Another week, another acca let down by one losing leg!
As the great Morrissey sang ‘that joke isn’t funny anymore’, and we have certainly lost our sense of humour after Fleetwood’s failure to covert a one-goal lead into victory over Rochdale.
Our other four picks sailed home in what is becoming a rather familiar feeling of disappointment.
But, it does mean that 16 of our last 20 selections have landed, so we must remain confident that the next big win is just around the corner. Without further ado, here are this week’s football accumulator betting tips:
- Everton vs Arsenal: Arsenal to Win (19/20)
- Ipswich vs Norwich: Ipswich Double Chance (3/4)
- Notts Forest vs Burton Albion: Notts Forest to Win (3/4)
- Gillingham vs Northampton: Gillingham +0 Asian Handicap (7/10)
- Oxford vs Rotherham: Oxford +0 Asian Handicap (4/5)
- Acca Odds: 17.52/1
Everton vs Arsenal: Arsenal to Win
Wayne Rooney’s 89th minute goal against Brighton last week saved Everton’s blushes on the south coast and quite probably saved Ronald Koeman’s job as Toffees coach.
They got out of jail with a point, and while Brighton were unable to capitalise on their lead we don’t expect for one minute that Arsenal will suffer the same fate.
The Gunners lost 1-2 at Watford last time out but dominated that match as you might expect, controlling possession and creating plenty of half chances. Laurent Koscielny will be fully fit on Sunday – not that Everton pose an attacking threat of any note, and his more offense-minded teammates should enjoy themselves against a Toffees backline that has not kept a clean sheet since the opening day of the campaign.
Ipswich vs Norwich: Ipswich Double Chance
Ipswich remain something of an enigma, scoring more goals than all but two teams in the Championship and yet conceding more than any other outfit in the top half of the division.
So defending has been their Achilles heel this term, but their mission at Portman Road on Sunday in this fiercely-contested local derby will be made much easier by Norwich’s list of absentees.
The Canaries have been without Steven Naismith, Matt Jarvis and Alex Pritchard for some time, and they have latterly been joined on the missing list by Marley Watkins (suspended) and Josh Murphy (toe).
Compile a goals-scored Championship table and Norwich sit just 20th – music to the ears of the Tractor Boys’ faithful.
Notts Forest vs Burton Albion: Notts Forest to Win
If you tuned into Nottingham Forest’s 0-2 defeat at Derby on Sunday you may have came away with the impression that they were unlucky to come away empty handed, and it’s a conclusion drawn by many.
Forest have been so unlucky with their fixtures of late: a tough away local derby, preceded by four games in a row against top-10 sides, suggests that their league position is slightly false at present. They will surely pick up sooner rather than later.
And what an opportunity they have on Saturday against Burton Albion, who have recorded just two shots on target from inside the penalty area in 360 minutes of Championship football!
The Brewers are really struggling at the minute, and while boss Nigel Clough will get a great reception at the City Ground his players will find things rather less inviting.
Gillingham vs Northampton: Gillingham +0 Asian Handicap
Sacking your manager can be a way to secure short term improvements in performance and results, and that certainly appears to be the case with Gillingham of late.
Peter Taylor has been dismissed and replaced by caretaker Steve Lovell, who has guided the Gills to a win over Peterborough and a draw with runaway leaders Wigan.
It’s always wise for punters to ride these trains, and especially so against a side as inept as Northampton.
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has come in as Cobblers boss, and while he added a bit of character and fight into the mix quality is still sorely lacking – they shipped six against Bristol Rovers a fortnight ago and another two on Tuesday night at Rochdale.
Oxford vs Rotherham: Oxford +0 Asian Handicap
Sometimes there are phenomena in football that are difficult to explain, and Rotherham United’s home/away form this season is the latest addition.
The Yorkshire outfit have won six from seven on home soil, blasting a huge 21 goals into the bargain, and yet away from home they are W2 D0 L5 with just four goals scored.
We are far enough into the season now to surmise that that’s not just random chance or a curiosity of a small data sample – that’s a legitimate issue.
So Oxford can be quietly confident of adding to Rotherham’s away day blues: they’ve lost just once on home soil this term, and taken ten points from a possible twelve in their last four.