With another busy Saturday of Championship, League One & League Two action on the cards, football tipster Matthew O’Regan has joined the good ship Paddy Power News with his debut tipping article for us.
Matthew’s been busy cutting his teeth on the social media site we all used to 1) enjoy and 2) call Twitter, by studying up on all thigs EFL and here’s his best bets for Saturday’s action across the leagues, including a pick from one of the early kick-offs and an acca from the 3pms. Bosh!
EFL Saturday Betting Tips
12.30pm kick-off punt:
Norwich v Hull – Both teams to score
3pm acca tips:
West Brom v Millwall – Under 2.5 goals
Bolton v Shrewsbury – Bolton to win & over 1.5 goals
Mansfield v Blackpool – Over 2.5 goals
Notts County v Port Vale – Alassana Jatta to score
- An acca with these bets pays at approximately 12/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
Saturday, 12.30pm: Norwich v Hull
SELECTION: Both teams to score
TV: Sky+
Norwich host Hull in one of the Championship’s early Saturday kick-offs.
After David Wagner failed to deliver on the promise of promotion back to the Premier League, the Norwich hierarchy decided it was time for a change of direction, with the exciting Johannes Hoff Thorup hired as the new Canaries manager over the summer.
The young Dane has Norwich playing exciting football as they currently sit 10th in the league. The likes of Josh Sargent (three goals) and Borja Sainz (six) are imperative to Thorup’s attacking tactics. However, a lack of experience in defence has seen the Canaries become slightly leaky in defence, keeping just one clean sheet in their opening eight games.
Hull are the visitors to Carrow Road. Tim Walter was appointed in the summer after the shock dismissal of Liam Rosenior. The German struggled in the early stages in the dugout, with the Tigers failing to win in any of their opening five league games.
However, things are starting to click for them. They’ve won their last three games, scoring 10 goals in the process. Like Norwich, they’ve struggled defensively, keeping just one clean sheet.
With two potent attacks and fragile defences, goals could be on the cards here. Both teams to score has landed in all four of Norwich’s home Championship games and three out of four of Hull’s away league fixtures. I’ve kept out of my acca due to it being the early kick-off, but for a bit of extra value it could be worth throwing in.
Saturday, 3pm: Acca
WEST BROM V MILLWALL
SELECTION: Under 2.5 goals
West Brom have now suffered back-to-back losses after starting the season with 16 points from six games. They will look to amend this at home to 15th-placed Millwall.
Carlos Corberan prides himself on defensive stability, with his side conceding just six goals this season. The 0-1 home loss to Middlesbrough was the first goal they’ve conceded at the Hawthorns in their last five games. The Baggies have struggled in front of goal, though, scoring just twice in front of their own fans.
Games at the Hawthorns are averaging just 0.75 goals, with Under 2.5 goals landing in all four matches.
Millwall boss Neil Harris is one of the more pragmatic managers in the EFL, and his side’s away performances (the 4-3 defeat at Bristol City aside) have shown this. Since that match, the Lions’ away games have seen just three goals at an average of one goal a game. Three of their four away games have also seen under 2.5 goals occurring.
BOLTON V SHREWSBURY
SELECTION: Bolton to win & over 1.5 goals
After losing in the playoff final to Oxford United, the hangover looked to have hit Bolton, with Ian Evatt’s side lingering just outside the relegation zone after their opening five games.
Lying in 11th place is still way lower than they would want to be, but three comfortable wins on the bounce suggest The Trotters are starting to purr again. A 5-2 home win over Reading was followed by a 0-2 away win at Crawley and a 2-4 win at Sixfields over Northampton. Now, Bolton have 23rd-placed Shrewsbury in their sights.
Paul Hurst’s side sit on just four points, after losing seven of their opening nine league games. The Salop’s only points have come from a 1-1 draw at home to Rotherham and a 3-0 home win over Leyton Orient.
Away from home, Shrewsbury have the worst record in the league, losing all four games, scoring just once, and conceding seven times. The only away game in which Paul Hurst’s side conceded less than two goals was their 1-0 defeat at Huddersfield, despite the Terriers accumulating 2.01 xG.
An away game against a confident, free-flowing Bolton side is not ideal for a Shrewsbury side still chasing their first away point.
MANSFIELD V BLACKPOOL
SELECTION: Over 2.5 goals
Mansfield have been the surprise story of League One as they currently sit just outside the automatic places on goal difference with a game in hand. The Stags were impressive in coming third in League Two last season, thus earning promotion to League One. Nigel Clough’s side have started this campaign as they ended the last and have tasted defeat just once.
With 15 goals scored and 11 conceded, Mansfield’s games have averaged 3.25 goals, with at least three goals scored in three of their four home games.
Blackpool started the season poorly, leading to the departure of manager Neil Critchley. Steve Bruce got the call, and since the appointment, they have won four games, drawn one, and are yet to lose under his tutelage.
This run of form has seen them rocket up to sixth, just two points off the automatic places. In their nine games, 31 goals have been scored, an average of 3.44 goals, with over 2.5 goals landing in all but two.
NOTTS COUNTY V PORT VALE
SELECTION: ALASSANA JATTA TO SCORE
The last match of the accumulator sees a mouthwatering clash between two promotion-chasing sides in Notts County and Port Vale.
The sale of forward Macaulay Langstaff to Millwall after sixty goals in two seasons was bound to have stung the County faithful, but in Alassana Jatta, the Magpies may have found a ready-made replacement.
Signed from Danish side Viborg in January, the Gambian had to bide his time for minutes, starting just six times last season. However, the bustling striker impressed in his limited game time, with his five goals coming at an average of 0.88 goals per 90 minutes. This season, as he looks to fill the massive that Langstaff-sized hole in attack, the 25-year-old has started four times and has scored four times.
A dig into the underlying metrics suggests this isn’t just a flash in the pan, as Jatta is accumulating 1.18 xG per 90. The Gambian is quick, strong, and, most importantly, has that poacher’s instincts, so we’re getting a very appealing price for him to continue his fine run of form.
EFL Football Tips
12.30pm kick-off punt:
Norwich v Hull – Both teams to score
3pm acca tips:
West Brom v Millwall – Under 2.5 goals
Bolton v Shrewsbury – Bolton to win & over 1.5 goals
Mansfield v Blackpool – Over 2.5 goals
Notts County v Port Vale – Alassana Jatta to score
- 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.
READ MORE
- Shoot on over to Paddy Power News for the best Football Betting Tips & News
- Football Accumulator Tips: Saturday’s 13/1 Premier League punt for the 3pm games
- Premier League Predictions: Mark Lawrenson sees a Chelsea loss, Man Utd draw and Everton win
- Everton v Newcastle Tips: Isak ignites in our 32/1 Bet Builder for Saturday
- Football Subscriber Special: Arsenal, Man City & Brentford all to win – 3/1
- Paddy’s Super Sub totaliser: Almost 94,000 EPL bets win from our ace offer so far in 2024/25
The latest football odds are on PaddyPower.com now
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO SAFER GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
