Sports Blog 03/08/2015: Match Preview – Football League One, Saturday 8th August 2015

The English football season is only days away, and whilst the Premier League might be eating up the column inches the lower divisions are no less exciting, with League One kicking off on Saturday!

After losing a historic play-off semi-final against Swindon, one that finished 7-6 to the Robins after a 5-5 second leg followed a 2-1 opener, Sheffield United go into the new season as favourites for promotion. They take on Gillingham, one of the league’s many mid-table limpets. The Blades are 5/1 favourites to win the league, with a Season Points spread of 77-79, after finishing 2014/15 in 5th with 71 points, whilst Gillingham sit at a spread of 58-60. Understandably the Blades are fancied for the win on Saturday, at a Sheffield United/Gillingham (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.2-0.4.

It’s a relatively easy first match for the newly promoted, and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink managed, Burton Albion on Saturday, with the Brewers taking on Scunthorpe United. A limp season saw Scunthorpe finished the season in 16th with 56 points and go into 2015/16 at a Season Points spread of 63-65. Burton, on the other hand, stormed to the top of League Two, winning the division with 5 points to spare, but sit marginally behind their more experienced peers, at a Season Points spread of 62.5-64.5. The former Chelsea man’s side are expected to narrowly win their League One debut, at a Burton/Scunthorpe Goal Supremacy spread of 0.15-0.35.

After being roundly smashed in their play-off semi-final against eventual promotees Preston, Chesterfield will be aiming to go one better in 2015/16; they face Barnsley on Saturday. Chesterfield edged into 6th place with 69 points, and that failed attempt at a play-off, last season, leaving the Spireites with a Season Points spread of 60-62. Barnsley, meanwhile, finished 11th last year with 62 points but go into the new season with a Season Points spread of 64.5-66.5 and at 16/1 to win the title. Regardless of the long term, the home side has the advantage at a Chesterfield/Barnsley Goal Supremacy spread of 0.3-0.5.



It’s a battle at the bottom, sort of, when Colchester and Blackpool meet at the weekend. The Seasiders finished their season with a truly dismal 26 points, and candidates for one of the worst teams in the entire Football League as the slumped out of the Championship. In comparison, Colchester only managed to avoid relegation by 2 points, with 52 to Notts County’s and Crawley Town’s 50. This leaves Blackpool at a Season Points spread of 53.5-55.5 to Colchester’s 50-52, the latter being the worst in the league. Yet the seasoned League Oners are expected to win at a Colchester/Blackpool Goal Supremacy spread of 0.2-0.4.

It shouldn’t be too tough a return to League One for Wigan, for the first time since 2002/03 after a long foray into the Premier League, as they take on last season’s 17th place side Coventry. Despite finishing 13 points higher than the Championship’s bottom-side Blackpool the Latics couldn’t avoid relegation; however, our Spreadex traders don’t fancy them to remain in the 3rd tier for long, with the second best Season Points spread of 73-75 alongside a 7/1 fixed odds price to win the league. Coventry haven’t received the same kind of optimism, at a Season Points spread of 62-64 after collecting 55 last season. The Latics go into Saturday at a Wigan/Coventry (h) Goal Supremacy spread of 0.1-0.3.

Like Colchester, Crewe and Port Vale both narrowly avoided relegation last season, with 52 and 54 points respectively. Neither are expected to do much better this year, and both sit at a Season Points spread 50.5-52.5 with only Colchester below them. In terms of Saturday’s meeting the home side is narrowly expected to take all 3 points, at a Crewe/Port Vale Goal Supremacy spread of 0.05-0.25.

Middle-table Doncaster take on the newly promoted Bury on Saturday. Bury finished 3rd in League Two, one point ahead of Wycombe and Southend, to secure automatic promotion. In contrast, Doncaster only managed to limp to a 13th place finish with 61 points, exciting no-one in the process. Both sides have a solid Season Points spread of 65-67, but the fresh faced Bury are expected to lose at a Doncaster/Bury Goal Supremacy spread of 0.25-0.45.

A tight penalty win over Wycombe Wanders in the League Two play-off final sees Southend ascend to 3rd tier football, with their first game against the mid-table Fleetwood. The Cod Army could only manage a 10th place finish, with their 63 points 6 away from a play-off place. Neither side is expected to have too stellar a season, with Fleetwood at a Season Points spread of 59-61 to Southend’s 58-60. In terms of their season curtain-raiser, the newly-promoted side could struggle, with our traders offering a Fleetwood/Southend Goal Supremacy spread of 0.2-0.4.



After both finishing last season on 63 points, last season’s 8th place Rochdale takes on 9th place Peterborough at the weekend. Going into the new season, however, our Spreadex traders are fancying the latter to be among those vying for promotion, with Peterborough at a Season Points spread of 67-69, and fixed odds of 12/1, to Rochdale’s 63-65 spread. Our traders have also found this game just too hard to call, offering a choice Goal Supremacy spread of -0.1-0.1.

The next game sees two newbies to the league, as Shrewsbury face Millwall. The Shrews finished 2nd in League Two, 5 points behind Burton but 4 points ahead of Bury, enough to secure automatic promotion; Millwall, on the other hand, were relegated from the Championship after only managing to collect 41 points across the season, 5 points below Rotherham. The Lions will take some comfort from the fact that they have the third best Season Points spread of 69-71 and are 10/1 to win the league; in comparison Shrewsbury are at a Season Points spread of 64.5-66.5. However, the home side have a tiny advantage going into the weekend, at a Shrewsbury/Millwall Goal Supremacy spread of 0.05-0.25.

There won’t be too many neutrals excited about Walsall versus Oldham at the weekend. Finishing in 14th and 15th, and 59 and 57 points, respectively, neither side is expected to escape their bottom half malaise this year. Walsall fair slightly better with their Season Points spread, at 58-60 to Oldham’s 55.5-57.5, and go into the weekend at a Walsall/Oldham Goal Supremacy spread of 0.3-0.5.

Finally, it will be a tough return to League Two for Swindon, who got to the play-off final only to be comfortably beaten by Preston 4-0; they take on Bradford, who narrowly missed out on a play-off spot themselves after finished in 7th. Our Spreadex traders aren’t too confident that Swindon can recapture last season’s form, giving them a Season Points spread of 64-66, with Bradford narrowly higher at 64.5-66.5. The Robins are still expected to win their opening game, however, at a Swindon/Bradford Goal Supremacy spread of 0.1-0.3.