Latest League Two Odds: Relegation Teams Separated

We are now at the end of the festive period, and a few changes have been made to the League Two picture. From new leaders to struggles at the bottom, a lot has been learnt over the past month or so. 

Of course, there were only a few games this weekend, but a general update on the league was needed after a bit of a hiatus!

Shortened Version

Starting at the top, we now have a new League Two title leader, with Walsall dominating the picture for the longest time. However, that spot is now held by Bromley, who have been in fantastic form of late, winning their last six League Two games in a row. 

Admittedly, their last few fixtures have been on the easier side of things, but you still have to get the points in these games when it matters, and they have done that. 

Their gap at the top is not that solid, and that is why they are still only 5/2 to win the title with Sporting Index. They must be cautious of a push from below, perhaps from Swindon, who sit in second place.

Ian Holloway’s men have been in and around the title picture all season, but they have firmly reestablished themselves over Christmas, winning four of their last five games. They do have a two-point gap to overturn, but that is certainly not impossible. 

The division is massively close, and whilst another two or three teams could be included in this section, we wanted to take a wider look at the play-off teams, rather than overclustering this area.

Strap Yourself In

So, moving into third place, we have Walsall, who may feel slightly hard done by to be sitting amongst this bracket, as opposed to the title contenders. Now, they are certainly not out of the race, but two defeats and as many draws in their last five paints a picture. 

Thankfully, they did have a lead at the top, so the effects of the drop is form are not catastrophic. Nevertheless, they are now five points off the top spot, so damage has been done and they will need to start clawing back their position.

Salford have also gotten back into their groove in recent times, and are well in the promotion picture again. Wins against some of the other play-off candidates have certainly helped, and like Walsall, they sit on 43 points. 

Perhaps they could also start to mount a title challenge if they can maintain their form over the next few weeks. 

MK Dons then follow, and they could certainly be in a better place had they beaten fellow pre-season title favourites Chesterfield in one of the weekend’s only games. The Dons took the lead twice, but the Spireites fought back on both occasions, with Will Grigg grabbing a 94th-minute equaliser.

Neither have really benefited from this fixture, and whilst it is a point picked up against a strong team for both, they also have now played a game more than most teams around them, without profiting from it. Not great, really. 

The final team in the play-offs is Cambridge, and they are actually sandwiched between MK Dons and Chesterfield, sitting in sixth. In recent months, they have gone quietly about their business, and they are actually unbeaten since the end of October.

Being seven points off the top feels like a distance to make up, but it is not impossible, and they could start to make ground if they continue at the rate at which they are going. Failing that, 4/6 for them to get a top seven place at the end of the season is a lovely price from Bet365, I must say.

Sitting outside the play-offs, but in my eyes the last real contender for a top seven spot, is Notts County. The Magpies would actually be seventh without Chesterfield’s draw this weekend, so it may only be that they are temporarily outside the top spots. 

Right now, albeit extreme, the gap between sixth (solely because they, like most teams, have the game in hand) and 18th is 11 points. The promotion picture in League Two is far from being closed, and with a few games, everything could be changed…

Worrying for Some

At the other end of the table, the strugglers look pretty locked in. That gap between Cheltenham and Cambridge is 11 points. The gap from 18th, where the Robins sit, to 21st is also the same. In other words, it seems like we know who will be fighting at the bottom.

Four defeats in a row mean that Harrogate now occupy the spot at the bottom of the division, and it is not too surprising. They have struggled throughout this year, and they have already looked quite doomed; now it is just being confirmed.

A win against Crewe at the end of 2025 may have been a sign of change for Newport County, even if they were beaten by Bromley on New Year’s Day. However, a narrow defeat against the league leaders certainly is not a bad result. 

Shrewsbury and Crawley sit just outside the bottom two, with both having 19 points. Given that the two teams below them sit on 17, they are in a really perilous position. Things could change very, very quickly for them as a double drop stares them in the face. 

Bristol Rovers are in a slightly better position, but they are also far from safety. Winning their game against Shrewsbury on New Year's Day helped massively, as they now sit four points clear of the drop. But their recent form suggests it will not be the start of a push upwards.