Friday’s football accumulator tips
8pm: Blackburn v Derby – Sammie Szmodics to Score Anytime
8pm: Preston v Sheffield United – Preston (+1)
8pm: Barnsley v Mansfield – Barnsley to Win
8pm: Chesterfield v Swindon – Chesterfield to Win
- An Acca with these bets pays at approximately 12/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
8pm: Blackburn v Derby
TV: Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football
The Championship season kicks off on the telly with a meeting of League One’s second-best side from last season heading to the second tier’s 19th best. Blackburn Rovers ended up just three points clear of the drop and if it wasn’t for the in-demand Sammie Szmodics’ banging 27 goals they might have swapped places with Derby County.
This game might hinge on whether Szmodics plays and he’s been heavily linked with a move to Premier League new boys Ipswich. As it stands we have to assume he will start and if he does he’ll be looking to impress.
Derby had a pretty good defensive record last season but that will be put to the test in The Championship. There might be few sterner tests than the one Rovers’ star man can provide and Szmodics to Score Anytime looks a lively play.
8pm: Preston v Sheffield United
TV: Sky Sports+
Preston had a decent campaign last season that ended with a massive whimper, if such a thing’s possible. They lost five on the bounce to close out the 2023/24 season, though it was a pretty tough run in.
The less said about Sheffield United’s efforts in finishing bottom of last season’s Premier League table the better, but they’ll probably be relishing the chance to be a big fish and to get stuck in to life in The Championship once again.
The Blades are Paddy’s favourites and they’ve made a couple of decent signings for their new level, but I’m tempted to see how they settle in before showing any confidence in them here. This could be a case of both sides feeling this season out so Preston (+1) could be a winning bet.
8pm: Barnsley v Mansfield
TV: Sky Sports+
Barnsley and Mansfield get the League One party started and this game is the culmination of over a decade’s work to get out of League Two and into the third tier for the Stags. Barnsley are hoping to be upwardly mobile this season but it looks a particularly-fiendish league this year.
I fancy them to get off to a winning start here, though. Mansfield came up in third place, 10 points clear of fourth while Barnsley secured a playoff spot in League One via a 6th-placed finish. The Tykes should have enough to secure an opening-day win.
8pm: Chesterfield v Swindon
TV: Sky Sports+
Chesterfield blew the National League to pieces last season and they’ll be looking to take League Two by storm this time around. Swindon Town are going through a tough patch and limped to 19th in the EFL’s bottom division, a league in which they’ve spent six of the last seven seasons.
Teams that win the National League usually go pretty well in their first season in League Two and you fancy that to be the case again for the Spireites. If last season’s anything to go by this should be a comfortable Chesterfield Win.
EFL betting tips
8pm: Blackburn v Derby – Sammie Szmodics to Score Anytime
8pm: Preston v Sheffield United – Preston (+1)
8pm: Barnsley v Mansfield – Barnsley to Win
8pm: Chesterfield v Swindon – Chesterfield to Win
- An Acca with these bets pays at approximately 12/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
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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