League One Prediction: Ante-Post Outright Preview

Welcome along to bettingexpert’s League One Prediction Ante-Pose Outright Preview. As expected, Birmingham are fronting the betting in League One, with the bookies expecting them to have a clear run at the title. In this article, Matthew O’Regan looks at teams who could challenge the blues, an outfit likely to struggle at the lower end of the table, as well as two players to showcase their goal scoring ability. 

League One 2024/25 Prediction:

• Birmingham and Rotherham – League One Dual Forecast
• Crawley to Finish Bottom – League One To Finish Bottom
• Sam Smith to Score 20+ Goals – League One Player Goal Totals
• Bojan Radulovic – League One Top Goalscorer

League One 2024/25 Prediction: Millers to Rival Blues

England, League One

Birmingham are expected to win the league with comfort by many, with the possibility of breaking Wolves record point tally even being spoken about as a distinct possibility. While I think they will be up there, it may not be as landslide victory as people expect. 

The Blues are a big club that has endured a torrid few years, with American businessman Tom Wagner pumping millions of dollars into the club in hopes of firing them up the leagues quickly. They have spent far and away the most in the division – over £11m, in fact. So, fingers will be pointed at new gaffer Chris Davies if the Blues don’t win the league.

However, it hasn’t just been spending money for money’s sake, the hierarchy have been clever with their signings, with the majority at prime age, coming from higher divisions with the hope of progressing through the leagues. Centre-back Christoph Klarer played 30 games in the Bundesliga last season; Willum Willumsson was pivotal in helping Go Ahead Eagles qualify for the Netherlands, while Emil Hansson contributed 11 goals in the Eredivisie last season. 

Brighton academy graduates Alex Cochrane and Marc Leonard sign from Hearts and Brighton respectively. Cochrane is an energetic wing back who was a fan favourite in Edinburgh, while Leonard is arugbaly the best midfielder in the league – showcasing his tremendous ability in two loan spell with Northampton.

Ambition in Blue

Perhaps the most telling sign of their ambition is the signing of Alfie May from Charlton. The 30-year-old scored 27 goals for Charlton last season as he went on to claim the Golden Boot – his third consecutive season breaking the 20-goal barrier. 

These signings also add to a strong core of players who are capable of playing in the Championship with the right management. Stop the Blues if you can!

Rotherham present as the definition of a ‘yo-yo’ club, having been relegated or promoted in all bar one of their last eight seasons. Steve Evans is back, looking for his third promotion with Rotherham and his tenth in his career. 

In typical Steve Evans fashion, it has been a summer of enormous upheaval, with 13 players joining and 13 leaving the club. All bar one of his permanent signings are 25 or older. 

The defensive is augmented by the additions of defensive duo from Sean Raggett and Joe Rafferty who were both key in Portsmouth’s title triumph last campaign. Reece James (Sheffield Wednesday) and Zak Jules (Exeter) also beef up the defence. 

Liam Kelly (34) brings a wealth of experience to the midfield, while Shaun McWilliams (Northampton) and Joe Powell (Burton) bring crucial League One experience. 

Powerful striker Sam Nombe enjoyed a stellar 2022/2023 campaign in which he scored 15 goals for Exeter, prompting the then Championship side Rotherham to sign him. This move did not work out, but the talent is undoubtedly there. Evans has a knack for squeezing goals out of underperforming players, and Nombe could be the next man to have his career revitalised. 

As is Peterborough’s transfer policy, Jonson Clarke-Harris was transfer listed and left out of many match day 11’s last season, due to the Jamaican striker being out of contract in the summer. Before this season, he had scored 16,13,31 and 26 goals at League One level, so is certainly capable of winning the golden boot. 

This Rotherham team is a perfect Steve Evans concoction. An experienced defence with a set-piece threat, a tenacious midfield and big, bustling strikers capable of scoring a hatful. The Millers should push Birmingham very far, making the dual forecast terrific value. 

• League One Ante-Post Tips: Birmingham and Rotherham Dual Forecast (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 15.00
• Bookmaker: sky bet
• Stake: 5/10

League One 2024/25 Prediction: Tough season for Crawley

Last season, Crawley were tipped by many for relegation to the National League. The club owners, WAGMI, seemed intent on stripping the playing squad and making questionable signings. Still, Crawley shocked everybody by achieving a playoff finish before beating MK Dons and Crawley in the playoffs. 

The odds look firmly against them this year again and I think WAGMI have bitten off more than they can chew with regards to squad building this time. From their playoff final triumph, only Jay Williams and captain Dion Conroy remain, with the rest of the squad sold or rejecting new contracts. Yet again, Scott Lindsey is left with a mammoth job to somehow build and gel a completely new squad in a tough division. 

The non-league route was a successful one for Crawley last season, with Kladi Lolos (Oxford City), Adam Campbell (Gateshead) and Jay Williams (Brackley) all excelling last season. They have continued this theme this season with Charlie Barker (Wealdstone), Muhammadu Faal (Havant & Waterlooville) and Antony Papadopoulos (Welling). The trio have shone in non-league, but the step up to League One is a big one. 

Rushian Hepburn-Murphy, Gavin Holohan, and Toby Mullarkey signed after failing to pull up any trees in League 2, while Cameron Bragg and Michael Dacosta Gonzalez joined on loan from south coast clubs Southampton and Bournemouth respectively. 

There have been smatterings of strong signings, most notably commanding centre-back Josh Flint from FC Volendam and Junior Quitirna of Fleetwood, but this squad is nowhere near ready to compete in League One, and we could see a very low points tally from the Red Devils.

• League One Ante-Post Tips: Crawley to Finish Bottom (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 4.50
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 8/10

League One 2024/25 Prediction: Unholy amount of goals from Sam Smith

Off the pitch, Reading have been a shambles in recent years. Incompetent ownership has threatened the existence of the club. On the pitch, Ruben Selles deserves tremendous credit for steering the club to safety and a comfortable 17th-place finish amidst all the chaos. 

He has built a young, exciting team that would have challenged higher up the league had the issues not existed and they weren’t deducted points. 

One of the signings that was a real bright spot was Sam Smith. Signed after 28 goals in two seasons for a struggling Cambridge side, Smith scored 15 goals in 32 games for Reading, averaging 0.47 goals per 90. Provided he stays fit and plays more games this season, this should translate to another 20 goals. 

The 26-year-old ended the season with aplomb, scoring nine in his last 12 matches, including a goal in all four at the end of the season. Smith seemed to settle after a tough start to the season and should break the 20-goal barrier if he continues this form into next season.

• League One Ante-Post Tips: Sam Smith to Score 20+ Goals
• Best Odds: 2.50
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 8/10

League One 2024/25 Prediction:  Radulovic to rattle in the goals

With Alfie May (5.00) leading the way by some distance in the top goalscorer market, this has inflated the rest of the prices, so it is worth looking down the list and picking a longer-priced bet for some each-way shouts. 

Bojan Radulovic arrived in Huddersfield in January from HJK Helsinki in Finland. It was a tough start for the Serb, with Andre Breitenreiter reluctant to use him due to the high-pressure situation the terriers found themselves in. Radulovic only started four games, coming off the bench in a further seven. However, in one of his starts, he did score the opening goal in a crunch relegation game with Stoke City. 

Coming in January from a different league can be a tough adaptation, but now the 24-year-old has had time to settle in and has looked sharp in pre-season, so they should be raring to go. 

Radulovic enjoyed a very fruitful spell in Finland for Helsinki, scoring 18 in 24 league matches as well as five from seven in the Europa Conference League. 

There is a quality striker in there, and this could be the season he showcases it in England. With Bet365 paying 1/4 each way odds for a top four finish, we still get a 16/1 payout if Radulovic does finish in the top four. 

• League One Ante-Post Tips: Bojan Radulovic top scorer (Each Way)
• Best Odds: 67.00
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 4/10 (2 each way)

Matthew O’Regan’s Top Five Ante-Post Outright Bets Odds via bet365 as at 00:00 1st August 2024 – odds for best bets may now differ.

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