Sky Bet League One focus: who will win crazy title race?

Best bet

Sunderland
1pt each-way 6-1 BoyleSports

Sky Bet League One: betting guide to the season run-in

Even with two-thirds of the season gone, most punters are no closer to solving the puzzle of the Sky Bet League One title race.

The division’s top five teams are separated by just three points while Fleetwood, on the verge of the playoffs in eighth, are only two wins off the summit with games in hand on most of their title rivals.

Only leaders Rotherham have won more than half of their matches this season, which goes some way to explaining why the promotion picture is still cloudy.

Consistency has been a major issue for all of the teams involved.

Coventry are second even though they have drawn 12 of their 30 games, Peterborough are fourth despite suffering ten defeats (the most in the top half), while Sunderland and Portsmouth, the big two in the ante-post betting for the division, have had to recover from slow starts just to put themselves in the mix.

Wycombe were third favourites for relegation but have outperformed expectations and are one point off the top.

However, the cracks are starting to show - the Chairboys have won only four of their last 12 games - and the layers are still offering 35-1 about them landing a shock title triumph.

Ipswich have played 11 games against teams in the top eight this term and have won only once, whereas Joey Barton’s Fleetwood are unbeaten in five but have to face Portsmouth twice, Sunderland, Rotherham and Ipswich in the next month.

With everything considered, heavyweights Sunderland and Pompey look the two to focus on with narrow preference for the Black Cats, who don’t have the distraction of an FA Cup clash with Arsenal or an EFL Trophy final at Wembley.

Sunderland won only two of their ten league games from October to December and have had to deal with the sacking of manager Jack Ross, taking time to adapt to life under his replacement Phil Parkinson.

However, Sunderland have won seven of their ten league games since the turn of the year and their squad depth is something their promotion rivals can’t match.

Parkinson’s attacking options already included Charlie Wyke, Chris Maguire, Will Grigg and Lynden Gooch but he has since added Kyle Lafferty and Antoine Semenyo to the mix.

Sunderland boast the division’s best defence too. The Wearsiders have conceded just 26 goals in 31 games, keeping clean sheets in seven of their last eight.

The January addition of Bailey Wright from Bristol City has steadied the ship, with his experience helping to form a formidable back three alongside Jordan Willis and Tom Flanagan. Former Hearts man Alim Ozturk is in reserve, again highlighting the quality on offer.

The Black Cats, three points behind Rotherham in fifth, are 6-1 which doesn't represent bad each-way value given BoyleSports are still paying three places at a quarter of the odds.

Only four of Sunderland's final 15 games are against teams around them and two of those are at home against Fleetwood and Peterborough, so amassing a decent total shouldn't be beyond them.

Rotherham and Coventry are respected but in such a tight heat, where at least five outcomes can be considered, their prices are on the short side at 9-4 and 11-4 respectively.

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