Forfar, Annan, Montrose or Peterhead: Who’ll win League 1 play-offs?

Only one team will enjoy glory in the Ladbrokes League 1 play-offs, with the battle for supremacy beginning on Wednesday night as the first leg of two excellent Semi-Finals gets underway.

Montrose face League 1 side Peterhead, whose struggles this term have surprised many. Meanwhile, two of League 2’s talented entertainers face one another, in the form of Annan Athletic and Forfar Athletic.

So, how do the Ladbrokes News team see these semis going? And who are we tipping to secure their spot in the third tier for 2017-18?

We’ll start at Links Park. A month or so back, we’d be tipping up the Gable Endies in this tie. But Peterhead have finally found a bit of form, with victories over East Fife and Alloa Athletic in their past four games.

As for Montrose, while they’ve done superbly to build on last season’s eighth-placed finish to reach the League 1 play-offs, we reckon that means this is something of a bridge too far – especially if their recent 5-1 defeat to Annan is anything to go by.

Talking of the Galabankies, they may be some way behind opponents Forfar in the promotion betting, but peer into the stats, and they actually look the more likely to win this Semi-Final.

Jim Chapman’s side have enjoyed victory in three of their last four games, chalking up 5-1 and 4-2 victories in their last two outings – against Montrose and Forfar respectively.

Things have been less positive for the Loons, whose title challenge collapsed after two wins in the past 13 games. And they’ll struggle to arrest that form against an Annan side racking up the goals.

With Peterhead still fragile defensively – despite slight improvement of late – and Montrose far less threatening in attack than the Borders club, we reckon all the value lies with backing 9/2 shots Annan for promotion.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing