It wasn’t the best of weeks for our football accumulator tips last time out, but then we were always going to be up against it given how few meaningful fixtures were available to us courtesy of the international break.
Happily, we’re back at full quota this week in a bumper holiday weekend of fixtures, and so we can hopefully maintain our otherwise strong form with a decent showing.
Without further ado, here are this week’s selections:
| Match | Recommended Bet | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Brighton vs Leicester City | Brighton/Draw Double Chance | 1/2 |
| Chelsea vs Tottenham | Chelsea +0.25 Asian Handicap | 4/9 |
| Northampton Town vs Charlton Athletic | Charlton/Draw Double Chance | 21/50 |
| Mansfield Town vs Accrington Stanley | Accrington +0.50 Asian Handicap | 4/7 |
| Newport County vs Coventry City | Coventry/Draw Double Chance | 9/20 |
| Five-Fold Acca Odds | 6.56/1 | |
Brighton vs Leicester City: Brighton/Draw Double Chance
Without meaning to sound rude, the international break means very little for Brighton as they have so few international players at their disposal.
So the Seagulls will be nice and refreshed ahead of this game at their Amex Stadium home; where, incidentally, they have beaten Arsenal, West Ham and Swansea in their last three.
Leicester, meanwhile, have players flying here, there and everywhere, with Riyad Mahrez in Africa having represented Algeria this week. It will be tough for him to recover from jet lag ahead of this game on Saturday.
Also, there was a real sense of disappointment from the Foxes that they lost their FA Cup quarter final against Chelsea, and you do wonder if their campaign will peter out from here.
Chelsea vs Tottenham: Chelsea +0.25 Asian Handicap
Playing at Wembley means very little these days since the FA decided to cheapen the famous ground by allowing semi-finals and Tottenham to play there, but the sense around Chelsea was that progression to the FA Cup last four was essential.
They are now 90 minutes away from the final, and a piece of silverware would offer redemption of some sort after a torrid campaign. Even Antonio Conte raised a smile following the victory over Leicester last time out….
He may be smiling again come Sunday evening: Tottenham have a hopeless record at Stamford Bridge, having failed to win there since 1990!
And canny punters will note that while Tottenham are far from being a one-man team, Harry Kane has notched 41% of his side’s goals this season – the highest ratio of any club in the top flight. His absence will hit Spurs very hard indeed.
Northampton Town vs Charlton Athletic: Charlton/Draw Double Chance
The appointment of Lee Bowyer as Charlton’s temporary boss has already paid dividends with the 2-0 win over Plymouth last time out, in which they were full value to defeat a side that hadn’t previously lost in eight.
Appointing a pair of club legends – Johnnie Jackson joins Bowyer as his assistant – is a smart way of getting the fans back on side, and it appears to have had a galvanising effect on a talented but mis-directed squad too.
Northampton are without a win in seven, and they aren’t really showing any signs of life as we head into the business end of the campaign. Their ultimate downfall has been their home form, where they have won just six of twenty this term.
Mansfield Town vs Accrington Stanley: Accrington +0.50 Asian Handicap
If you want an idea of the job that Steve Evans did at Mansfield, you only need to look at their results since he left.
Four draws have been followed by a 0-2 defeat at Forest Green, and the Stags are in danger of blowing their promotion hopes unless David Flitcroft can find a winning solution, and fast.
Accrington are a surprise package this term and plenty has been written about them, but they show no signs of baulking at the sight of the finishing line. They’ve won 12 of their last 14 games in League Two, and their penultimate outing – a 2-1 win at Luton – must surely have given them the sense that they can achieve the seemingly impossible and maintain a top three position.
Newport County vs Coventry City: Coventry/Draw Double Chance
Coventry are ending the campaign in fine style, and an unbeaten run of six – which includes four wins – was rubber-stamped with an outstanding 4-0 win over Grimsby on Saturday.
The Sky Blues are showing their class at exactly the right time, which is evident from the fact they’ve taken points off the likes of Wycombe and Luton of late. The theory would suggest they should have no problem doing likewise against Newport.
The hosts here won’t like the numbers: without a win in five on home soil, they’ve only won one in ten anywhere. With nothing to play for but pride, they might find Coventry too hot to handle at Rodney Parade.