Whilst Bristol City were confirmed as champion's weeks ago, an ongoing saga has been developing between Preston North End and MK Dons to determine who will also be going up to the Championship. It has all come down to the final day and, with just one point separating the two sides, everything is up for grabs. The Dons have the dream fixture for their final game - at home to the already relegated and hopelessly tailed off Yeovil Town. Preston have more a job on their hands when they travel to Colchester - themselves in grave danger of the drop and in desperate need of three points today. Things could have been oh so different for Preston coming into this fixture. Colchester for all intents and purposes should have been relegated a while ago after a horrific run of form left them six points from safety in mid March. But the U's have shown excellent resolve and only losing two of their last eight matches has seen them move to within one point of salvation. So instead of Preston having to play a team already doomed, they are taking on a team with real hope. This combined with the fact they know the MK Dons will likely crush hapless Yeovil may make for an edgy occasion for Simon Grayson's men.
To me, there have been three teams a class apart in League One this season - Bristol City, Preston and MK Dons. The Dons boast a goal difference of +53 this season and have scored four goals or more in games on eight seperate occasions. They have scored 96 goals and it would come as no shock to me if they have hit 100 by the full time whistle this afternoon. Preston are unbeaten in 18 games and arguably deserve to go up as reward for that end of season consistency.
Realistically, whatever happens today, I will not be worried about the team who doesn't make it up to the Championship automatically. Both teams are in such sparkling form and are a class apart from the three other playoff bound teams (Swindon, Sheffield United and Chesterfield). My suggestion is to back both teams to win the playoffs before today's fixtures have been played. Sky Bet are the only firm offering a market on this as I write this and they go 13/2 for Preston to win the playoffs and 4/1 for the MK Dons. If either team fail to be promoted automatically today, those prices will be cut significantly and the ideal situation would be for the MK Dons to be promoted today and us punters having 13/2 about Preston winning the playoffs, and that would be one of the bets of the decade.
MK Dons to win the playoffs @ 4/1 with Sky Bet.
Preston North End to win the playoffs @ 13/2 with Sky Bet.
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