League 2 Top 3 Finish Odds: The Dons lead the betting

The 2025/26 League 2 season gets underway on August 2, and the fourth tier remains one of the most interesting and competitive competitions in the English Football League.

Ahead of the new campaign, I've taken a look at the sides who will be competing to finish in the automatic promotion spots using the League 2 Top 3 Finish Odds - read on to find out who are the leading candidates.

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main League 2 Odds page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices.

MK Dons @ 1/1

MK Dons are currently around even money to finish in the top three of League 2.

The Dons will be confident of their chances of securing promotion this season under the stewardship of Paul Warne, who made a surprise move to Stadium MK back in April.

Warne has won four promotions as a manager – all from League 1 to the Championship – and will now have his sights set on his first from League 2. The Dons have backed the former Rotherham United and Derby County manager heavily in the transfer market, with no less than six players arriving through the door at the time of writing.

The Dons massively underperformed last season, finishing all the way down in 19th place, and with Warne at the helm, I think they'll be firmly in the mix for a top-three finish.

Chesterfield @ 2/1

After promotion from the National League in 2023/24, Chesterfield weren't far off securing back-to-back promotions last season, achieving a top-seven finish before losing to Walsall in the play-off semi-finals.

The Spireites have brought in several new faces over the summer, and Paul Cook will be desperate to see his side go one step further and secure promotion this term.

The departure of Michael Jacobs will certainly come as a a blow, but Chesterfield are still expected to compete for the automatic promotion places.

Gillingham @ 7/2

With Gareth Ainsworth now at the helm for The Gills, there's fresh optimism surrounding the club that they can win promotion from the fourth tier.

Although things didn’t work out for him in the Championship with QPR, and his short stint at Shrewsbury Town last season didn’t produce much success, Ainsworth has proven over the years that he knows how to build winning teams at this level.

Former Burnley man Sam Vokes has joined the club, reuniting with Ainsworth in an attempt to recreate the magic from their respective Wycombe Wanderers days.

If Ainsworth can get this Gillingham side set up in the way he wants, they will be very difficult to beat.

Notts County @ 4/1

Notts County narrowly missed out on a return to League 1 last term after losing in the play-off semi-finals to AFC Wimbledon, and they're expected to be fighting towards the top end of the table this year.

The appointment of Martin Paterson as head coach is a risky one, especially since his tenure at Burton Albion left a lot to be desired. In addition, David McGoldrick's departure to Barnsley means that there will be a void that needs filling up front, so whilst the Magpies are expected to be in and amongst the play-off places, they may fall short once again.

Bristol Rovers @ 4/1

Last season ended in disaster for Bristol Rovers, with a late-season slide seeing them relegated back down to the fourth tier under rookie boss Inigo Calderon.

However, club legend Darrell Clarke is back at the helm, and with it comes fresh excitement at the Memorial Stadium.

Clarke arrives with plenty of pedigree - he's already won two promotions with Rovers previously, once from this level in 2016, and also guided Port Vale back into the third tier in 2022.

Salford City @ 4/1

It's been an intriguing summer for Salford, with the club being acquired by a consortium involving David Beckham and Gary Neville, who reportedly plan to 'invest significantly' in the club, and they'll be hoping to follow in Wrexham's footsteps and climb the English football ladder.

The Ammies narrowly missed out on the play-offs last season, finishing eighth in the standings and a point behind seventh-placed Chesterfield. However, Karl Robinson has shown that he can get teams competing towards the top at this level, as shown by his stints at MK Dons and Oxford United.

Offers

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 50% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down.

Click here for the latest Football Odds and Today's Football Fixtures

You can read all our latest Football Betting Tips at our dedicated Betfred Insights content hub