Luton vs AFC Wimbledon
Back the Hatters to secure victory by the narrowest of margins
The League One curtain raiser takes place at Kenilworth Road with Luton, who were relegated from the Championship, hosting AFC Wimbledon, who were promoted from League Two.
Matt Bloomfield’s Luton start the season as the outright favourites for promotion, and there will be plenty of expectation on the Bedfordshire outfit. They start the season with one of the strongest squads in the division, yet there are a few injuries and some problem positions, which at the time of writing remain unresolved.
Teden Mengi, Tom Holmes, Marvellous Nakamba, Jacob Brown and Elijah Adebayo will all miss the start of the season, with Mark McGuiness having barely played a minute in pre-season. The loss of left-wing back Alfie Doughty to Millwall has also left a sizeable gap in the squad, with either the right-footed Nigel Lonwijk or forward-thinking Millenic Alli potentially deputising for this contest.
Bloomfield tends to make his sides tough to beat, and they were much harder to score against during the second half of last season. They have enough experience and quality in the squad to pick up three points in this opening fixture.
AFC Wimbledon were promoted via the play-offs and managed to get through the entire process without conceding a goal. They finished fifth, conceding just 35 times, ten fewer than any other team last season. Johnnie Jackson has seen several key players depart this summer, yet they have managed to strengthen their squad with the arrivals of Nathan Asiimwe, Danilo Orsi, and Antoine Hackford on Wednesday. They may need a few weeks to gel; however, they will still be tough to break down, and I expect them to frustrate the hosts.
Luton should win and the odds suggest they do, but the visitors will push them all the way.
Jack’s football journey began in the early 2000s at Bloomfield Road, sparking a lifelong passion for the EFL and beyond. With over a decade of writing and tipping experience, he delivers sharp insights and value-driven betting advice across football, darts, tennis, and horse racing.
When he’s not analysing stats, Jack is on commentary duty for Stoke City and occasionally heard at Owlerton Greyhound Stadium. Based in Leeds, he’s as reliable with a brew as he is with a bet.