League One playoff predictions and free football tips: Trotters set for another Wembley triumph

When to bet

Playoffs start Friday 8pm

Best bet

Bolton to win League One playoffs
1pt 7-2 bet365, Betfair, Power

League One playoff predictions

Bolton were emphatic Wembley winners in the EFL Trophy final last month, defeating Plymouth 4-0, and they have every chance of making a triumphant return to the venue in the League One playoffs.

The race for the last third-tier promotion place looks finely balanced and 6-4 favourites Sheffield Wednesday are probably taking up too much of the market.

Wednesday can count themselves unfortunate to have missed out on automatic promotion after amassing 96 points, but they will be on a level playing field once their campaign kicks off with a trip to Peterborough.

The Owls have a mental barrier to overcome, having succumbed to Sunderland in last season's playoff semi-finals, and are unlikely to be at full strength at London Road with key attackers Lee Gregory and Josh Windass short of match sharpness and influential midfielder George Byers sidelined through injury.

They must overcome those issues and deal with a huge weight of pressure, because there is a massive expectation among their fans.

There will also be demands on Peterborough players, but their campaign is one of hope rather than expectation and that is not such a bad thing.

The Posh have made huge progress under Darren Ferguson, taking 42 points from the final 22 games, and are a clearly a dangerous side with 26-goal striker Jonson Clarke-Harris leading the line.

Peterborough's tie with Wednesday could be closer than the markets anticipate but the Wembley winners look more likely to come out of the other semi-final between Bolton and Barnsley.

After 46 games Barnsley finished five points ahead of Bolton, but the psychological advantage sits with the Trotters, who were 3-0 winners at Oakwell in January.

Bolton had a strong finish to the season, losing one of their last nine league games, despite having to manage often without injured defenders Luke Mbete, Eoin Toal and Ricardo Santos.

Mbete has been ruled out for the season and has re-joined his parent club Manchester City, but Toal and Santos are fully fit for the playoffs and their presence will give Bolton a huge boost.

Barnsley could still be tough opponents and have shown their quality by reaching 86 points and posting a league double over Sheffield Wednesday.

However, they have gone off the boil during the run-in, taking one point from the last three games, and their challenge could be terminated by the Trotters, who may get to enjoy another party under the famous arch.

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