2019-20 Football League Season Preview

The 2019/20 Football League season gets underway this Friday night with the opening round of fixtures in the Championship, League 1 & League 2.

We take a look at some of the outright winner ante-post markets and make our predictions for the upcoming season.

In the Championship, the 3 sides relegated from the Premier League last season were Fulham, Cardiff and Huddersfield. Of that trio, Fulham make the most appeal to make an immediate return to the top flight but under inexperienced boss Scott Parker they can be taken on at a general 7/1.

Instead, we fancy LEEDS to make amends for last season’s disappointment. Marcelo Bielsa has stayed on as head coach and the addition of Helder Costa as well as Jack Clarke & Jack Harrison returning on loan.

​The Whites are 9/2 with Bet365 for the title and 7/4 to be promoted.

In League 1, Sunderland were strong favourites to bounce back to England’s second tier last season before being beaten in the play-off final. The Black Cats are a similar price once again this season at 7/2 with Bet365

​PORTSMOUTH were edged out by Sunderland in the play-offs last season but Kenny Jackett’s side look the better value- 6/1 for the title and 9/4 for promotion with Bet365.

​Sean Raggett has joined from Norwich to replace the Premier League bound Matt Clarke while Ellis Harrison is an eye-catching signing up-front having scored 20 goals at this level in the past when playing for Bristol Rovers.

And last but by no means least, League 2 looks wide open and a case can be made for half a dozen of the sides having claims for promotion this season. Last year’s relegated sides from League 1 Bradford, Plymouth & Scunthorpe are all firmly in contention with newly promoted, big-spending Salford City looking a fascinating proposition having their first foray in the Football League.

The side we fancy, however, is MANSFIELD at 8/1 with bet365 for the League 2 crown. The Stags missed out on automatic promotion by the finest of margins last term and have added Nicky Maynard, who scored 20+ for Bury last season- to their attacking ranks over the Summer.

All odds correct at time of posting
(16:00 01/08/2018)