2 offers The League One season kicks off at the end of July as 24 teams battle for promotion to the Championship. Wigan stormed to the League One title last season with 92 points from 46 matches. The Latics will play Championship football in 2022-23.
The teams left in the third tier will be determined to move up the Football League ladder. It won't be easy as the 46 match campaign has many ups and downs. League One is a marathon and not a sprint. A hot start can propel a team toward promotion to the second tier. However, a bad start doesn't automatically rule a team out from gaining promotion later in the season.
Some big named teams will compete in the 2022-23 League One season. Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town, and Derby County are just three of the teams that will battle for the title and promotion. Let's explore the League One odds and the teams competing in this season's third division.
League One Outright Winner Odds
Bookies' League One betting odds are dominated by teams that recently competed in the Championship. Ipswich Town have been installed as preseason favourites to win the division outright. The Tractor Boys had a poor start to the campaign in 2021-22 and could only finish 11th in the competitive league.
Will Ipswich Town win the League One outright or will another team beat the Tractor Boys to the title. Here is a look at League One's outright winner odds:
- Ipswich Town 11/2
- Sheffield Wednesday 6/1
- Derby County 10/1
- Barnsley 14/1
- Portsmouth 14/1
- Peterborough United 14/1
- Bolton Wanderers 16/1
- Oxford Utd 16/1
- MK Dons 16/1
- Wycombe Wanderers 20/1
- Charlton Athletic 20/1
- Plymouth Argyle 25/1
- Lincoln City 33/1
- Bristol Rovers 33/1
- Forest Green Rovers 50/1
- Fleetwood Town 50/1
- Exeter 50/1
- Port Vale 50/1
- Burton Albion 50/1
- Shrewsbury Town 50/1
- Cheltenham 66/1
- Accrington Stanley 66/1
- Morecambe 150/1
- Cambridge United 150/1
Who Are the Favourites to Win League One this season?
League One will feature some big named teams in 2022-23. Several of these teams recently competed in either the Premier League or Championship. In some cases, sides in League One for the upcoming season recently played in both higher divisions.
Ipswich Town are the bookies' preseason favourites to win the third division. The Tractor Boys started poorly under Paul Cook in 2021-22. Cook was sacked in early December after receiving considerable financial backing from the club's board. Keiran McKenna took over at Portman Road, and turned Ipswich Town into one of the league's best sides in the second half of the campaign.
Sheffield Wednesday will play League One football for a second straight season. Darren Moore led the Owls to a fourth place finish a season ago. However, Wednesday were beaten by Sunderland in the playoffs.
Derby County have a lot of question marks surrounding them. The Rams are in administration and the potentoal buyer or buyers that were in line to purchase the club have fallen through. Derby County could be a League One title contender. However, a lot will rest on whether or not the club gets a new owner soon.
Barnsley, along with Derby County and Peterborough United, were relegated at the end of last season's Championship. The Tykes have a strong infrastructure which could lead to a quick rebuild. Barnsley will have some of the division's best quality in the side.
Portsmouth have been stuck in League One since 2017. Prior to playing in League One, Portsmouth had dipped as low as League Two, where they resided for four campaigns. It is easy to forget that Portsmouth were a Premier League team not long ago. Pompey won the FA Cup in 2008 but were relegated to the Championship just two seasons later. Since then, life has been difficult for the south coast club.
Who Are the Playoff Contenders this Season?
Last season, MK Dons, Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland, and Wycombe Wanderers made the League One playoffs. Sunderland over came Wednesday in the semifinals before defeating Wycombe in the final at Wembley.
MK Dons, Wednesday, and Wycombe will all three believe they can reach the playoffs once more. However, it is extremely difficult to be consistent enough to make the playoffs in the division in back to back seasons.
Plymouth Argyle are certainly a contender for the playoffs. The Pilgrims missed the top six by just three points. A wretched run of form in the team's final five games allowed Wycombe to gain a playoff place by just three points.
Oxford United and Bolton Wanderers were also in the mix for the playoffs. Both clubs fell off the pace at the end of the season, however. Bolton Wanderers are a big name with big support in the division.
Last season's relegated Championship clubs, Peterborough United, Derby County, and Barnsley will all feel that making the playoffs is the bare minium objective. Peterborough United are a yo yo club at this level. Manager Grant McCann will be motivated to get the team he once played for back into the second tier.
Who Are the Dark Horses?
It is difficult to pin down one team in League One as a dark horse. Any of the 24 teams can get hot and make a run at the top six. Forest Green Rovers will play their first season ever in League One. Rovers earned promotion from League Two and have a considerable amount of financial backing at this level. Forest Green Rovers must be taken seriously as a playoff dark horse.
Charlton Athletic should be better this season in the division. The Addicks finished 13th last term but won three of their last five matches. Manager Ben Garner will take charge of Charlton Athletic for the first time. Garner moved to Charlton Athletic after having an exceptional season at Swindon Town in 2021-22.
Which Team Are Favourites for Relegation?
While some big named teams are the bookies' favourites to win the division and promotion to the Championship, the clubs expected to battle relegation are some of the smaller clubs in the division. Here is a look at the odds on teams to be relegated from League One:
- Morecambe 6/5
- Fleetwood Town 7/4
- Exeter 2/1
- Forest Green Rovers 2/1
- Bristol Rovers 5/2
- Cambridge United 5/2
- Cheltenham 5/2
- Shrewsbury Town 3/1
- Burton Albion 10/3
- Derby County 10/3
- Port Vale 10/3
- Lincoln City 10/3
- Accrington Stanley 7/2
- Charlton Athletic 13/2
- Plymouth Argyle 8/1
- Wycombe Wanderers 12/1
- Oxford Utd 14/1
- Barnsley 16/1
- Portsmouth 16/1
- Bolton Wanderers 16/1
- Peterborough United 22/1
- MK Dons 22/1
- Sheffield Wednesday 28/1
- Ipswich Town 33/1
Which Teams Will Surprisingly Struggle This Season?
Derby County cannot be expected to win League One based on name alone. The club is still in administration and it could greatly affect their attempts to make the top six. If the Rams' ownership gets sorted out, which it could before the season begins, then Derby County could be a strong contender for the top six. If administration drags on, then it could be a difficult season.
Plymouth Argyle fell off the pace down the final stretch last season. Repeating the form that led them to a seventh place finish will be difficult. The same goes for Oxford United. The U's finished eight and bad results across their last six games ended any hopes of making the playoffs.
Which Teams Were Relegated and Promoted Into League One?
The Championship teams that were relegated into League One were Peterborough United, Derby County, and Barnsley.
The teams that earned promotion to League One from League Two were Forest Green Rovers, Exeter, Bristol Rovers, and Port Vale.
Which Teams Were Promoted and Relegated Last Season?
In 2021-22, Wigan Athletic, Rotherham United, and Sunderland were promoted from the third tier of the Football League to the Championship.
For teams were relegated from League One to League Two. Gillingham, Doncaster, Wimbledon, and Crewe were all four relegated to the fourth tier.
Players To Watch This Season
Ipswich Town's Bersant Celina was one to watch last season. Celina was on loan from French club Dijon and the Tractor Boys will hope to bring him back once more. Ipswich will hope returning player Rekeem Harper will be able to score goals, especially if Celina doesn't return. Harper spent last season on loan at Crewe.
Lewis Wing joined Wycombe in January and became a top player for the Wanderers. Wing played 31 times scoring two goals and assisting two from midfield.
Wednesday striker Josh Windass is another player to watch. The striker scored four goals in just nine games. If Windass can stay fit, he will be a dangerous player for the promotion seeking Owls.
When Does the League One Start?
The League One season begins on Saturday, July 30, 2022.
When is the Final Day of the League One?
The League One season will conclude on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
When Are the League One Play-offs this season?
The playoffs will begin shortly after the final day of the season. The promotion final will take place on May 28, 2023.
What Happens to the League One during the World Cup?
League One won't take a World Cup break. However, there could be game postponements if players are called up to play for their international teams.
