Two league wins since the start of December, both of which have come against fellow strugglers Burton, has sent Wigan tumbling down the table, sat outside the bottom four on goal difference.

The Latics are only two points off 23rd, and so there appear to be three relegation spots up for grabs and with Ryan Lowe under increasing pressure, the atmosphere at the Brick Community Stadium isn’t helping. Only three League One sides have scored less goals than Wigan, and with them failing to keep a clean sheet in 2026, across six league games, the outlook is bleak. 

A look at their upcoming fixtures is also grim reading with the Latics next five games against Peterborough, Reading, Luton, Stockport and Huddersfield - four of which sit inside the top 10 for league form across the last 10 games.

Only Northampton have picked up less points than Wigan in 2026, and yet in interviews this week, their sporting director, Gregor Rioch, seemed adamant they weren’t under threat of relegation. Doncaster, Burton and Rotherham have all shown signs of life recently, and this has all the hallmarks of Wigan sleepwalking into League Two.

After a few false starts this season, Stockport appear to have hit form just in time to try and achieve the automatic promotion charge that many expected from them at the start of the campaign. The Hatters have won four of their last five league games, seeing off in-form Plymouth, promotion hopefuls Huddersfield and picking up a valuable point at runaway leaders Cardiff.

They struggled in front of their own fans in 2025 but four consecutive home victories seem to have banished that issue, and having strengthened the squad significantly in the January transfer window, Dave Challinor will be confident of kicking on.

If County are to gatecrash the top two, they’ll be targeting Lincoln, who currently sit six points above them in 2nd place. The Imps have been in fantastic form, winning nine of their last 12 league games and going unbeaten across that period; however, their squad and manager lack the experience of a promotion run-in.

Their next two games could be crucial as they travel to Plymouth and then entertain 3rd-placed Bolton, whereas Stockport have two very winnable fixtures against Leyton Orient and Bradford. Feasibly, the gap between these two could be cut in the next fortnight, and with pressure firmly on Lincoln as the favourites, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Stockport reel them in.

This was my outright gem bet in pre-season. The market is no longer available, but we're sitting pretty with Lincoln sat 2nd in the league behind Cardiff, with a 16-point cushion on the likes of Luton and Stevenage in 7th and 8th.

Here's why I tipped it at the time.

"The market has Lincoln, who finished 11th last season at almost ‘pick em’ prices, with Mansfield, who ended the campaign in 17th, seven points further back. In order for that to be the case, Stags will need to have a much stronger transfer window than Lincoln and will also need to turn around their end of season form that saw them lose five of their last eight games, conceding 21 goals in the process. Burton, Port Vale and Northampton are also in this category, but I don't expect them to compete in the same portion of the table as the Imps.

Looking at the Imps' business, they have lost centre back pair Paudie O’Connor and Sean Roughan; however, Sonny Bradley and Ryley Towler come in with recent promotions from League One on their CV and will add plenty of experience and steel. Aside from the defensive changes, this is essentially the same side who have been solid under Michael Skubala for the best part of two years, with consecutive top half finishes.

Mansfield, meanwhile, have recruited their own defensive enforcers in the form of Ryan Sweeney and Kyle Knoyle, but whether this is enough to shore up a backline which shipped 73 goals last season remains to be seen. Regan Hendry will add creativity to their midfield but has never sparkled at League One level, and with Will Evans shouldering much of their goalscoring responsibility, they still need to strengthen in attack.

Their ceiling looks to be mid table security, whereas Lincoln will have ambitions of a top six push, and so at the prices, the Imps have to be backed to triumph over Mansfield and relegation candidates Burton, Port Vale and Northampton." 

I tipped Rotherham relegation at 7.50 pre-season, they're inside the drop zone on goal difference, in 21st, with some of the worst underlying data in the league.

This bet is now priced between 1.50-1.80, so doesn't offer the value it did back in the summer.

Here's why I tipped it at the time.

"At the other end of the table, long-standing drain circlers Shrewsbury, Cambridge and Bristol Rovers all dropped to League Two last season, and with Crawley also joining them, the relegation picture looks a lot less predictable this season. The likes of AFC Wimbledon, Northampton and Exeter look most likely to struggle; however, at least one spot looks up for grabs, and we could see a shock relegation at a big price.

Step forward Rotherham, who despite heavy investment last summer and a promotion specialist in the dugout, ended a hugely disappointing campaign in 13th place. Matt Hamshaw has been given the reins this season after impressing in a caretaker spell at the end of last season; however, the potential wearing off of his instant impact might expose his lack of managerial experience, and as is well documented, great coaches don’t always make great managers.

In terms of squad, the Millers have lost the highly rated Hakeem Odoffin to Luton and one of their few bright sparks from last season in Mallik Wilks. The real concern is that, as of yet, nothing groundbreaking has come through the door, with only Kian Spence from League Two and young goalkeeper Ted Cann to bolster the squad. There’s no doubting that the players at Matt Hamshaw’s disposal currently look a weaker crop than this time last season, and whilst they’re by no means likely to be strugglers, they could well be looking over their shoulders at a big price."