With the opening day for the new National League season scheduled for Saturday, August 9th, 2025, teams and fans alike are already looking forward to what promises to be another blockbuster campaign. As always, everyone’s already looking for early favourites to win the league and gain promotion into the EFL League Two.
Last season saw Barnet run away as eventual champions, while Oldham beat the odds to qualify as 2025 playoff winners. This season, the die has been cast, the teams have been confirmed, key dates have been set, and preparations are well underway. But who are the favourites to go up at the end of the season? Kate Richardson – sport writer— has put together a list of teams that will come out on top in the 2025/2026 National League based on betting market trends and odds.
What is the National League Promotion Format?
With 24 teams all battling it out for the pride and rewards of moving up to League football, the National League has since been identified as the most challenging non-League competition in Europe. Talking about the undeniable quality of the National League, Altrincham manager, Phil Parkinson, said, “Any top National League club can compete with any League Two club” and that might just be a fact.
At the beginning of each season, the 2 of the best-performing teams get promoted to English League 2 to replace the 2 worst performing clubs who are automatically relegated to the National League.
But how exactly are clubs promoted, and how is the champion decided?
Well, as is the general rule in English Leagues, the club with the highest points at the end of the season wins the league and gains automatic promotion. The other promotion spot, however, is decided by a mini playoff tournament contested among the teams finishing in 2nd to 7th on the standings.
Who are the Favourites?
The super-competitive nature of the National League makes it difficult to predict the outcome of any season from the beginning. To make this profitable, betting companies and brands have put out odds on which teams are the favourites.
However, making the right pick can be difficult, but look no further as the MightyTips brand has got you covered. This betting brand has undertaken a painstaking effort to provide punters with accurate betting tips and the best odds tips to help you make expert predictions. That said, here are the early favourites to win the league and gain promotion from the 2025/2026 National League.
York City
Despite eventually falling short by 6 points, York City definitely gave last season’s champions, Barnet, a good run for their money. As runners-up, Adam Hinshelwood and his boys missed out on the playoff promotion after crashing out in the semis.
However, they’ll be looking to build on the momentum to mount another title challenge this season, and maybe go all the way this time. The bookmakers have got York City as early favourites in the competition, with a 13/10 odds of finishing top of the pile.
Carlisle
After a rather disappointing season that saw Carlisle experience back-to-back relegation, the blue and white outfits will find themselves playing non-League football for the first time since 2005.
However, they’ll be looking to get the job done this time and return to the EFL at the first time of asking, and the odds favour them to pull this off. It has been confirmed that manager, Mark Hughes, who championed a “too little too late” resurgence last season will remain at the helm, and that will be a big boost for them.
According to the head of football operations, Marc Tierney, “He (Hughes) wants to get things done, change things around, and yeah, someone I’m sure I want to work with.” Carlisle has been given a 19/20 chance of winning promotion from the National League this season.
Southend
Last season’s playoff finalists will hope to rekindle their spark and take that extra step this term. Southend, who finished 7th in the regular season turned up the heat in the playoffs, defeating 4th-placed Rochdale and 3rd-placed Forest Green in the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively.
However, their fairytale march was ultimately thwarted by Oldham’s 112th-minute winner in Wembley. Now, the Shrimpers will have to do it all over again, and they have a 5/1 odds of getting it right this time.
Forest Green Rovers
As one of last season’s favourites, Forest Green’s 3rd placed finish was well-earned. However, a shock defeat to Southend in the playoff semis was rather anticlimactic. Head coach, Steve Cotterill will be tasked with championing another promotion charge this season, as the Greens hope to return to its glory days. They currently have a 5/2 chance of getting over the line come the end of the season.
Scunthorpe
Newcomers, Scunthorpe, are perhaps the most surprising name on the list, as they’ll be making their return to the league after a 3-year stint in the National League North.
However, the odds suggest they may have a chance of pulling an underdog story and making it through to promotion on their first try. With a 10/1 chance of upsetting the big boys, it won’t be lost on the fans and players what they stand to gain if they can pull a rabbit out of the hat.
Other Contenders
While these are some of the early names to watch out for, there’s no writing off outside contenders like Morecambe (13/2), Halifax Town (16/1), and Hartlepool (16/1), as they’ll also fancy their chances when the league officially kicks off on August 9th.
You can get in on the action too, by placing live bets on your favourite teams. Not sure of what to play? The MightyTips brand has got you covered with expert tips, market breakdowns, and of course, the best odds to make your betting journey more entertaining.
The article was provided by Kate Richardson
