EFL League Two is the fourth tier of English football and is a hugely competitive and enjoyable division. It consists of 24 teams who play each other home and away throughout the season. The league acts as the bridge between League One and the National League.
There are 46 games throughout the season with the majority of them taking place at the weekend. There are also some midweek matches which are staged on Tuesday nights.
At the top of the table, there are four promotion places up for grabs. The top three teams will go up automatically whereas those who finish 4th-7th will head into the end-of-season play-offs with the final staged at Wembley Stadium at the end of May.
At the bottom end, there are fewer relegation places to avoid with just two sides being demoted to non-league. This regularly results in a real scrap between the strugglers and there is always plenty of drama and entertainment as a result.
The league was previously called Football League Division Three but was rebranded ahead of the 2004-05 season.
There are a number of teams who have flitted between League Two and the National League over the last couple of years and there are plenty of sides who have been playing at this level for a number of years.
It is a hugely competitive division and games can often be scrappy as a result.
2018-19 Prediction Report
At the start of the season, MK Dons were the early favourites with a 13.33% implied probability of promotion. The Buckinghamshire club were relegated from League One and moved quickly to appoint the hugely experienced Paul Tisdale. The former Exeter man had guided the Grecians to the play-offs in two consecutive seasons and is a steady hand at this level. His appointment promoted a flurry of betting activity.
Lincoln and Mansfield were close behind in the betting and were both given 9.09% implied probability of promotion. Danny Cowley’s side made some eye-catching signings including John Akinde and Alex Woodyard and this saw them attract plenty of interest. Mansfield had a strong squad in place and David Flitcroft moved quickly to sign Ryan Sweeney and Tyler Walker, who became their highest paid player.
Bury had a troubled 2017-18 campaign but they were still priced up favourably. They were given an 8.33% implied probability and will have been bolstered by keeping hold of Danny Mayor and Jay O’Shea. There were a few doubts about the ability of caretaker manager Ryan Lowe but they have a strong squad and they were expected to be in the top six.
Forest Green were another side who had been slowly building towards promotion and were given a 2.44% implied probability of promotion. The vegan-club were relative outsiders but had made some decent additions over the course of the summer.
The signing of Jason Shackell saw Lincoln’s odds shorten further. The experienced defender had previously been playing for Championship club Derby and helped Lincoln’s implied probability rise to 16.67% at the beginning of August. The Imps went on to beat Swindon and Northampton in their first two matches and their implied probability increased to 23.09% with their odds shortening significantly.
They were playing some wonderful football and were winning matches at a canter. It saw their chance rise to 50% on October 20th shortly after their 6-2 hammering of Port Vale in Burslem.
After a solid start to the campaign, MK Dons struggled to turn draws into wins throughout September and October and their implied probability reduced to just 10.00% on 29th September. Three consecutive 2-0 wins at home saw their chances rise yet again to 38.17% at the end of November.
Mansfield remained steady throughout the campaign and kept on picking up points. They’d suffered just a single defeat going into 2019 and were given an implied probability of 28.57% as a result.
Bury’s excellent home form saw their probability rise to 15.38% but concerns remain over their poor away form.
2017-18 League Two Season
Accrington were unlikely champions during the 2017-18 season. The club who have limited funds were consistent enough to finish top, ahead of the swashbuckling Luton Town. The pair traded blows throughout the campaign but it was the Lancashire club who finished on top.
Wycombe were the third side to pick up promotion under Gareth Ainsworth. They were another side who couldn’t afford to spend big and relied upon team spirit instead.
Exeter, Lincoln, Coventry and Notts County went into the play-offs with Mark Robins’ Coventry progressing in the final.
At the bottom, Chesterfield’s miserable existence continued with yet another relegation whilst Barnet were the second side to join them in the National League. Morecambe managed to escape the drop-zone yet again.
