League Two 2024/25: Antepost Prediction, Tips and Odds

The new League Two campaign starts on the evening of Friday 9th August and Steve Davies reckons Doncaster can make up for last season's play-off disappointment by topping the pile in 2024-25.

EFL Antepost League Two betting tips and predictions

Doncaster to win outright - 9/1

No side finished the last League Two campaign stronger than Doncaster, which made their play-off semi-final exit at the hands of Crewe something of a shock.

Rovers had won ten in a row to storm from relegation danger to the play-offs and they had one foot on the Wembley pitch after winning 2-0 at Crewe in the first leg of their semi. The wheels came off back at home, however, leaving Grant McCann and his side licking their wounds, but surely grateful for the opportunity given how dire the first two thirds of their campaign had been.

Now Doncaster can follow up that near-miss by landing the spoils and are well worth an interest at 9/4 to be promoted or worth chancing at 9/1 for the title.

Chesterfield, who won the National League in style, will hope to go straight through the basement as Wrexham did before them, and they are priced to do so as 7/4 favourites for promotion.

But the Spireites will quickly be reminded what a tough school League Two is, tough enough that clubs with pedigree like Bradford, Swindon, MK Dons and others are still in there trying to discover that magic promotion formula.

Doncaster certainly had it at the back end of the season before running out of gas, and McCann has made one or two positive tweaks to an already decent squad.

The most eye-catching acquisition is surely the return to Doncaster of 38-year-old striker Billy Sharp, in the autumn of his career now but still full of goals and a perfect alternate to, or foil for, 20-goal Joe Ironside.

Rovers have been enjoying an excellent pre-season with Jay McGrath and Joseph Oluwo forming a central defensive duo that looks full of promise and it's hard not to see Doncaster being in the title frame come May.

MK Dons to be promoted - 15/8

If Doncaster were heartbroken at their play-off failure then MK Dons would have been mortified, not just to lose to Crawley over two legs but to go down by an astonishing 8-1 aggregate scoreline.

Their top scorer Max Dean has left with Callum Hendry arriving from Salford after two decent scoring seasons with the Ammies.

The Dons racked up 78 points last term, finishing fourth, and with a defence who were the leakiest in the top ten. Boss Mike Williamson, a centre-back in his Newcastle playing days, needs to address that and given this is his first summer at Stadium MK, expect his message to be delivered successfully.

The Dons are one of those who are punching below their weight. They were a Championship side as recently as 2016 and ought to be contenders.

Accrington Stanley to be relegated - 10/3

The relegation battle looks fascinating with crisis club Morecambe and National League play-off winners Bromley the favourites to fill the two slots.

The case for Morecambe beating the trapdoor is that a transfer embargo has been lifted and Derek Adams, a qualified and respected manager, has been buying up players galore in a bid to defy the gloom-mongers.

Bromley's business in the transfer market has been done with less ferocity but they, of course, carry momentum and self-belief into their first ever season in the Football League.

They will be looking at Harrogate, Grimsby, Accrington and one or two others and believing they can eclipse them. Newport and Colchester are taken to improve on last season but Accrington, 17th last term, may have another backward step or two to make yet.

John Doolan's Stanley lost nine of their last 13 matches, have had a difficult start to pre-season and may well struggle. They appeal more at 11/2 to be relegated than Morecambe at 9/4 or Bromley at 5/2.

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.