We pick out the best bets for promotion, relegation and plenty more as the bottom tier gets back underway this weekend.
Champions
When it comes to picking a team for the title, it’s best to ignore the recently-relegated clubs or those coming up with momentum from the National League.
The last five League Two champions all finished in the top half of the division the season before, a profile that fits with this year’s favourites Mansfield {ODDS:161390795:11/2}.
But the biggest thing going in their favour is the copious amounts of cash that they have spent in attracting 13 new signings to the club, most of whom have plenty of experience at a higher level.
A similar splurge saw Steve Evans walk the Conference with Crawley, though he could only finish runner-up in League Two in 2012/13 with an expensively-assembled Rotherham squad.
Should they slip up, then it is Luton {ODDS:161390794:13/2} – who have improved their already-impressive attack and have, by some distance, the best defence of teams that are left in the division – that are most likely to take advantage.
The gap between their prices doesn’t really reflect the difference in their respective outlays, though, so it makes sense to back the Stags to end up on top.
It would be a failure if they didn’t.
Promotion
Though unlikely to be title contenders, it is not all doom and gloom for the clubs coming down from League One.
Two of last season’s three automatic spots went to newly-relegated teams – with Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe and Wycombe also bouncing straight back in recent years.
Coventry’s ownership issues remain unresolved but the club have at least had a cathartic summer when it comes to clearing out their squad.
New manager Mark Robins accumulated a third of their 39 points last season in their final eight games – as well as winning the Football League Trophy in April – and is {ODDS:161391309:2/1} to secure an immediate return.
Chesterfield {ODDS:161391312:4/1} won the league in two of their last four seasons at this level, and finished two points outside the play-offs in both of the others.
Back in the bottom tier after a three-year absence, history suggests that one of the lower-league’s biggest yo-yo clubs will be in the mix once again.
Play-offs
Only six of 40 teams to finish in play-offs during last decade did so the year before, so ignore last season’s nearly men such as Exeter {ODDS:161391424:15/8} and Carlisle {ODDS:161391417:7/4}.
Exactly half of those teams finished between 8th and 15th, so our contenders are likely to be in the top bracket of the teams who fell short last year.
Only four sides won more matches than Stevenage {ODDS:161391434:5/2} last year, who proved their ability to go on a good run with 10 wins and just one loss in 13 matches between January and April.
Temporary boss Rossi Eames had Barnet on the brink of the top seven last year, but they fell away after making a permanent appointment.
Now given the job full-time – and with a number of the exciting youngsters he led to a goal-laden league title at youth level ready to make the step up – the Bees could be a bit of a dark horse at {ODDS:161391415:9/2} under the youngest manager in the Football League.
Finally, much has been made of Forest Green Rovers {ODDS:161391425:9/4} making their Football League debut, but in truth their promotion was long overdue.
Heavy investment has created a squad full of quality that have lost, on average, nine matches per season over the last three years.
Having finally negotiated the non-league hurdle, don’t be surprised if that winning habit continues.
Relegation
Given 10 of the last 12 seasons have seen at least one team relegated who finished 18th or lower in the previous campaign, it makes sense to focus on last year’s strugglers.
The remarkable resurgence of Newport County {ODDS:161391496:7/2} under Michael Flynn means we’ll spare them too much scrutiny and look a little higher.
Cheltenham {ODDS:161391483:13/2} look weaker than they did last season, with an underwhelming pre-season – featuring defeats to Weston-super-Mare, Bath City and Oxford City – only strengthening the impression that non-league could soon be their level once again.
Yeovil {ODDS:161391502:9/2} are another who ought to be worried after losing a number of key players, two of whom, Kevin Dawson and Matty Dolan, have joined direct rivals in the two teams mentioned above.
Consecutive League Two finishes of 19th and 20th following back-to-back relegations would certainly suggest their slide is far from over.
Top Goalscorer
Danny Hylton is the joint-favourite in this market at {ODDS:173868767:9/1} after bagging 27 in all competitions for Luton last season.
But the fact he shares that tag with new team-mate James Collins {ODDS:173868766:9/1} means that the Hatters’ goals are likely to be shared, and it makes sense to look elsewhere.
John Akinde topped the charts last time around after another prolific campaign that took his tally to 80 league goals in just three seasons at Barnet.
With the only player to keep pace with him – Doncaster’s John Marquis – moving up to the division above, his price of {ODDS:173868768:11/1} is the best around.
