League 1 Top 2 Finish Odds: Bolton and Rotherham can battle for second

The race to get into the Championship looks to be a tough one this year, as the League 1 clubs that missed out last term are joined by some of the big boys that have dropped down from the second tier. Automatic promotion is always the aim to avoid the jeopardy of the play-offs, and there’s several top teams in the mix. 

Below you can find the League 1 Top 2 Finish Odds from Betfred.

Birmingham @ 10/11

League 1 hasn’t seen a short-priced favourite like Birmingham City in quite some time. Having come down from the Championship under new owners, optimism has remained in the blue half of the city. They’ve retained the majority of their talent, and made some eye-catching signings in the form of Marc Leonard, Christoph Klarer and Alex Cochrane.

Alfie May, a guaranteed goal-getter in League 1 has also been signed and is the red-hot favourite to win the Golden Boot in the third tier. Honestly, it would be a massive surprise if they don’t win the division at a canter, but if you want some added insurance, near evens on them to secure automatic promotion feels like a safe bet.

Birmingham City specials odds

Bolton @ 7/2

Birmingham’s strength this season means that the odds are slightly increased for the others on this list, given it appears that one of the two automatic promotion places is already taken. There’s been a lot of progress at Bolton Wanderers over the past few seasons, and they’ve risen from League 2 to the brink of the Championship under Ian Evatt. 

They played some fantastic stuff last term but just missed out on promotion after Oxford taught them a lesson at Wembley. Having finished third with 87 points, that was tough to take, but it doesn’t look as though there will be much of a drop off this term. They’ve retained all of their key players so far, have a solid spine from Dion Charles to Ricardo Santos, and shouldn’t be far off the pace in this one. A good shout for a top-two spot.

Rotherham @ 9/2

Steve Evans is at it again. Having returned to Rotherham at the end of last season, he has been busy in the transfer market bringing in experienced heads, and now the Millers have a squad that looks like it could tussle at the top of the third tier again. 

They are used to promotion pushes at this level, and Evans left the brilliant work he was doing at Stevenage to return, so I’m expecting a good season from them. Liam Kelly, Sean Raggett and Joe Rafferty have all won the League 1 title before, while Jonson Clarke-Harris was a Golden Boot winner in the third tier not that long ago. I think they are going to be horrible to play against, but will that be enough to overhaul Bolton and Birmingham?

Huddersfield @ 6/1

Michael Duff is in at Huddersfield and they will be looking for an instant return to the Championship. I like the additions of proven quartet Lasse Sørensen, Mickel Miller, Herbie Kane and Anthony Evans and I believe Town will have a fairly decent season. I’ve got them to finish in the top-six, and retaining both Lee Nichols and Michael Helik will be crucial to their hopes. I think the automatic places may just be beyond them however. 

League 1 Odds

Charlton @ 7/1

A couple of outsiders that I like the look of as we approach the new season now. Charlton Athletic are seemingly improving, and the arrival of Nathan Jones last term means they must now be seriously considered as promotion contenders. I like what he has done in this market, with the signing of proven goalscorer Matty Godden a real coup in my eyes. 

Josh Edwards and former Luton man Luke Berry should also improve the starting XI, with Berry a real favourite of Jones. Those two teaming up again should give the Addicks success, and if things catch fire, the automatics are not out of the question. 

Stockport @ 8/1

They may have only just won League 2, but there’s good reason to believe that Stockport Country’s astronomical rise could continue. A lot of the focus will be around Wrexham, as expected, but it could be the Hatters who make a big impression at the top of the league. 

Dave Challinor is a top-class manager, and he is relentless in his pursuit of excellence. He has also built a squad that is still striving to improve, and letting the likes of Paddy Madden leave this summer is testament to that. Nick Powell, Michael Mellon and Isaac Olaofe make up an exciting attacking trio that might ruffle a few feathers in this league. It’s a long-shot for a reason, but I am expecting Stockport to go well. 

Football Odds

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