Why this year’s National League is shaping up to be the best yet
Published:
People often claim that the Championship is the most exciting division in English football.
But here at Ladbrokes News, we don’t think that’s necessarily true.
This year, it’s the National League that’s ticking all of the boxes.
Just take a look at the top half of the table, where 12 teams are all enclosed within a seven-point margin.
At this stage of the season, it’s statistically the closest league in the top five divisions of English professional football.
If you take a peek further down the table you’ll notice only 11 points separate league leaders Macclesfield Town from Leyton Orient in 17th.
And it’s Macc’s early season form that typifies the extraordinary nature of England’s fifth tier.
The Silkmen started the season as 33/1 outsiders for National League glory. After a run of four straight victories, John Askey’s side are top of the table and into 14/1 for divisional success.
Even the majority of the sides in the play-off places started the campaign as no-hopers in the outright market, according to the odds.
Sutton United were 20/1, Dover Athletic 33/1, while Woking were as distant at 50/1 before the season began.
In fact, you can still get that very same price on the Cards, despite them being a heady third in the table.
As of yet no side has managed to put a consistent run of form together to take the reins and assert their dominance on the division.
Early league fancies Tranmere Rovers are 15th and currently hold the unwanted record of being the league’s second-lowest scorers.
Meanwhile, the aforementioned Orient are only six points above the relegation zone. They’re now 50/1 shots to go up automatically.
It really is a crazy league to be in.
Don’t just take our word for it though, have a look at some of the scorelines.
Current leaders Macclesfield were thumped 4-1 at home little under a month ago, Leyton Orient were stuffed 6-1 by Bromley in early August, while there’s already been an incredible 46 goals in games involving Dagenham & Redbridge so far this season.
And with the National League season not even a third of the way through, there’s still plenty of unpredictable and exciting action yet to come.
Click here for all our National League odds.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing
