Leicester City head to Notts County on Saturday afternoon for their opening match of the 2026-27 League One campaign.
The trip to Meadow Lane will be a stark reminder of how far the former Premier League champions have fallen, with the Foxes facing last season's League Two play-off winners County.
Leicester head into the League One campaign as clear favourites to win the title and secure an immediate return to the Championship.
It is their first season in the third tier since 2008-09, when the Foxes romped to the League One title with 96 points and a similar scenario is expected this term.
For the Magpies, a 3-0 win over Salford City at Wembley sealed promotion last season, with County returning to League One for the first time since they were relegated from the division in 2015.
Notts are joint-fifth favourites for relegation, so a season of consolidation and survival would be viewed as a success.
However, challenges do not get much tougher than welcoming Leicester to Meadow Lane on the opening weekend.
Notts County v Leicester City Tips Summary
Best Bet - Leicester to win @ 1/1
Alternative Bet - Both teams to score - No @ 19/20
Bet Builder - Under 2.5 goals, Over 10.5 corners & Caleb Okoli 1+ shot on target @ 14/1
Notts County v Leicester City Prediction
Best Bet: Leicester to win @ 1/1
Leicester should have enough quality to begin their first League One campaign in 17 years with victory at Meadow Lane.
Russell Martin's side made a winning start to the season with a 1-0 victory over Northampton in the EFL Cup, although the performance highlighted some of the issues still to be ironed out.
The Foxes dominated possession but struggled to create clear-cut chances and were fortunate not to concede early on.
However, City have significantly more quality than their opponents and remain the clear favourites for promotion.
New additions including Conor Chaplin, Wes Burns and Liam Cullen have strengthened Martin's squad, while the manager has also retained plenty of quality.
County were promoted from League Two last season and were beaten 1-0 by Burnley in the EFL Cup before losing on penalties, so Leicester could prove a step too far at Meadow Lane.
Alternative Bet: Both teams to score - No @ 19/20
There is plenty to suggest Leicester can keep the hosts off the scoresheet when the sides meet at Meadow Lane.
The Foxes opened their competitive campaign with a clean sheet against Northampton, restricting their League Two opponents to a handful of opportunities despite some nervous moments in defence.
Leicester will expect to dominate possession again here and should spend long periods in the County half.
The Magpies did score against Burnley in their opening cup tie, with Callum Roberts putting them ahead at Turf Moor, but they were ultimately beaten on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
However, they have been lacklustre in front of goal through pre-season, failing to score in three of their five matches and registering six in total, with five of those coming against non-league opposition.
Leicester's superior quality should allow them to control the game, while County face a significant step up following promotion from League Two.
If Martin's side can avoid the defensive mistakes that caused problems against the Cobblers, they have a strong chance of recording another clean sheet.
Bolton Wanderers v Preston North End Bet Builder Tip
Under 2.5 goals
Over 10.5 corners
Caleb Okoli 1+ shot on target
Pays 14/1
Although the visitors are strongly fancied to take all three points, they might well do so in a game containing not too many goals.
The corner market looks particularly appealing given Leicester's expected dominance of possession.
The Foxes won seven corners against Northampton while conceding five and another sustained spell of pressure should lead to plenty of opportunities from set plays.
County, meanwhile, won three corners against Burnley and conceded four.
Caleb Okoli is the player to watch from set-pieces after scoring against Northampton and registering three shots.
Martin places a strong emphasis on dead balls, making the towering centre-back a major threat from corners and free-kicks.
Okoli averaged 0.5 shots per 90 minutes in the Championship last season, while his goal last week showed the danger he can pose - backing an effort on target adds extra value to this Bet Builder.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Leicester City finished 23rd in the Championship last season with 46 points and were relegated to the third tier for the first time since 2008-09
Notts County finished fifth in League Two last season with 80 points before winning promotion via the play-offs
Notts County secured promotion with a 3-0 victory over Salford City in the League Two play-off final at Wembley
City opened their campaign with a 1-0 EFL Cup victory over Northampton Town, Caleb Okoli scoring the only goal
County held Burnley to a 1-1 draw at Turf Moor in the EFL Cup first round before losing 4-3 on penalties
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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.
