Where Oxford United are placed in League One promotion odds

The U’s have had a turbulent summer in which they changed their head coach from Matt Bloomfield to ex-Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey and were hit with a transfer embargo just weeks later.

Oxford are preparing for their first league game of the season this weekend after losing their Carabao Cup first round tie against Leyton Orient 2-0.

Facing newly-promoted club MK Dons in the opener this Saturday, the Yellows are looking to get off to a good start in the third tier following their relegation from the Championship last season.

Ramsey’s side are somewhat of an unknown quantity heading into the campaign; they have a strong first XI but are struggling for depth as they try and keep hold of their star players without being able to replace them.

This has resulted in United being placed variably in the promotion and relegation odds.

With the third tier looking competitive this season, Betfair have placed Oxford as 10th favourites to win the league.

The U’s sit at 20/1 to finish on top of the pile; fellow relegated clubs Leicester City (2/1) and Sheffield Wednesday (6/1) make up top two favourites with Jack Wilshere’s Luton Town (13/2) and Tom Cleverley’s Plymouth Argyle (11/1) third and fourth.

Brodie Spencer pictured in action against Sheffield Wednesday (Image: Mike Allen)

To win promotion, Oxford are tipped at 6/1 whilst a top six finish is priced at 5/2 and a top two finish at 10/1.

In terms of relegation, the Yellows are 8th in line.

They are priced at 10/3 to fall to back-to-back relegations.

Newly-promoted Bromley (1/1) are favourite to go down whilst AFC Wimbledon (11/10), Burton Albion (11/8) and Cambridge United (7/4) are also at low odds.

With Ramsey’s squad short on options up front – Mark Harris and Gatlin O’Donkor are the only two out-and-out strikers – the U’s do not have many options in the top goal scorer market.

First-choice no.9 Harris is 27th down the list at 30/1 to top the League One scoring charts.

Meanwhile, Siriki Dembele is included at 80/1 and captain Cameron Brannagan is at 100/1.

Mark Harris is 30/1 to be top scorer in League One (Image: ©Jason Dawson)

Elsewhere in the league, Plymouth’s Aribim Pepple (15/2) is the favourite for the Golden Boot with Wednesday’s Louie Barry, Alfie May of Doncaster Rovers and Reading forward Jack Marriott (all 11/1) following behind.

Oxford’s first opponents of the season, MK Dons, are backed by healthy funds and are expected to compete at the top of the table this year; they are tipped at 9/2 to achieve a second promotion in a row.

Despite this, Betfair prefers the U’s to come out on top on the opening day with 23/20 odds for Ramsey’s men to win at home compared to 23/10 for the Dons to be victorious.