds if he gets off to a bad start this term.

League 1 Odds

Reading @ 9/4

Reading were something of a surprise package last season, considering the upheaval at the club and manager Ruben Selles' mid-season move to Hull City, with rookie boss Noel Hunt replacing the Spaniard.

The Royals ended the season in seventh, just three points behind Orient.

Reading have since been taken over by ex-Wycombe owner Rob Couhig, signalling the end of the wretched Dai Yongge era.

A cloud has now been lifted, and that air of positivity could serve them well this season, although the play-offs could be beyond them again.

Leyton Orient @ 3/1

The O's suffered the ultimate disappointment at Wembley in May as they lost 1-0 to Charlton in the League 1 play-off final, consigning them to a third successive season in the third tier.

It was a mighty fine achievement, but one that may be difficult to replicate, although the additions of Josh Koroma (Huddersfield), Demetri Mitchell (Exeter) and Aaron Connolly signal their intent to trouble some of the bigger clubs in the division.

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