League Two 2023/24 season promotion tips: Stockport to go one better as Notts County make history
- George Dempsey
- 31 July 2023
League Two looks wide open with some new names in the promotion mix. We've picked out our four main contenders for the 2023/24 season.
League Two is never easy to call and while the play-off race looks wide open, we believe the battle for automatic promotion could be a four-horse race.
A third season of Welcome to Wrexham surely beckons if Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's men can go back to back, but it won't be easy.
Playing in a league where teams actually defend does come with its challenges but we've picked out four teams, including Wrecsam, who can fire their way to promotion.
League Two outright betting tips
Wrexham
The Hollywood-backed Welsh side are favourites to win League Two but just seven teams have won back-to-back promotions from the National League to League One.
Bristol Rovers were the last side to achieve that in 2014 through 2016, while Lincoln were the last title winner to make the play-offs in the 2016/2017 season.
Welcome to Wrexham showcases the renewed bond between the club and town and the Racecourse will be a fortress, but their newfound fame and fortune makes them a scalp.
They've acquired Will Boyle, an experienced defender who has made 182 appearances for Huddersfield and Cheltenham across three EFL divisions and retained Ben Foster.
The concern is they may have to dip into the market for a goalscorer with Paul Mullin facing up to 12 weeks on the sidelines after suffering a punctured lung during pre-season.
The group in place is good enough to mount a promotion push and the continuity and momentum on and off the pitch will sustain them but there's no value in their odds.
Verdict: Wrexham are likely to do well if their defence adapts to the level. They're a title contender but they're 8/11 to achieve automatic promotion which is not a good price.
Stockport County
Stockport are second-favourites for a title push at the time of writing, currently 9/2 on Planet Sport Bet. They've looked solid for the past two seasons and were unfortunate last year.
The Hatters were favourites to win the league but only managed a place in the play-offs where they were beaten by Carlisle United.
They've kept a very talented group of players together and they will have learnt from the mistakes of last season, namely not putting the ball in the net.
Louie Barry is an exciting young talent that can help them create higher-quality chances in the final third while Nick Powell has scored 22 Championship goals 2020.
Expected goals will tell you that County did enough to win the league last season but they just weren't clinical enough.
Edgeley Park was a fortress last season but nine draws in matches in which they were the better team was their downfall. We expect them to create and score more this season.
Verdict: The stability and upward momentum of the club means it's only a matter of time before the Hatters make a long-awaited return to League One. This is their year.
Notts County
The Magpies had a treacherous time in League Two when they were last at this level and their home form in particular was woeful.
This is a quality group of players with a terrific young manager in Luke Williams and they should be able to impose their dominant style of play at this level.
Portuguese forward Ruben Rodrigues scored 19 goals and registered 16 assists last season and he will need replacing after joining Oxford United on a free transfer.
Macaulay Langstaff found the net 42 times last season including 10 braces and weighed in with six assists, so this team still has lots of goals in it.
The addition of David McGoldrick, an experienced ex-international who scored 22 times for Derby in League One last season, certainly doesn't hurt.
John Bostock will become the chief creative presence and he's good enough to keep thriving at this level. Overall, we think County are better placed than Wrexham.
Verdict: The promoted side will need to raise their standard of defending in League Two but we think they'll outscore every other team and claim the title in style.
MK Dons
MK Dons beat Championship-bound Plymouth Argyle on the final day of the 2021/22 season but missed out on promotion to the second tier due to results elsewhere.
Even then the club lacked stability with three managers in each of the last two seasons and a steady decline from Russell Martin's eye-catching brand of football.
Graham Alexander, a wiley figure who has secured two promotions as a manager, is the latest man in the hot seat at Stadium MK.
The ex-Burnley midfield won 48% of his matches as Salford boss and has guided all three of his previous clubs in the EFL to at least one top-seven finish.
He's been well-backed by Pete Winkelman with their additions to date amassing over 900 appearances at League One level or higher.
Max Dean is an emerging talent while Mo Eisa and Jonathan Leko will surely increase their goalscoring output, with the former netting 23 times in his last stint at this level.
Verdict: Alexander has a terrific blend of exciting young players and a wealth of experience at higher levels. Eisa is a proven match-winner at this level and we think they'll be in the mix.
