Port Vale have been something of a yo-yo club in recent years but they'll be hoping a win at Rotherham will spark a successful season that secures their status as a League One club.
The Valiants were relegated to the bottom tier in 2024 but bounce back up at the first time of asking by finishing second in League Two last term.
Their last stay in League One lasted just two campaigns but Port Vale now have an experienced manager in Darren Moore and he'll be confident of steering them away from trouble.
A trip to Rotherham on the opening day is a tough first assignment though, with the Millers playing Championship football as recently as season 2023/24.
Last term was a big disappointment as they could only finish 13th in League One, with Matt Hamshaw taking interim charge in March after Steve Evans was sacked.
Hamshaw has now been handed the job on a permanent basis and will be targeting promotion as he bids to lead Rotherham back to the second tier.
How the bookies view it: Millers time
With Port Vale coming up from League Two, it's not a big surprise to see them as BoyleSports' 9/5 outsiders for this one. Rotherham are 11/10 for the win, which looks decent with home advantage, while the draw pays 5/2.
Recent head to head: Rotherham with the edge
It has been over a decade since these clubs shared the same division and each side claimed a home win when they faced off in League One back in season 2013/14. They've met twice in cup competitions since then, with a shoot-out win for Rotherham followed by a 2-1 League Cup win for the Millers in 2022.
Players to watch: Sam's the man
Sam Nombe was the main man for Rotherham last term and ended the season with 15 goals to his name. The forward should be their biggest threat in this game and he looks overpriced at 11/4 with Unibet for a goal based on last season's stats.
Swiss striker Lorent Tolaj was the driving force behind Port Vale's promotion and also finished the campaign on 15 goals. He's 29/10 at Unibet to get off the mark on day one in League One.
Probable line-ups
Both managers have full squads to pick from but they will have to decide which of their summer signings get the nod to start for the season opener.
Rotherham United: Dawson, Hall, Jules, Raggett, James. Yearwood, Powell, Gore, Holmes, Hugill, Nombe.
Port Vale: Marosi, Gabriel, Humphreys, Hall, Gordon, Crossdale, Byers, Curtis, Shipley. Tolaj, Waine.
Anything else catch the eye?
Port Vale drew a blank in just one of their final 13 games last term and are still on a high after promotion so they could get some joy against the Millers. That makes BTTS worth a look but it only pays 6/10 at BoyleSports. Adding on over 2.5 goals boosts the odds to 21/20 and that looks worth a punt.
Rotherham's last three home games last term all hit double figures for corners so I like the 5/4 on offer at Bet365 for over 10 corners in this one.
GambleAware