The international break is finally over, and the EFL treats us to a full slate. After two juicy odds goal scorer winners last week, Matthew O’Regan is here with his five best League One and League Two bets. The ambitious readers can combine them for a cool accumulator.
EFL Saturday Betting Tips
12:30pm: Reading v Crawley – Reading to win
12:30pm: Wycombe v Peterborough – Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals
3pm: Blackpool v Barnsley – Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals
3pm: Charlton v Stockport – Under 2.5 goals
3pm: Notts County v AFC Wimbledon – Notts County draw no bet
Reading v Crawley – Reading to win
League One match at the Madejski Stadium
12:30
Off the pitch, Reading are on the brink of oblivion. On it, Ruben Selles has built a young team that the fans can be proud of.
The Royals may be 17th in the league, but they have a game in hand on most teams and are just three points off the playoffs in an extremely tight league.
Their form at the Madejski Stadium is to thank. The Berkshire side boasts the third-best home record in the league, winning four of their five games in front of their fans. Reading have also scored at least two goals in all of these wins.
Crawley defied the odds by gaining promotion through the playoffs despite being many people’s favourite for relegation to the National League.
The mastermind behind this, Scott Lindsey, has since departed and Crawley’s form has gone south. The Red Devils have lost all five games since his departure and have lost ten of the last 11 – a 1-1 draw against Stockport the exception.
Since the 0-1 win at strugglers Cambridge in their opening away game, Crawley have lost the next three league games on their travels, scoring just once.
This game kicks off at 12:30, so if Reading perform as expected, it could be a profitable start to the day for punters.
Wycombe v Peterborough – Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals
League One match at Adams Park
12:30
Another game that kicks off at 12:30 sees two of League One’s entertainers do battle at Adams Park.
In the final game before the latest international break, Wycombe beat Crawley 1-0, thus ending their streak of scoring at least two goals in every league game this season. This run included games against Wrexham, Birmingham, Blackpool, Barnsley and Rotherham.
Matt Bloomfield is slowly eradicating pre-existing stereotypes of Wycombe due to the pragmatic style of football previously displayed under Gareth Ainsworth. The Chairboys side is packed with attacking talent, scoring 17 goals while conceding 13 for an average of 3.33 goals per game. Seven of their nine games have seen over 2.5 goals.
Peterborough and goals have become synonymous. Darren Ferguson’s side are the league’s top scorers, with 19 goals in 11 games. Last season, they were also the league’s top scorers with 89 goals.
However, their attacking prowess comes at a cost, with the Posh conceding 21 goals, again, the most in the league. Eight of their 11 league games have seen over 2.5 goals, including all five away games.
Peterborough games average 3.6 goals, so a thrilling game should be in store.
Blackpool v Barnsley – Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals
League One match at Bloomfield Road
15:00
10th v 11th meet at Bloomfield Road, with Blackpool hosting Barnsley. A poor start to the season saw Neil Critchley dismissed as Tangerines’ manager after just two league games. Richard Keogh was the temporary manager before Steve Bruce was appointed the new manager.
The 63-year-old won his first four games in charge before drawing at home to Lincoln and losing 2-0 at Mansfield. Blackpool have scored 17 goals and conceded 16 in 10 games, with their games averaging 3.30 goals. 7/10 of Blackpool games have seen over 2.5 goals.
Barnsley have scored 15 goals and conceded 15, with their games averaging three goals. Darrell Clarke’s side have not won in their last three games, so the 46-year-old is under pressure to turn things around. 8/10 of their games have seen three or more goals – the most in the league.
Charlton v Stockport – Under 2.5 goals
League One match at The Valley
15:00
Under the guise of Nathan Jones, Charlton fans feel they have cause to believe they can return to the Championship for the first time in eight years.
The Welshman is meticulous in his approach, favouring substance over style. While this may not be the most pleasing to the eye, it is certainly effective. The Addicks are currently in eighth place, outside the playoffs on goal difference.
With ten goals scored and nine conceded in 10 games, Charlton’s games average just 1.90 goals. Of their five home games, four have seen under 2.5 goals.
Stockport enjoyed a fruitful start to the season after being promoted from League Two. David Challinor’s side sits sixth and boasts the third-best defensive record in the league, conceding just seven goals. Away from home, all but one of their games have seen under 2.5 goals.
A combined 15/19 games for these teams have seen under 2.5 goals.
Notts County v AFC Wimbledon – Notts County draw no bet
League Two match at Meadow Lane
15:00
The final game of the accumulator sees us drop down to League Two as Notts County host AFC Wimbledon.
League Two is an extremely tight league, with six points separating 13th-place Newport County and 1st-place Port Vale.
Notts County currently sit third in the league, with things finally starting to click for Stuart Maynard. Despite losing Macaulay Langstaff, who scored 70 goals in two seasons, the Magpies are the league’s top scorers. Alassana Jatta and David McGoldrick have chipped in with five goals each.
AFC Wimbledon sit 10th – the position they finished in last season. Plough Lane has become a fortress for the Dons, with Johnnie Jackson’s side winning all four home games.
Jackson’s pragmatism on the road may be his downfall this season, with his side scoring just one goal on the road coming in a 0-1 win at struggling Cheltenham. In such a tight league, Wimbledon will see every point as crucial, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see them set up this way.
If The Dons are to leave Meadow Lane with a victory, they may have to keep the strongest frontline in the league at bay.
EFL Football Tips
Early kickoffs
12:30pm: Reading v Crawley – Reading to win
12:30pm: Wycombe v Peterborough – Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals
3pm: Blackpool v Barnsley – Both teams to score & over 2.5 goals
3pm: Charlton v Stockport – Under 2.5 goals
3pm: Notts County v AFC Wimbledon – Notts County draw no bet
- If you fancy putting these five picks into an acca, it pays out at 17/1 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
- Newcastle v Brighton predictions: A 13/2 shout tops @footyaccums’ best bets
- EFL Betting Tips: Our Saturday League One & Two best bets add up to 17/1 acca
- Football Accumulator Tips: Saturday’s 19/1 Premier League punt for the 3pm games
- Man United v Brentford predictions: A 7/1 shout tops @footyaccums’ best bets
- Next Premier League manager to be sacked: Latest sack race odds for 2024/25 season
The latest football odds are on PaddyPower.com now
THE PADDY POWER GUIDE TO SAFER GAMBLING – EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW
