It may be English football’s basement division, but League Two is an increasingly popular competition with football punters, offering plenty of opportunity for profit to the clued-up fan. Here’s our guide to this week’s top bets in League Two.
Barnet v Luton
Luton were big favourites to win League Two before the season started and justified that prediction by kicking off with an eye-catching 8-2 victory over Yeovil, in which their big signing James Collins grabbed a hat-trick.
Barnet should provide tougher opposition, but they haven’t added much to their squad over the summer and didn’t make a particularly impressive start to the season against Forest Green. Of particular concern for Bees manager Rossi Eames is their tendency to start slowly. They were behind at half time in six of their home games against top ten sides last season and another slow start could see them in trouble against their free-scoring in-form opponents. A Luton win at 6/5 with BetVictor looks a solid bet.
Cheltenham v Crawley
Even at this early stage, this game has a relegation feel to it. Both teams finished in the bottom six last season, and neither did much to reassure their supporters with their opening day performances. Cheltenham lost at Morecombe, while Crawley suffered a 3-1 home defeat to Port Vale. Crawley were particularly poor away from home against bottom six teams last season, losing four out of five fixtures, while Cheltenham endured a nightmare pre-season and seem to be at a low ebb. Backing the draw at 5/2 with Ladbrokes looks a good option here.
Swindon v Exeter
Swindon were relegated from League One last season but have re-grouped and look good for a promotion push. They’ve strengthened up defensively with the signings of centre-back Chris Robertson and left-back Chris Hussey, while the addition of Amine Linganzi, James Dunne and Donal McDermott has added dynamism to their midfield.
Exeter do have a good record on the road, bagging the second most away points in the division last season, but they look to be short of creativity and goals, having lost their main striker Ollie Watkins and key midfielder Jack Stacey. Swindon kicked off their campaign with a 2-1 victory at Carlisle and they can be backed to add a second win at 8/5 with Ladbrokes.
Yeovil v Accrington Stanley
Yeovil’s opening-day 8-2 hammering made national headlines and although they only conceded one against Wolves in the EFL Cup in the week, they did allow their opponents sixteen shots on goal. They look desperately short of confidence and experience at the back, and Saturday’s opponents aren’t about to go easy on them.
Accrington Stanley pulled off an impressive 3-2 victory over Preston in the EFL Cup to follow up their opening day 3-1 victory over Colchester and there appears to be plenty of competition for places in a team that has serious promotion ambitions this season. Whether they will be able to sustain their performance level over a long campaign remains to be seen, but in their current mood they will surely be too strong for a shaky Yeovil side. They can be backed at 5/4 with Bet Victor to leave Huish Park with all three points.