The return of the English Football League could not come soon enough?
We have always been confident in our abilities betting on the MLS and the Brazilian Serie A, and that’s because of the repository of data we have on those divisions that enables us to make smart, informed selections.
But when fixtures in those leagues weren’t available, we have had to delve into Swedish, Danish and even Australian football for our football accumulator tips; an approach with mixed results.
Hence the disappointment in our 3/5 return last week; a result hampered by a lack of smart betting opportunities.
Thus, we are delighted to have the EFL back! Of course, betting on the early weeks of the season is laced with risk, with some players still on the beach, metaphorically speaking, and other sides hitting the ground running.
But we have opportunities now, and are looking forward to getting our football acca betting tips back to their previous high. Here’s this week’s picks:
| Match | Recommended Bet | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol City vs Nottingham Forest | Nottingham Forest/Draw Double Chance | 11/20 |
| Burton Albion vs Rochdale | Burton Draw No Bet | 8/15 |
| Southend vs Doncaster | Southend Draw No Bet | 4/6 |
| Oldham vs MK Dons | MK Dons/Draw Double Chance | 4/7 |
| Stevenage vs Tranmere | Stevenage/Draw Double Chance | 1/2 |
| Five-Fold Acca Odds | 8.33/1 | |
Bristol City vs Nottingham Forest: Nottingham Forest/Draw Double Chance
What many punters do at this early stage of the season is to draw up their own takes on how the league table will look come next May.
We’ve done likewise for the Championship, and in our simulation Forest are in the mix for a top-six finish while Bristol City are among the bottom-half also-rans. Hence this selection!
Forest will benefit from having a full season under Aitor Karanka, and his approach of bringing in talented young Iberians echoes the strategy that proved successful for Wolves last season. Add into the mix his existing young stars such as Ben Brereton, Matty Cash and Ben Osborn, and there is scope for huge improvement from the Tricky Trees.
Speaking of strategies….how foolhardy will Bristol City’s decision to sell key men Aden Flint, Bobby Reid and Hordur Magnusson prove to be? Only time will tell….
Burton Albion vs Rochdale: Burton Draw No Bet
Burton may have gotten relegated last season, but we believe they have been unfairly treated by the bookmakers.
The Brewers have lost a few players but club legend Nigel Clough remains, and he can still field an exciting front three of Lloyd Dyer, Lucas Akins and Liam Boyce, who will be desperate to make up for lost time after missing much of last season through injury.
Rochdale made some progress towards the end of the last campaign but it was still a season of struggle for Keith Hill’s men, and you wonder if they can progress under their current budgetary constraints.
Southend vs Doncaster: Southend Draw No Bet
Southend finished seven points higher than Doncaster last season and have had a better summer from a recruitment perspective than their northern opponents, so their selection is a no-brainer here.
The Shrimpers have signed decent League One custodians in Tom Hopper, Timothee Dieng and Luke Hyam, who was well-fancied to go far at Ipswich.
There is little to get excited about as far as Doncaster are concerned; a side who failed to score in 450 minutes of football at the ned of 2017/18.
Oldham vs MK Dons: MK Dons/Draw Double Chance
After being relegated Dons fans might be feeling down in the dumps, but there are reasons to be cheerful for the Milton Keynes outfit.
Paul Tisdale has taken charge, and he will look to model a talented squad into the same set-up that served his Exeter team so well last term. He has cherry-picked three players to sign from his former club, and a front four of Agard, Aneke, Pawlett and Sow is simply too good for this level.
Oldham have less reasons to be optimistic. There’s all sorts of financial shenanigans going on off-the-field, they’ve employed Frankie Bunn for his first job in management, and they’ve lost their two top scorers from last season in Craig Davies and Eoin Doyle.
Stevenage vs Tranmere Rovers: Stevenage/Draw Double Chance
Often, the bookmakers can go a little crazy in their pricing for promoted sides.
Stevenage are barely favourites against a promoted Tranmere side that has since lost two of its key players, Andy Cook and James Wallace.
Stevenage went W9 D9 L5 on home soil last season, and they have brought in Ben Nugent and Scott Cuthbert to shore up their occasionally ropey defence.
At the other end, the hosts scored just four goals fewer than top-six merchants Exeter, Coventry and Lincoln.