EFL Play-offs: Preview of the finals

After 46 games and two legs of gruelling play-off action, it all comes down to this: the curtain is about to drop on the 2022/23 EFL season and there are three promotion places up for grabs.

Who’ll end their campaign on the highest of highs? And who’ll be facing an entire summer of wondering ‘what if’?

Commonly referred to as ‘the richest game in football’, the Championship play-off final will be contested by Coventry City and Luton Town after they dispatched Middlesbrough and Sunderland in the semis. Victory would complete a remarkable rise for either side who were in the fourth tier not long ago. The prize: Premier League football.

In League One, Barnsley are looking to win their third play-off final in a row – and put one over their local rivals in the process. Sheffield Wednesday made history by overcoming a 4-0 deficit after one leg of their play-off with Peterborough, whereas Barnsley had a relatively-serene win over Bolton.

In League Two, Stockport County are one game away from back-to-back promotions, while opponents Carlisle are hoping to return to League One for the first time since 2014.

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The Premier League beckons for fairytale pair

Coventry and Luton – two teams who were competing together in League Two as recently as 2018 – now stand on the verge of an incredible promotion to the Premier League. Led by two ‘Manager of the Year’ nominees in the Mark Robins and Rob Edwards, it’s been an improbable against-the-odds rise for both sides. But only one can finish the job and reach the promised land.

It’s Luton’s first appearance in a Football League play-off final and they’re aiming to reach the Premier League for the first time in their history, and the top tier for the first time since 1991/92. By comparison, Coventry are Premier League veterans – but it’s now 22 years since they kicked a ball in the top division. Who will get their fairytale ending?

Luton ended the season in sensational form, with their first leg loss to Sunderland their only defeat in the last 16 games. The Hatters are 7/5 to win promotion in 90 minutes, and 9/1 to do so in extra time. Although Carlton Morris (4/1 first scorer) and Elijah Adebayo (11/2 first scorer) were huge for Luton in the regular season, it was a pair of defenders who stepped up to capitalise on the Hatters’ strong set-piece threat in the playoffs. Tom Lockyear is 9/1 to score any time at Wembley, while fellow centre-back Gabriel Osho is a 12/1 any time scorer.

Coventry’s own form is arguably even more impressive: the Sky Blues have lost just one in 19, although only nine of those games have been wins. They may also take heart from Luton’s awful record in London, where they’ve lost 12 of their last 15 in all competitions. The Sky Blues are 21/10 to win in 90 minutes, and 11/1 to win promotion in extra time. Viktor Gyokeres set up Coventry’s winner in the semi-final to give him 21 goals and 11 assists this season – the Swede is 5/1 to get the opener.

Tykes looking to derail Wednesday rollercoaster

Sheffield Wednesday have been through an emotional rollercoaster in the last few weeks. From the prospect of a 96-point season going up in smoke after a disastrous first leg against Peterborough, to sheer elation at their historic comeback at Hillsborough. Now, they face a Yorkshire rival in Barnsley – a side who handed the Owls a 4-2 defeat in their last meeting.

That made it a league double for the Tykes over Wednesday, and they also have fond memories of play-off finals having won here in 2006 and 2016. Barnsley may have finished 10 points behind their local rivals in the table but will look to their recent results with the Owls for encouragement: the Tykes are 9/4 to win in 90 minutes. Devante Cole has had a fine season for the Reds and is 11/4 to score any time.

Wednesday are fresh from a five-goal effort in that second leg which gave them 104 goals in all competitions this season, their highest total in 30 years. The Owls are 23/20 to win in 90 minutes, and 10/1 to win on penalties after their shootout victory over Peterborough. Three or more goals for Wednesday at Wembley is 15/4 while 20-goal striker Michael Smith is 9/2 to get the opener.

Back-to-back dream still on for Stockport

It’s a case of newbies v veterans in League Two play-off final, as Carlisle make their first appearance and Stockport play in their fourth. Both sides overturned 1-0 deficits in their semi-finals, with both winning back-and-forth ties in extra time.

Carlisle finished just three points behind Stockport in the table but have won just one of their last eight meetings with the Hatters in all competitions – and that came in 2009. Paul Simpson’s Blues are 2/1 to win in 90 minutes, and 12/1 to repeat last week’s extra time drama.

Stockport are the form team, with their first leg loss to Salford being their only defeat in the past 15 matches as they came up just short in the race for an automatic promotion spot. They will hope that striker Paddy Madden can repeat his Wembley heroics from his previous appearance at this stadium, when he gave Yeovil Town the lead in the 2013 League One play-off final. Madden is an 11/4 anytime goalscorer, and Stockport to win in 90 minutes is 7/5.

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