Football Tips: Our nifty 9/1 treble for this weekend’s televised EFL games

Our tipster Colin Harvey guides you through this weekend's televised EFL clashes from The Championship as well as League One and Two.

* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

So this is it, then. 45 games of blood sweat and tears come down to one last 90 minutes of action and there’s three huge games gracing our TV screens as The Championship, League One and League Two regular seasons come to a close.

It’s a genuine thigh rubber in the second tier as Derby County host Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday lunchtime in a relegation shootout at the stadium previously known as Pride Park. While those two fight it out to avoid going into League One, Portsmouth are doing their best to replace them in the Championship as they continue to scrap for a playoff place at home to Accrington Stanley on Sunday.

Bolton are desperate to make their stay in League Two a short one and travel to Crawley Town at 3pm on Saturday knowing that a win will see them promoted. So cancel everything and stock up on popcorn and beverages, it’s time for the best couple of days in the football calendar.

The Championship

Saturday 12.30pm: Derby v Sheff Wed – Wednesday to lead at HT or FT

Both Sheffield Wednesday and Derby would have been relieved to see Rotherham fail to win their final game in hand in the week ahead of their relegation shootout. Derby occupy 21st, while The Millers are 22nd, two points back and Wednesday are three behind The Rams in 23rd but with a slightly better goal difference than their opponents here.

Wednesday have to win to stay up while Derby will be safe if they claim the three points. The Owls can still be relegated if they win and Rotherham match their result. If Rotherham win and Derby and Wednesday draw the two teams playing each other here will go down. This is an absolutely incredible fixture to have on the final day and I cannot wait for this one.

But, focusing purely on this game for betting purposes, neither side is in great form. Derby have lost their last six in a row while The Owls have won one, drawn two and lost three over the same period.

Saturday 12.30pm: Derby v Sheffield Wednesday
Sly Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football

The Rams are in freefall and while the away side here are in poor form themselves I can’t get away from siding with them having the better of it here. However, Wednesday have the worst away record in the league, winning just four times on the road.

Derby have won only two more games on home soil than Wednesday have won away so recent form is guiding me here rather than across the season. I can’t trust either side to win but one thing we know is that Wednesday have no other option than to go for it and I think I’ve found a nice play with the handicap/double chance still being too short.

That’s Sheffield Wednesday to lead at HT or FT. This gives us a nice double chance of sorts if they make the fast start I anticipate and they blow it late on we’re in. They could also struggle to break The Rams down before throwing the kitchen sink and winning the game at the death. Either way I can see Wednesday leading at some point in this game.

League Two

Saturday 3pm: Crawley v Bolton – Bolton and Under 3.5 Goals

Bolton need three points against 12th-placed Crawley to bounce straight back to League One at the first attempt. They have a very, very slim chance of winning the league but that involves Cheltenham and Cambridge losing as well as a 12 goal swing in their favour over The Robins. We can rule that out, then.

The Trotters gambled late on last weekend, leaving two men up for a free kick deep in injury time against Exeter with The Grecians’ keeper in the Bolton box looking to keep their playoff hopes alive. The gamble backfired as Exeter took advantage of the extra space, scoring from the free kick in the 96th minute and now it’s all eyes on securing a top-three place.

IanEvattBoltonMar21

Saturday 3pm: Crawley v Bolton
Sky Sports Football

In reality losing a point hasn’t affected things too much but snatching the win would have put them into second and level with Cheltenham on points and a shot at the title on the final day. So, to Saturday’s game where a win will get the job done. They head south to Crawley who couldn’t be more midtable if they tried and are without a win in three.

The Red Devils, yes that is their nickname, have won two of the last five but look to be easing towards their summer holidays in recent weeks. Bolton probably have the best squad in League Two and I’m backing them to win here.

The odds aren’t that appealing so we can bolt on a bit of value by adding Under 3.5 Goals. This might be a bit touch and go but there have not been Over 3.5 Goals in a Bolton game for 18 matches. Goals have been flying around for Crawley but generally they’re pretty tight and The Trotters will dictate this, try to play their way and I really like Bolton to Win and Under 3.5 Goals.

League One

Sunday 12pm: Portsmouth v Accrington – Over 2.5 Goals

Charlton beat Lincoln to keep their final-day playoff hopes alive and pile the pressure on Portsmouth here. Pompey have it all to lose as they occupy the final League One playoff spot with The Addicks and Oxford looking to leapfrog them.

Portsmouth have a one-point lead over both sides and know that a draw will most likely see them slip out of the playoff picture. However, if they can win they’re into the playoffs and their pre-season target of promotion is still on the cards.

They’re not in great nick ahead of the visit of Accrington Stanley on Sunday, though. They have won two, lost two and drawn one of their last five and seemingly the only thing they can guarantee at the moment is excitement with tonnes of goals going in all over the place.

Sunday 12pm: Portsmouth v Accrington Stanley
Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football

Stanley are down to 13th after a promising first half of the season and have won just once in the last five, drawing three and losing the other. Their form is not going to scare Pompey too much but I just have a niggling feeling the south-coast club are going to mess this up.

Instead of siding with a result I’m going to back the two side’s current trend of goals continuing and we don’t have to look too far back for the last time these two met. In fact it was just three games ago – a thrilling 3-3 draw.

Including the six goals in that game, Pompey have seen 15 goals in their last four games. For Stanley it’s even higher with 17 in their last four. That draw is putting me off Pompey to win and the straight WDW is way too short anyway so I will instead side with Over 2.5 Goals which, on current form, we could pass before half time.

This weekend’s EFL TV Tips

The Championship
Saturday 12.30pm: Derby v Sheff Wed – Sheff Wed to lead at HT or FT

League Two
Saturday 3pm: Crawley v Bolton – Bolton to Win and Under 3.5 Goals

League One
Sunday 12pm: Portsmouth v Accrington – Over 2.5 Goals

These three selections in a treble will give you odds of around 9/1 with Paddy Power.

* All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.

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