League One Outright Winners Odds

After narrowly missing out on a play-off spot in the season just gone, Derby have emerged as the early favourites to clinch the League One title in 2023/24.

The Rams will feature in their second consecutive season in the third tier of English football, after falling out of the Championship at the end of the 2021/22 campaign. Derby were one of the favourites going into the 2022/23 season, but despite a 16-game unbeaten run from December to February, were unable to seal a top-six finish.

There is still plenty of quality that could fire Derby out of League One, with the likes of Conor Hourihane, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Louie Sibley, and Tom Barkhuizen all able to make an impact in Paul Warne’s first full season in charge.

Bolton fell at the final hurdle last season, losing in the semi-final of the play-offs against Barnsley by just one goal and missing out on that trip to Wembley. Ian Evatt’s side are fancied to continue improving and challenge for the title next season.

Like Derby, Bolton are also set for their second consecutive season back in the third tier, following their promotion from League Two in 2021. After an impressive ninth-place finish in their first season, the Trotters went even further this campaign and finished in the top five. Bolton finished strongly, with just one defeat in their last nine games and winning four of their last five. The Lancashire outfit even picked up the Papa John’s trophy, and with a strong side, are expected to improve on a top-five finish next season.

It was heartbreak for Barnsley as they managed to book their place in the play-off final at Wembley before being pipped in extra time courtesy of a 123rd-minute Sheffield Wednesday goal.

The South Yorkshire outfit were in the Championship for three straight years before once again being demoted to League One last season. You would fancy the Tykes to be up there fighting for a place in the second tier once again, especially after reaching 86 points this season. Barnsley have a good squad, with the likes of Devante Cole, James Norwood, and Herbie Kane, who will be eager to make sure they get the job done next season.

Peterborough are another side that fell short in the play-offs, despite looking as though they had the tie against Sheffield Wednesday in the bag and a place at Wembley secured.

The Posh were on the receiving end of that incredible comeback, seeing the Owls come from four goals down to cancel out the second-leg aggregate scoreline and snatch their Wembley ticket on penalties. It was a cruel way for Darren Ferguson’s side to finish the season, after finishing in the top six with 77 points. Ferguson, with the last season’s League One Golden Boot winner Jonson Clarke-Harris in the ranks, will be hoping that they can bounce back up to the Championship after a one-year absence.

Out of those sides relegated from the Championship, it’s Reading who are the early favourites to return at the first time of asking as the Royals prepare for their first season in the third tier for 21 years.

The Berkshire outfit still have plenty of talent that are proven at Championship level so should be capable of challenging at the top of League One. Reading also would have been safe from the drop last season by one point, had not been for the six-point points deduction following the club’s failure to satisfy a business plan agreed after a historical breach of the EFL’s Profit and Sustainability limits. Nevertheless, the likes of Andy Carroll, Tom Ince, and Andy Yiadom are all top players who you would think would be good enough to push Reading towards the top end of the table.

After seven consecutive seasons stuck in League One, could 2023/24 finally be the year that Portsmouth battle their way out of the third tier?

The south coast side were another one of those teams that fell just short of the play-offs, ending the season in eighth. Only the three promoted teams – Plymouth, Ipswich, and Sheffield Wednesday – had fewer league defeats than Pompey in a campaign which saw the Hampshire side change manager mid-way through.

John Mousinho took over from Danny Cowley after a poor run of results, but the former Oxford midfielder was unable to guide Portsmouth to play-offs despite an 11-game unbeaten run at the end of the season. In his first full season in charge and with a summer window to potentially add to a side that features last season’s 24-goal-scoring striker, Colby Bishop, the two-time First Division champions could be one to watch.

Another one of those teams looking to immediately restore their Championship status is Blackpool, who were sent back down to the third tier after finishing second-bottom last season.

The Seasiders gained promotion from League One in 2021, Neil Critchley’s first full season in charge. Critchley guided the Lancashire side to safety in their first campaign back in the second tier, before leaving to take up a position as Steven Gerrard’s assistant at Aston Villa and then as Head Coach at Queens Park Rangers across this past season. In the meantime, Blackpool finished in 23rd position, five points adrift of safety under the disappointing reigns of Michael Appleton, Mick McCarthy, and Stephen Dobbie’s interim term.

Critchley has now returned to Bloomfield Road ahead of next season, reuniting with a Blackpool squad that still features prolific frontman Jerry Yates. The striker scored 21 goals as the Seasiders earned promotion three seasons ago and will be crucial up front again if Blackpool are to clinch the title next season and bounce straight back to the Championship.

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