Doncaster Given Longest Odds to Be Promoted From EFL League One Playoffs: Is There Value at +450?
- Charlton and Sunderland jointly favored
- Portsmouth edged out to third-choice pick
- Rovers will find it tough after scraping into shoot-out
Doncaster Rovers will be the wide outsiders when the EFL’S League One promotion playoffs kick off this weekend.
They finished sixth in the regular season and are rated at +450 to be promoted as they face third-placed Charlton Athletic who are jointly favored at +225 on Sunday, May 12, 7:15 am EST.
EFL League One Playoff Odds
| Team | Promotion Odds |
|---|---|
| Charlton | +225 |
| Sunderland | +225 |
| Portsmouth | +230 |
| Doncaster | +450 |
*Odds taken May 8, 2019
Sunderland, also favored at +225, play at home against Portsmouth – who are +230 – in the opening tie at their Stadium of Light home on Saturday, May 11, 2019 at 2:30 pm EST.
London Outfit Are the Form Team
In the playoffs, the third-placed side meets the sixth-placed team and the fourth-placed outfit faces the fifth-placed club.
The winners of the two-legged semifinal will meet in a one-off decider at Wembley Stadium with elevation to the Championship tier of the EFL the prize at stake on May 26.
Donny won only one of their final four matches, 2-0, against Coventry City on the last weekend. It meant they finished 12 points behind fifth-placed Sunderland.
Doncaster – known as Donny – might look a slightly tempting bet. But the London club Charlton enjoyed an impressively consistent season and have critical home advantage at The Valley in the second leg in the semifinal.
VOTE LYLE! ?
More recognition for @lyletaylor90 who has been nominated for @PFA League One Player of the Month for April
?https://t.co/mVoxJczk8a #cafc pic.twitter.com/0u93F530ko
— Charlton Athletic FC (@CAFCofficial) May 8, 2019
The Yorkshire side made it into the playoffs after holding the final sixth qualification place for the final eight rounds of fixtures.
However, they won only one of their final four matches, 2-0, against Coventry City on the last weekend. It meant they finished 12 points behind fifth-placed Sunderland.
Rovers Unlikely to Get Past Charlton
Although the odds of +450 might suggest a calculated risk on an outsider, they will not get past Charlton over two matches.
Charlton are the form team to fancy to win outright promotion after winning seven of their last eight regular season fixtures and +225 looks a handy price.
They also have recent experience of the playoffs after losing in last season’s semifinal against Shrewsbury Town.
Their striker Lyle Taylor is League One’s regular season second leading goalscorer. He hit the target 21 times.
The Addicks, as Charlton are known in their home neighborhood of south east London by the River Thames, also have recent experience of the playoffs after losing in last season’s semifinal against Shrewsbury Town.
We have another EFL Playoff Preview for you, and this one is on the League One match-up between Charlton Athletic FC and Doncaster Rovers Football Club by @PitchDarren #DRFC #CAFC #EFLPlayoffs https://t.co/dkXhfnCvbN
— Across The Pitch (@acrosspitch) May 8, 2019
Sunderland Hit by End-Of-Season Dip
Sunderland are matched at the same price as Charlton. But they endured a dip in form and lost their final two games of the regular season at Fleetwood Town and Southend United.
Before that they were held to draws by Portsmouth and Peterborough United.
Portsmouth claimed fourth place in the final standings. They, too, suffered a patchy end to the regular campaign.
They will consider themselves on a revenge mission over the two legs against Portsmouth, who are nicknamed Pompey.
In their final three games they failed to win – drawing with Sunderland, losing at home to Peterborough United and then drawing 1-1 at Accrington Stanley last Saturday on the final day.
Sunderland will consider themselves on a revenge mission over the two legs against Portsmouth, who are nicknamed Pompey.
? @JamzLowe has been nominated for April's #PFAFansAward and you can help the #Pompey star win for the third time this season ⬇️https://t.co/ALkhrcJB1r
— Portsmouth FC (@Pompey) May 8, 2019
Portsmouth Triumphed at Wembley
The north-eastern team were beaten by Portsmouth in the final of the EFL Checkatrade Trophy – a competition for teams outside the EPL – at Wembley in March.
The two clubs are long-established traditional provincial English teams with large supporter bases and the match was watched by a crowd of 85,021. The playoff ties are likely to be as intense and unpredictable.
Pompey triumphed 5-4 following a penalty shoot-out at the end of a 2-2 extra-time draw.
Both clubs are long-established traditional provincial English clubs with large supporter bases and the match was watched by a crowd of 85,021. The playoff ties are likely to be as intense and unpredictable.
Portsmouth triumphed 3-1 when they met Sunderland in the regular season at their Fratton Park home in December.
In the return match on April 27, the sides drew 1-1.
“It’s up to us to make amends and to do that we’ll work hard over the coming days to make sure we get a good start on Saturday.”
Read @Charliewyke1's latest comments in full ??#SAFC
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) May 7, 2019
Charlton won 2-0 at home against Doncaster last November and drew 1-1 away from home in March.
They signed off the season in style with a 4-0 hammering of Rochdale at The Valley. That took their tally of goals to 11 in the final three home matches.
Pick: Charlton (+225)
John Dillon is a leading member of the UK's sporting media, having spent three decades as a national newspaper soccer and sports writer, broadcaster and author. He has covered five World Cups, six European Championships and was Chief Sports Writer at the Daily Express for 14 years.
