Exclusive: Sky pundit drops exciting Leyton Orient claim - Charlton, Stockport and Wycombe won't like it | OneFootball

The League One play-offs get underway on Saturday

After the conclusion of the regular League One season on Saturday afternoon, we are braced for further drama with the play-offs commencing later this week.

Birmingham City soared to the third-tier title at a record-breaking, 111-point canter whilst Wrexham also wrote themselves into history with three successive promotions from the National League straight through to the Championship. But, attention now turns to who will join Chris Davies and Phil Parkinson's men in the second-tier for the 2025/26 season.

Just 12 months after Oxford United saw off favourites Bolton Wanderers at Wembley Stadium, Stockport County, Charlton Athletic, Wycombe Wanderers and Leyton Orient will be fighting it out over the course of two gruelling semi-final clashes before two of those will head to the national stadium on May 24th with promotion on the line.

All four teams have entered the post-season lottery in various runs of form which will make for even more compelling viewing, and Sky Sports pundit, Lee Hendrie, is now one of thousands who have been brave enough to hedge their bets on who will emerge victorious.

Lee Hendrie issues prediction ahead of League One play-off showdowns

Orient secured their play-off berth on the final day with a resounding 4-1 victory away to Huddersfield Town, continuing an impressive end-of-season run that now stands at six straight victories and 17 goals scored, setting up a two-legged affair with Stockport, who have also been one of the division's feel-good stories under Dave Challinor in what is the club's first season at this level since 2008/09.

The other semi-final sees Charlton and Wycombe go head-to-head twice more, just days after Nathan Jones' men thumped Mike Dodds' out-of-form Chairboys 4-0 at Adams Park - a result which effectively ended the Buckinghamshire outfit's automatic promotion hopes.

Plenty of twists and turns will no doubt be on offer, such is the nature of the beast, although Hendrie believes the winner is likely to come in the form of either Stockport or Orient.

"Who do I think will win the League One play-offs? Again, there's been some really great games this season," the former Aston Villa midfielder exclusively told Football League World.

"Charlton have been on a great roll and really pushed themselves to put them in a really good spot. I think what Nathan Jones has done there has been brilliant.

"They'll be a tough nut to crack. I'm actually covering the Leyton Orient game against Stockport," he revealed. "Again, Stockport have been very good, (so have) Wycombe.

"All the teams that are in there have been there a fair bit all season apart from Leyton Orient, who've bounced into the play-offs and come into it in magnificent form, scoring goals.

"I did them (vs Huddersfield) at the weekend, and they look very, very easy on the eye going forward," Hendrie stated. "Richie Wellens has done a brilliant job there also.

"I actually think it'll be the winner out of Stockport and Leyton Orient," he predicted. "I just think Stockport have been relatively good all season, a really good footballing side.

"But, I think it comes out of them two. And, if I were to take a punt, from what I saw at the weekend, I think Leyton Orient have the momentum. Scoring goals, the likes of Charlie Kelman, top scorer.

"I think they could be key (players) going into the play-off semis and the final," Hendrie concluded.

Leyton Orient will fear no play-off opponents after final-day heroics

Regardless of league placing and which team has the 'advantage' with a home tie in the second-leg, all of those factors are so often trumped by a side's momentum heading into the play-offs, and that is something which Orient have in abundance right now.

What makes for interesting reading, however, is that three of the four sides in the mix for a place at Wembley and, subsequently, promotion, fall directly under Birmingham for the most points accrued since New Year's Day.

This sets up the set of games to be even more thrilling, although Wycombe have fallen away badly in recent times, losing to both the Addicks and Hatters in the final three games of the regular season.

Three players within the division's official Team of the Season will also be on show in the form of Lloyd Jones, who has been integral to Charlton's defensive solidity, as well as Lewis Bate who has dictated Stockport's midfield and Richard Kone, with the Ivorian needing to reignite his firepower after going eight appearances without a goal.

However, with the firepower of Kelman, the division's top scorer, and fellow creative sparks in Dan Agyei and Jamie Donley, coupled with the fact Wellens' men have troubled the likes of Manchester City in the FA Cup, the East London side won't fear any opposition, although a run of four clean sheets in 19 league games may cause some slight jitters.