The League One campaign is soon upon us with another fallen giant, Birmingham City, joining the throng to win promotion to the Championship.
Birmingham were relegated into the third tier alongside Huddersfield and Rotherham and the Blues are overwhelming favourites to end their first season at this level for 29 years with a title celebration in May.
Blues' fans will be confident after a summer spending spree but there are a clutch of good teams in tier three waiting to put Chris Davies' hot favourites in their place.
- ROTHERHAM TO WIN LEAGUE ONE
- BLACKPOOL TO FINISH IN TOP SIX
- BRISTOL ROVERS TO BE RELEGATED
- MANSFIELD +27 SEASON HANDICAP
Bet On League One
Millers To Grind Down Rivals for Glory
The money says don't bother looking beyond Birmingham, but there are plenty of reasons for believing Rotherham United can eclipse the Midlands' giants in the race for the League One title.
Rotherham came down with Birmingham in May and there was nothing unusual in that. The Millers have now been relegated from the Championship four times since 2017.
What merits respect is that on the three previous occasions they came down they bounced right back up and they look well equipped to do so again. With Birmingam taking so much out of the book, the Millers are a decent price and well worth supporting each-way at the very least.
They certainly have the right man in charge in Steve Evans, a man who has twice before won promotion with Rotherham as a manager and has re-energised the club.
The Scot bared his teeth at the back end of a simply abject 2023/24, taking charge of a trio of games following Leam Richardson's exit with the Millers already condemned to their fate, and he presided over a 0-0 draw with Birmingham and a 5-2 clattering of Cardiff. They instantly looked a different team.
Evans has brought in a stack of good players including Portsmouth defender Sean Raggett, a pair of classy keepers in Cameron Dawson and Dillon Phillips, Championship regulars like Liam Kelly and Reece James and, perhaps best of all, hotshot Jonson Clarke-Harris
ROTHERHAM TO WIN LEAGUE ONE
Seasiders Can Be A Tangerine Dream
Blackpool finished eighth last season, missing out on the play-offs by just three points. Back them to get it right this time.
There's a risk to be taken with a nice price about Neil Critchley's Seasiders for promotion, though it may not be an automatic spot with the likes of Birmingham and Rotherham in the mix.
So the advice is to play safe and get on the boys from Bloomfield Road to finish in the top six.
Blackpool have plenty going for them. They boasted a better defensive record than any of the four play-off sides in 2023/24, and have recent Championship pedigree having been relegated the season before last.
And they are blessed with a head coach in Critchley who is one of the highest regarded in the division.
Seasoned frontman Jordan Rhodes has been a consistent goalscorer for many a year and there seems to be no discernible reason why he can't at least match last year's haul of 15.
What Blackpool needed was more of a threat from elsewhere and maybe this is the stage where Ashley Fletcher, a future star once upon a time at Manchester United, finally comes of age. Fletcher scored 11 in a Championship season for Middlesbrough a few years back so it isn't as though he lacks goalscoring knowhow.
BLACKPOOL TO FINISH IN TOP SIX
Rovers To Return to Basement After Three-Year Run
Crawley Town, promoted from League Two via the play-offs and very much a surprise package at that, are clear favourites to go back down.
Staying up will represent an enormous challenge for Scott Lindsey's men though they have momentum on their side, were super impressive as last season went on with a style which all the players bought into and they can be competitive.
And anyway, even if they do occupy one of the four relegation spots come May, it means there are three more to be filled and a gaggle of contenders, ranging from Shrewsbury through Burton to Northampton.
Add into the mix Bristol Rovers, braced for a third successive season in League One following promotion but tipped to do poorly.
Matt Taylor is the man in charge of Rovers hoping not to be dragged into a relegation fight but the manner of the end of last season had to be a worry.
Rovers were never really in any danger of being sucked into a relegation scrap despite winning just two of their last 11 League One matches, and failing to score in all nine of those they didn't win.
Taylor, chucked into the Rovers job after a dismal time at Rotherham, has splashed out a record fee for Fleetwood's Promise Omochere but he bagged only six goals for the Cod Army last term so doesn't exactly come with guarantees.
A lack of firepower was a concern for Rovers though a frailty in defence, especially at set-plays, was a bigger issue which could ultimately prove fatal to their survival chances.
BRISTOL ROVERS TO BE RELEGATED
Stags Can Buck Idea of Struggle
Nigel Clough's Mansfield are very much in the relegation conversation rather than anything loftier, yet that's doing something of a disservice to the Stags.
After a 21-year absence from the third tier Mansfield are feeling bullish and rightly should be when their first signing was Lee Gregory, who was playing in the Championship last season with Sheffield Wednesday and is revelling in a return to Field Mill where he started his career.
Mansfield lost the joint-fewest games in League Two and only Stockport scored more goals.
They look a progressive group who should be considered in top-half betting but also on the season-long handicap, in receipt of around 27 points from Birmingham and plenty from other sides as well.
MANSFIELD +27 ON SEASON HANDICAP
