The 2025/26 Sky Bet EFL campaign gets under way this weekend, with League One and League Two kicking us off. Our team have previewed the season and given their verdicts, predicting the title winner and top scorer in each division while also picking out a dark horse and player to watch.
Tom, Joe, Jake and Jimmy were joined by Sky Bet EFL expert Gab Sutton to preview the third and fourth tiers, which is available wherever you get your podcasts and on YouTube.
Each division has been covered in greater depth through team-by-team verdicts, as well as outright columns all of which can be found below:
League One predictions and verdicts
When it came to League One, there was plenty of common ground and disagreement over teams' prospects for 25/26.
The former was especially the case where STOCKPORT are particularly well-fancied having just missed out on promotion in their first season at the level.
Dave Challinor's side are in fact the cornerstone of our pre-season proposition, with This Week's Acca's season-long outright, Tom's outright tips and Jimmy's Punt all including pro-Stockport angles.
No pressure on the Hatters then...
LINCOLN were also advised as a dark horse by three of the panel.
Michael Skubala's side possibly warranted higher than their mid-table finish last season. Ultimately they could not quite build on a fantastic opening half season under the former Leeds United youth team coach after losing key loan players at the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
While they finished 11th last term, underlying data placed them seventh in the xG performance-based table, and with a young team there is plenty of room for development. The question marks mainly centre on losing their two standout defenders in Sean Roughan and Paudie O'Connor, but Sonny Bradley is a smart signing to help soften those blows.
A play-off push feels like a good possibility, and at 12/1 TO BE PROMOTED - 17th in the third-tier betting - they are firmly in the 'dark horse' category.
League Two predictions and verdicts
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the topsy-turvy nature of the fourth tier last season, there was less agreement when it came to League Two - all five panellists selected different dark horses and different top scorers.
The closest we came to common ground was with the TITLE WINNER as Joe and Jake both went for heavy bookies' favourites MK DONS while Gab and Jimmy preferred to side with CHESTERFIELD who although they sit second in the betting, are available at double (7/1) the price of Milton Keynes (3/1).
MK have spent big this summer under new boss Paul Warne, with a raft of signings including tempting AARON COLLINS to drop down from a League One promotion push with Bolton.
Collins was identified as the player to watch in League Two by both Tom and Joe, with Tom also picking him as TOP GOALSCORER with the Welshman now favourite to take that accolade come May.
When does the EFL season start?
EFL football returns on Friday night when Luton start life after successive relegations by hosting newly-promoted Wimbledon in League One.
Fellow recently relegated side Cardiff are next up on Sky Sports in what is their first match at third-tier level in 22 years when they take on Peterborough at Saturday lunchtime.
Saturdays are truly back at 3pm when 21 matches kick off simultaneously across League One and League Two, with our fingers crossed that history can repeat itself from 2023/24 and the opening This Week's Acca of the campaign can deliver a winner.
Stockport and Bolton then round off opening weekend in what should be an entertaining affair in front of the TV cameras at 12pm on Sunday.
Odds correct at 1100 BST (29/07/25)
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