League Two 2023/24 season play-off tips: Dark horses Walsall and Forest Green can crash top seven
- George Dempsey
- 31 July 2023
Walsall and Forest Green Rovers will boast a potent new strikeforce this season and are both nicely priced to secure a play-off place.
There are typically 10-12 teams involved in the League Two promotion race so if you whittle out the canon fodder and draw lots, there's a chance you'll pick a winner.
Alternatively, you could just stick around and let us guide you to play-off glory with our expertly assembled play-off preview for the 2023/24 League Two season.
We've picked out a fistful of sides, who alongside our promotion contenders Wrexham, Notts County, Stockport County and MK Dons, will likely push for the
League Two outright betting tips
Walsall
The Saddlers are far from an obvious choice. The club has recorded three consecutive 16th-place finishes, becoming a very middling League Two outfit.
The West Midlands club were 13th and just two points off the play-off places at the midway point of the 2022/23 season, largely thanks to 12 goals from star striker Danny Johnson.
He was recalled by parent club Mansfield in January and Walsall finished 20 points off of the play-offs, with replacement Jamille Matt scoring twice in 13 appearances.
The return of Johnson and the retention of Matt allows Mat Sadler to play two upfront regularly this season and Matt thrived in a little and large partnership at Forest Green.
The 33-year-old was involved in 49 goals across two League Two seasons for Rovers, scoring 36, and could form a deadly one-two punch with last season's top scorer.
Forest Green Rovers
It's unusual for a club to lose their manager and so many key players on the back of promotion, but that coupled with the injury to Matt Stevens made last season a lost cause.
The appointment of David Horseman as the first-team coach may seem underwhelming due to his lack of EFL experience, bus his track record with development teams speaks for itself.
His Southampton U23 team played a beautiful brand of passing football and he has a couple of technicians who can help him implement the style at this level.
The Nailsworth club have little to no financial clout so it makes sense to try and build a clear footballing identity, as they did under Rob Edwards.
The League Two play-off race is usually a crowded affair settled by fine margins so to have Stevens and Matty Taylor, who netted 23 and 27 respectively in their last season at this level, sets them apart.
Gillingham
After years of underachieving and questionable running of the club, the arrival of new American owners propelled the Gills to a new level overnight.
If you look at the League Two table from January 1st until the end of the season you'll find that only Stockport County picked up more points.
Neil Harris's appointment as manager had a lot to do with their form but so did multiple winter window arrivals, including George Lapslie and Timothee Dieng.
They've continued to build with the signings of experienced heads Jonny Williams and Scott Malone, while Scott Masterson returns on a permanent deal.
Brad Galinson has now sanctioned 20 signings since buying the club and Harris is the perfect man to mould them into a challenger, but we worry about the lack of a prolific scorer.
Other League Two play-off contenders
While we believe the above-mentioned clubs stand the best chance of joining our big four in the play-offs, there's no value in backing Gillingham and there are other contenders.
Salford City are upwardly mobile and deserve a mention. After admitting he was wrong to bin Graham Alexander, Gary Neville hired and fired Richie Wellens and Gary Bowyer relatively quickly.
Neil Wood has lasted 57 games and helped City reach the EFL play-offs for the first time last season. He'll be expected to do the same this season.
The additions of the experienced Luke Garbutt and Curtis Tilt should help, while 23-year-old Connor McLennan looks like an exciting acquisition.
Mansfield Town were the top goalscorers in League Two last season so if they find a way to tighten up at the back then they should be involved in the shake-up.
Nigel Clough knows that having signed two goalkeepers, two left-backs, two right-backs and centre-back Bailey Cargill in the transfer window.
Retaining their extremely talented squad, adding quality in defence and the continuity of a fourth season with Cloughy in charge, Mansfield should be up there.
