Only five League One fixtures will take place this weekend due to the international break but it still gives us a chance to take stock of what we have seen so far. The clubs at the bottom, with four relegation places in League One, will be getting twitchy, so below we’ve taken a look at the market and assessed the current standings. 

Reading to be relegated @ 6/4

Reading are a football club in financial turmoil. Years of overspending have now caught up with them and owner Dai Yongge has failed to pay player wages on numerous occasions. Now it looks likely that the club will enter administration this week, which will lead to a further points deduction and more chaos behind the scenes. 

The Royals have already been deducted ten points in 2023, and relegation from the Championship may now be followed by another relegation. The off-the-field problems are seemingly inescapable, and on the pitch they have won just three from 11 this season. They currently sit in 22nd, and the 6/4 on them to go down won’t last long if they do, as expected, enter administration. 

This is a club in turmoil, and at present, there looks to be no escape from the misery. 

Exeter City to be relegated @ 9/1

With Cheltenham Town already looking doomed at the bottom, and at an unbackable price of 1/9 to go down, we’ve looked elsewhere in search of a long shot. Now, Exeter City were one of the favourites to go down before the season started having lost Jevani Brown, Josh Key, Archie Collins and Jay Stansfield over the summer, but Gary Caldwell got his side off to a flying start. 

However, in recent weeks, the tide has started to turn in terms of results. They were hammered 9-0 by Reading in the EFL Trophy and since then have taken a step backwards. They’ve been beaten by Oxford, Northampton, Charlton and Barnsley in their last four league games and that early season promise appears to have evaporated. 

They did beat Luton Town in the EFL Cup during that time, but they need to start getting league wins on the board again. Currently in 11th, the 9/1 on them to go down seems fair. But with Wigan and Derby in their next two, they could soon slip into the bottom half. An outside shot for sure, but one worthy of consideration.