Sheffield Wednesday will be hoping their fall into the third tier is short-lived, with Saturday evening’s trip to Charlton the first step on the long road back to the Championship.
Having risen from the abyss with a late-season charge under new boss Darren Moore, the Owls wrote off a six-point deduction to enter the final round of fixtures with a genuine chance of survival, only to be pipped at the post by fellow strugglers Derby.
With Wednesday at 9/1 to bounce straight back as League 1 champions, standing in their way are title-favourites Sunderland and Ipswich, who can both be backed at 13/2 to clinch top spot.
This weekend also sees the return of League 2, where newcomers Sutton United will travel to Forest Green Rovers on their first-ever Football League foray.
Will Winning Ways Escape Wednesday?
Wednesday were one of the first sides to kick off the domestic season last weekend, though their return to the field did not go as planned; defeat to Huddersfield via a penalty shoot-out in the Carabao Cup robbed them of the chance to bring early momentum into a tricky first challenge at Charlton.
The Addicks came up just short last term, finishing a shade outside the playoffs in seventh; on Saturday, the favoured call is a home win, with Charlton at 6/4 to inflict a second defeat of the season on the Owls. There is value in an away victory; 9/5 says that Wednesday flip the switch and come out on top, while a draw is available at 43/20.
Fourth Time Lucky for Black Cats?
Wednesday will be doing their utmost to avoid a similar fate to that which befell Sunderland on their relegation to League 1. The Black Cats begin their fourth season in the third division at home to Wigan – on Saturday at 3pm – and will be seeking to shelve the heartache of last campaign’s playoff semi-final defeat to Lincoln.
The Stadium of Light has welcomed new faces in the form of Championship-seasoned midfielders Alex Pritchard and Corry Evans this summer as Lee Johnson’s men look to finally shake off the shackles.
Having staved off a second successive relegation late last season, the Latics have also been busy; Max Power and Charlie Wyke could face their former club on Saturday after their end-of-season moves to Greater Manchester, as stopper Ben Amos joins from Charlton.
The Black Cats can be backed at 20/21 for their opener, while an away win for a new-look Wigan can be found at an enticing 11/4. A share of the spoils is available at 49/20.
Can Sutton Cut It?
Sutton United held off the pack towards the end of the 2020/21 National League season – racking up an impressive run of wins to take them over the line – but League 2 survival is an altogether different prospect.
Gander Green Lane is at 4/1 to welcome non-league action again as early as next season, leaving Sutton fourth-favourites for the drop.
Swindon Town are the pick to continue their downward spiral into the fifth tier at 5/2, with Scunthorpe – 3/1 – at slightly shorter odds than newly promoted Hartlepool – 7/2.
The first test of the Londoners’ mettle comes in Gloucestershire, where Forest Green Rovers can be backed at 5/6 to inflict defeat on the promoted side. The Us are at 3/1 to record their first Football League win, while the draw is at 13/5.
*All odds correct at time of writing