Bookies not optimistic for the new campaign

THE paint has hardly dried on the 2018-19 League Two campaign - but the bookmakers have launched their odds for 2019-20.

Forest Green Rovers are being tipped for another challenge at the right end of the table, but the bookies are forecasting a more difficult season ahead for Cheltenham Town.

But if Robins fans are feeling optimistic after the improvement in results under Michael Duff in the second half of the season, then you can get 33-1 or 40-1 odds on Cheltenham to lift the League Two title next May.

Forest Green are sixth in the betting at 12-1 to take the silverware with league sponsors Skybet, and 14-1 shots with everyone else, behind favourites Plymouth (8-1 or 9-1), and fellow relegated pair Scunthorpe United and Bradford City.

Mansfield, who missed out on automatic promotion to MK Dons on the final day of the regular season, and then fell to Newport in the play-offs, are fourth favourites with newly-promoted Salford City - famously part owned by Manchester United’s Class of 92 - fifth in the betting.

If you want a flutter on Forest Green to be promoted, whether automatically or through the play-offs, they are 3-1, 7-2 or 4-1 with the various bookies.

That puts them seventh in the list, behind relegated quartet Plymouth, Scunthorpe, Bradford and Walsall, plus Mansfield and Salford.

Promotion celebrations at the Jonnyrocks Stadium are thought unlikely by the bookies - who rate Cheltenham at anywhere between 8-1 and 11-1 to climb into League One - with only Macclesfield, Morecambe and Crawley rated as longer shots.

For the dreaded drop, Morecambe are favourites at 3-1 or 7-2, with only Grimsby, Macclesfield and Crawley above Cheltenham in the list, the Robins being anything between 5-1 and 7-1 to drop to the National League.

Forest Green are not expected to be in any danger however - the bookies see them as 20-1 or 25-1 outsiders to follow this season’s play-off failure with a miserable relegation.