EFL League One Tips: 5/2 Burton Albion backed for relegation in 1-24 season predictions

• Bolton are 5/23.50 for promotion

• Back Charlton at 13/82.63 for a top-six finish

• Alex Revell has a tough task at Stevenage

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1: Birmingham City

Despite relegation, Birmingham City are an upwardly moving football club. Their American owners have backed up their promises, investing big sums off the pitch as well on it, new manager Chris Davies adding eight permanent signings for a combined £10+ million according to reports.

The likes of Ethan Laird, new captain Krystian Bielik, South Korean international Paik Seung-Ho and Welsh sensation Jordan James remain at present and are joined by the likes of Christoph Klarer (Darmstadt), Willum Willumson (Go Ahead Eagles) and Alfie May (20+ goals in his last three League One campaigns). Big coaching pedigree and a squad full of players belonging at a higher level. The title is theirs to lose.

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2: Bolton Wanderers

Bolton Wanderers have been on an upward trajectory since the takeover of Football Ventures (Whites) Ltd and arrival of Ian Evatt, winning promotion before 9th, 5th and 3rd place finishes in League One. Now it's time to go up another level.

They have only lost Paris Maghoma from last season's most used XI and have used the market to address some key issues, including competition for Nathan Baxter and the arrival of the experienced Scott Arfield in midfield. The XI is excellent, there is plenty of depth and natural balance. Bolton are ready.

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3: Charlton Athletic

Charlton Athletic appointed Nathan Jones in February hoping to avoid relegation. It wasn't pretty but a 14-match unbeaten run, which contained ten draws, was enough and now they aim their sights higher.

Jones has been given autonomy to make changes this summer and made the most of it. The squad size (they used 42 players last season) has been reduced, quality experience arrives in the form of Greg Docherty, who takes the captain's armband, Luke Berry and Matt Godden while the group fits his preferred 3-5-2 system much better.

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4: Huddersfield Town

Like Birmingham City, Huddersfield Town drop a division looking for a straight return backed by new ownership from America. The appointment of Michael Duff should work out fine despite a difficult spell at Swansea City and their squad contains a number of players that should be more than comfortable playing League One football.

The signings of Lasse Sorensen, Mickel Miller, Herbie Kane and Anthony Evans improve an XI that contains Michal Helik, Ben Wiles and Brodie Spence, the latter stepping up last season. Reservations at this stage centre around an attack that doesn't look flush with goals despite a number of options.

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5: Rotherham United

Rotherham United return to League One hoping for a fifth straight promotion out of the fifth tier. The first of those promotions came under Steve Evans and the 61-year-old returned to the dugout late last season hoping to get a headstart in achieving an eighth promotion of a 30-year managerial career and second out of League One.

True to form, Evans wasted little time in overhauling one of the worst performing Championship squads in history and you can bet on a fast start. Cameron Dawson, Joe Rafferty, Sean Raggett, Reece James and Liam Kelly have all won promotion out of League One since 2020.

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6: Wrexham

Predicting the final spot in the play-offs was difficult. Wrexham may have finished third in League One last season but they have made some excellent additions this summer, players that do plenty to improve the team's floor and ensure they should be competitive each week.

Manager Phil Parkinson isn't universally popular but the 56-year-old has five promotions to his name and has managed expectations well at Wrexham. Their summer recruitment improves the team's spine - with a striker still to follow - and most striking is the quality of depth and experience in each position. That might just get them over the line.

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7: Peterborough United

Peterborough United tend not to mess around with squad reboots and there has been plenty of change to the side that finished 4th last season. Ephron Mason-Clark has officially joined Coventry City while Ronnie Edwards, Josh Knight and Harrison Burrows have stepped up the levels.

As ever with Posh, talent lies in wait but it's how productive they will in the short term. It's a very young squad - even by Peterborough standards - with five new signings stepping up from tiers 4 and 5 and a defence containing one player over the age of 23. They likely fall just short.

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8: Blackpool

A prediction that means Blackpool miss out again. Neil Critchley did a tremendous job in his first spell at Blackpool but last season didn't quite go to plan, his insistence on a 3-5-2 shape leaving fans unhappy with concerns around the balance of the XI never truly resolved.

There is a stability to the team which should keep them up and around the play-off positions, especially having addressed their left-hand side while Lee Evans and Jordan Rhodes are important additions. Replacing Karamoko Dembele will be tricky and a lack of depth could cause problems.

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9: Lincoln City

Lincoln City caught fire in the second half of last season and almost gate-crashed the top six. The Imps continue to make interesting decisions and replacing Mark Kennedy with first-time manager Mark Skubala was a bold choice that almost worked out quicker than anybody anticipated.

They enter the new season having lost Lukas Jensen, Lasse Sorensen, Alex Mitchell and Joe Taylor, all of whom had big impacts during their sensational run towards the promotion spots. It means some changes have been made, freshening the side. Whether they can produce the same output at both ends remains to be seen.

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10: Wycombe Wanderers

Wycombe Wanderers finished 2023-24 in excellent form - they were the fourth best side in the division from New Year's Day onwards. Carrying that into the new season will be the aim as they bid to stun those with bigger budgets.

They've gone for quality over quantity, adding Nathan Bishop, Alex Hartridge, Tyreeq Bakinson and Daniel Udoh to the spine, the latter important given only Luke Leahy scored more than five league goals last season. Punching upwards is where Wycombe often feel more comfortable, even if their new ownership hope to make them a bigger fish in the pond.

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11: Stockport County

A club backed by a wealthy local businessman on the back of three promotions in six years under a manager that has never finished outside the top six of a division when managing for a full season. Stockport County return to League One after 14 years ready to bloody some noses.

They won the League Two title last season and have made changes ready for a tilt towards League One success, including the return of Louie Barry who was instrumental during their 12-match winning run. Injuries have been a consistent theme and have already reared their head in pre-season, which is why I'm not ready to go too big just yet.

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12: Barnsley

Barnsley face another year in League One but have adapted their philosophy somewhat this summer. A club known for only signing young players have brought back cult heroes Marc Roberts, 34, and Conor Hourihane, 33, and they join new Head Coach Darrell Clarke, 46, following a near-miraculous survival with Cheltenham Town.

The club have seen seven of last season's most used nine players depart for various reasons, meaning there will be a freshness to the XI this season. The squad retains plenty of quality, especially in midfield, but concerns remain about quality and depth in both boxes while the back end of last season was tough to take. A downturn is likely.

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13: Wigan Athletic

Wigan Athletic were playing a lot of catch-up last season so finishing 12th having been deducted four points was some going, especially with Shaun Maloney opting for a risky brand of football with a youthful squad.

Youth is being backed further this season with nine of the 12 players aged 24 or over to play for the club last season having departed. Goalkeeper Sam Tickle has signed a long-term deal, suggesting the club are continuing to move in a positive direction while they have added a number of talented loanees from top flight clubs.

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14: Bristol Rovers

Bristol Rovers' 2023-24 campaign never really got going, sacking one manager while in 16th and finishing the campaign in 15th and having lost 21 of their 46 league matches.

Yet Matt Taylor has been backed this summer to make change and it's an exciting prospect on paper with talents such as Josh Griffiths, Isaac Hutchinson and Promise Omochere arriving. The potential is there but it remains to be seen how quickly it comes together, and whether Taylor can guide them to immediate success.

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15: Leyton Orient

A mid-table finish was a job well done for Leyton Orient in their return to the third tier, Richie Wellens showcasing his tactical acumen and the togetherness he has fostered with a small but capable squad that run themselves into the ground.

Loans played important roles and they will hope for similar with Zach Hemming, Sonny Perkins and Charlie Kelman in to replace the departed Sol Brynn, Idris El Mizouni and Shaqai Forde. A settled club, settled leadership group and a manager that has proven he can earn results at this level.

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16: Exeter City

On to another club that defied their pre-season odds in a season that started well, went terribly wrong before an excellent response in 2024 guided them to a mid-table finish.

Exeter are one of the EFL's unique clubs thanks to its ownership model, location and willingness to give chances to young players. They are a well-oiled machine at this point, which helps them stay ahead of the curve despite their financial limitations and should avoid the relegation fight. Signings such as Tristan Crama, Johnly Yfeko and Ed Francis showcase their attraction to talent.

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17: Reading

Reading Football Club remain a rudderless ship with Sell Before We Dai movement still in progress while fans expectantly await the sale of their football club.

Ruben Selles performed minor miracles last season in achieving a 17th place finish despite a six-point deduction. He will need to perform similarly this year with a squad almost exclusively made up of academy talent outside of their first choice XI - they are yet to sign a single player. However, key players remain and they should have enough quality to avert disaster.

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18: Northampton Town

Northampton Town are one of the clubs up against it financially, as proven by the departures of Sam Sherring, Louis Appere and Shaun McWilliams. They have also lost their star man Marc Leonard following the end of his two loan spells.

The Cobblers ended their first season back in League One in 14th, better than many anticipated. Jon Brady remains at the helm, important given the togetherness he has led while many of their most important players from recent seasons remain. Cameron McGeehan should prove a shrewd pick-up for a side that should have enough to survive.

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19: Mansfield Town

Mansfield Town tend not to do things the easy way but after over a decade in League Two, Nigel Clough did what many fans were beginning to think was the impossible task and guided them back to the third tier.

The 58-year-old has been in charge since 2020, turning the Stags into an entertaining outfit that don't know when they are beat. His experienced squad contains players that can step up at any given moment in any role - just ask Jordan Bowery, their striker-turned-right-back-turned-centre-back and they should hit a run of form that secures their survival.

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20: Cambridge United

Garry Monk stepped into a League One dugout for the first time and did just enough to help Cambridge United avoid relegation. The Swansea City legend now wants to showcase why his managerial career has been spent at a higher level.

Monk has looked to address a spine that was disrupted amid two managerial changes last season and has some old allies in Michael Morrison and Gary Gardner while Korey Smith could prove an excellent pick-up. Monk will have a clear idea on what he wants and the squad is in a decent position to showcase that.

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21: Shrewsbury Town

A tough call in a division that lacks obvious relegation candidates. Paul Hurst returns to Shrewsbury Town with a fanbase behind him following his first spell at the club but with plenty to prove as far as his EFL managerial career is concerned.

Hurst is working on a reduced budget as the club look to put the Steve Cotterill era behind them but have also made a number of changes to the squad amid poor recruitment last summer. The Shrews will work off a solid base but will give up possession most weeks, lack an obvious goal threat and the goalkeeping situation is a cause for concern.

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22: Crawley Town

In August 2023, the League Two season started with Crawley Town tipped by almost everybody for relegation, having replaced their squad with a number of players from lower leagues, only for Scott Lindsay to produce the managerial performance of the season and win promotion playing a brand of football rarely seen at League Two level.

In August 2024, the League One season starts with Crawley Town tipped by almost everybody for relegation having seen 10 of their 13 most used players depart and be replaced mostly by players at lower levels or abroad. Can lightning strike twice? It's unlikely.

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23: Stevenage

A big drop for Stevenage who begin life without Steve Evans. The Hertfordshire club unsurprisingly caused a stir under the Scotsman but couldn't maintain their form and Alex Revell has returned to the hotseat to try and ignite a managerial career that didn't get off to the best of starts.

Revell not only takes on the difficult challenge of replacing Evans but also does so in one of the strongest third tiers ever meaning he will have to learn on the job quickly if he is to succeed. It's not a squad incapable at the level but it's one that could fall south quickly.

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24: Burton Albion

Burton Albion were taken over this summer by Nordic Football Group (NFG). They have changed their director, CEO, manager and pretty much the entire squad. It's a lot of change.

Having let 21 players leave, they have signed 20 and of those 20, only three arrive with 30+ matches in League One or higher to their name. It means almost the entire squad will be learning how to play League One football in the way their manager asks of them together. That's a tough ask and one that could end in disaster.