Sky Sports pundits drop exciting Huddersfield Town and Blackpool FC predictions | OneFootball

Curtis Davies and Jobi McAnuff have predicted Huddersfield Town and Blackpool will be surprise packages in League One next season.

Sky Sports pundits Curtis Davies and Jobi McAnuff believe Huddersfield Town and Blackpool could be two of the surprise packages in League One next season.

Both Huddersfield and Blackpool were expected to be among the promotion front-runners in League One last season, but the campaign ended in disappointment for the pair, who finished in 10th and ninth place respectively.

However, while it was still a positive end to the season for the Seasiders despite missing out on the play-offs, the same cannot be said for the Terriers, who lost all of their final six games under caretaker Jon Worthington.

As a new era gets underway at the club, Huddersfield appointed Lee Grant as their new boss in May, with the 42-year-old leaving his role as a coach at Ipswich Town to take up his first managerial position at the Accu Stadium.

Grant has certainly been provided with strong backing in the transfer market by owner Kevin Nagle, with Owen Goodman, Joe Low, Sean Roughan, Josh Feeney, Murray Wallace, Ryan Ledson and Marcus Harness all joining the club so far this summer, and there are likely to be more high-profile signings to come.

Blackpool's summer transfer business has also caught the eye, with Franco Ravizzoli, Fraser Horsfall, Michael Ihiekwe and George Honeyman all arriving at Bloomfield Road, while the club have completed the permanent signing of Stoke City striker Niall Ennis after a successful loan spell last season that saw him score seven goals in 19 games.

Curtis Davies and Jobi McAnuff drop Huddersfield Town and Blackpool predictions

With the start of the new League One season now less than a month away, Davies and McAnuff have been sharing some of their predictions for the upcoming campaign, and they believe an exciting year could be ahead for Huddersfield and Blackpool.

When asked who he believes will be a surprise package in the third tier next season, Davies claimed that Huddersfield could be one to watch, telling the EFL's official Instagram account: "I think under Lee Grant, with new management taking them in a new direction, they'll be the ones to keep an eye on."

Blackpool scored an impressive 72 league goals last season, which was the joint-second highest behind champions Birmingham City, and McAnuff believes that, after bringing in Horsfall and Ihiekwe to help bolster the defence, the Seasiders could be a dark horse for promotion.

"My surprise package is going to be Blackpool," McAnuff said.

"I think they're a team that scored a lot of goals last year.

"They had defensive issues, but they've gone and made two brilliant signings in that area, so I think Steve Bruce will get them pushing up into at least the play-offs this year."

Huddersfield Town and Blackpool have a big opportunity in League One next season

Unlike last season when big-spending Birmingham were nailed on for the title from day one, the promotion race is likely to be much more open in League One next term, and that presents Huddersfield and Blackpool with a big opportunity.

The three sides beaten in the play-offs last season, Stockport County, Wycombe Wanderers and Leyton Orient, will be hoping to challenge again, while the three relegated teams, Luton Town, Plymouth Argyle and Cardiff City, will be tipped for promotion by many, and the likes of Bolton Wanderers and Peterborough United will be aiming for better campaigns, so there will be no shortage of competition for promotion.

However, after their impressive summer transfer activity, Huddersfield and Blackpool should be more than capable of at least reaching the play-offs, and they may even be targeting an automatic promotion push.