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League One was blown apart by the big spending of Birmingham City and Wrexham last season, with the American-owned teams setting records en route to their first and second-place finishes in the third tier. Charlton Athletic prevailed in the play-offs, leaving the division looking much more competitive this time around and an enthralling race for promotion looks set to take place. BET £10 GET £30 IN FREE BETS WITH TALKSPORT BET Hatters favourites to go up Luton Town were playing in the Premier League just two seasons ago, but back-to-back relegations have seen them drop all the way to the third tier. The Hatters have kept the faith in manager Matt Bloomfield but have lost some key players, including Carlton Morris, Alfie Doughty and Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu. Nevertheless Luton are favourites for the title and promotion, they are 3/1 to top the table and Evens to return to the Championship at the first time of asking. Bluebirds and Green Army near head of betting The other two teams who were relegated last season, Cardiff City and Plymouth Argyle, also feature prominently in the betting for League One promotion. After working in the youth system at Manchester City, Brian Barry-Murphy has been given the manager's job at Cardiff, while the Pilgrims have appointed Tom Cleverly following Miron Muslic’s departure to Schalke. Cardiff have been very quiet in the transfer market but remain 5/2 shots to be promoted, while Plymouth have been busier but are slightly bigger at 11/4. Wanderers could have the right stuff Bolton Wanderers finished eighth last season, just missing out on the League One play-offs last season, but with a full pre-season under new manager Steven Schumacher they have a good chance of returning to the Championship. Schumacher oversaw Plymouth’s League One title win back in 2023 and the Trotters have made some impressive signings over the summer. Amario Cozier-Dubbery impressed on loan at Blackburn Rovers last season and the former Arsenal winger joins on loan from Brighton, while new striker Sam Dalby was the third-highest goalscorer in the Scottish Premiership for Dundee United last term. Goalkeeper was a problem position for Bolton last time aroun, but they have added Teddy Sharman-Lowe on loan from Chelsea. The England Under-21 international played every single game as Doncaster Rovers lifted the League Two title last season. With many of the ingredients for a solid team, the Trotters look a tempting price at 7/2 to go up. Terriers on the up Huddersfield Town are another side with American ownership and they could follow in the footsteps of Birmingham and Wrexham and secure promotion. Rookie manager Lee Grant has overseen some impressive signings, with Alfie May set to star up front and Marcus Harness, Lynden Gooch and Ryan Ledson bringing a wealth of Championship experience. The 2/1 about the Terriers to go up makes plenty of appeal. BET £10 GET £30 IN FREE BETS WITH TALKSPORT BET Sign Up Offer: Bet £10 and get £30 in free bets - CLAIM HERE T&Cs: 18+ New customers only. Opt in via mobile or app & bet £10+ on any football market at 2. 00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 6x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. Gamble Aware. org | Please gamble responsibly Odds correct at time of publish and subject to change* 18+ New customers only. Opt in via mobile or app & bet £10+ on any football market at 2. 00+ odds within 7 days. No Cash out. Get 6x £5 Free Bets on selected markets. Free bets expire in 7 days. T&Cs apply, see below. Gamble Aware. org | Please gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www. gamstop. co. uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites. Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to talk SPORT. 18+. T&Cs apply. gambleaware. org © 2025 talk SPORT Limited
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