Sky Bet League Two: title contenders, promotion and playoff race & free tips

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for the Sky Bet League Two.

Already advised

Mansfield Town
2pts each-way 10-1 Sky Bet

Best bet

Exeter City
2pts each-way 6-1 Hills
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Verdict

The fancied runners in Sky Bet League Two have failed to live up to their billing with only one of the top five in the pre-season betting currently within seven points of leaders Swindon.

Three of those sides at the head of the ante-post market - Mansfield, Salford and Scunthorpe - are labouring in the bottom half of the table and bookmakers are well on top at this stage.

But Accrington came from 11 points off the pace at Christmas to pinch the League Two title two seasons ago and with 25 matches to go it would be foolish to assume matters are done and dusted.

Richie Wellens’ red-hot Robins have won seven straight games to soar to the head of the fourth division and they are best-priced 6-4 to end their three-year stay in the basement as champions.

However, the main concern for Swindon backers is that their two most-prized assets Eoin Doyle and Jerry Yates, who have combined to score 29 of their 37 league goals, are both loanees and could feasibly be recalled by their parent clubs in January.

Doyle, the league’s leading marksman with 19 goals, joined on loan from promotion rivals Bradford and it would not be a huge surprise if the Bantams, who are in fifth and just seven points behind the leaders, decide they require his services themselves.

Of course, there’s more to Swindon than just two players but it’s enough of a concern to be swerving them at the prices, particularly when you also factor in their shoddy record against the division’s leading lights.

The Robins have played seven of the top ten without winning, drawing with Cheltenham, Exeter and Plymouth and suffering defeats against Bradford, Crewe, Colchester and Northampton.

Swindon’s short price gives the market a nice each-way feel to it with firms still offering three places at a quarter of the odds.

At 6-1, it’s difficult to envisage Exeter being far away at the death and they make more appeal than Bradford and Crewe, who are available at a similar price.

The Grecians, three points adrift of Swindon in second and a further four clear of the remainder, are going great guns under Matt Taylor and three consecutive wins have put them back in the mix.

They have lost only one of their ten tussles at St James Park, beating promotion rivals Forest Green, Plymouth and Northampton, while also holding Swindon and Cheltenham to a point.

Taylor’s troops have been less reliable on the road but still boast the third-best away form in the division, having amassed 18 points from their 11 encounters.

Tricky winger Randell Williams, whose performances have grabbed the attention of many at a higher level, midfield maestro Nicky Law and frontman Ryan Bowman provide them with a serious attacking threat, while they are also strong defensively with ten clean sheets in 21 games highlighting their steel.

Inconsistency continues to blight Bradford, who have managed just three wins in ten road outings, and Crewe are the weakest of the top seven defensively, averaging 1.15 goals conceded per game.

Cheltenham’s efforts look unsustainable, while Forest Green are winless in seven and are the lowest scorers in the top half - no player has registered more than five.

Northampton are on a roll with just one defeat (3-2 at Exeter) in their last eight but they have come a long way in a short time and bridging an eight-point gap to top spot won't be easy.

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