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Best Bets for the weekend in the Championship, League 1 & League 2:

What will be 10 months of exciting, dramatic & incredibly competitive football in the Championship, League 1 & League 2 kicks off this weekend & here are our views on what we believe to be the best bets in each of those leagues:

Best bets in The Championship:

Norwich City vs Watford – (Friday 7.45pm)
This match kicks-off the action in the Championship & both teams will be looking for a positive start but we are taking Paul Lambert’s Norwich City to get off to a flyer at home.

Norwich City were the class act in League 1 last season, playing quality, attacking football & we expect them to come into this season with great confidence & momentum and especially at home which could well be enough against a Watford side who struggled badly last season & face massive problems again this year.

Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result: Norwich City to win
Correct Score options: Norwich City to win 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Holt/Jackson/Martin
Scorecast options: Holt/Jackson/Martin to score 1st & Norwich City to win 2-0/2-1
Double Result: Norwich City H/T & F/T
 

Reading vs Scunthorpe – (Saturday 3.00pm)
This should be a fantastic open, flowing game of football as both teams love to play positive attacking football and we are taking Reading to come out on top in this one.

No team in the Championship finished last season in better, winning form than Reading & we have tipped Brian McDermott’s side as contenders for the Championship this season & we can see them getting off to a flyer by taking the 3 points here.

Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result: Reading to win
Correct Score options: Reading to win 2-1/3-1
First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Long/Sigurdsson/Church
Scorecast options: Long/Sigurdsson/Church score 1st & Reading win 2-1/3-1
Double Result: Reading H/T & F/T

 

Coventry City vs Portsmouth – (Saturday 7.45pm)
Fascinating contest in prospect as both Coventry City & Portsmouth have new managers in charge this season but we fancy Aidy Boothroyd’s Coventry City to start with a home win here against Steve Cotterill’s Portsmouth.

Chris Coleman did a very good job as Coventry City manager & left the club in a very stable position and we believe Aidy Boothroyd is the right type of manager to get everybody at the club totally motivated & progressing while Portsmouth still face the same massive problems that got them relegated and it is hard to envisage them doing anything apart from struggling this season.

Aidy Boothroyd has proven he has what it takes to get teams promoted as he did a great job with Watford & we are taking Coventry City to get off to the best possible start by taking the 3 points in this one.

Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result: Coventry City to win
Correct Score Options: Coventry City to win 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Jutkiewicz/Eastwood/McSheffrey
Scorecast options: Jutkiewicz/Eastwood/McSheffrey score 1st & Coventry City win 2-0/2-1
Double Result: Coventry City H/T & F/T

Predictions for other Championship fixtures:

BRISTOL CITY to beat Millwall, 2-0/2-1
QPR to beat Barnsley, 2-0/2-1
CARDIFF CITY to beat Sheffield United, 2-0/2-1

The following fixtures look prime candidates for competitive scoring draws in our view:

Burnley vs Nottingham Forest, Leeds United vs Derby County, Crystal Palace vs Leicester City
Hull City vs Swansea, Middlesbrough vs Ipswich Town, Preston vs Doncaster Rovers

Best Bets in League 1:

Southampton vs Plymouth – (Saturday 12.15pm)
Southampton are our & indeed most people’s idea of the banker team for the League 1 title this season & so the pressure is firmly on Alan Pardew’s side & it’s vital they start with a good win here but Plymouth need to bounce back after relegation so this should be a good game to kick things off.

Southampton were excellent last season & no other side in League 1 finished in better, stronger form with their home form exceptional and we are taking Southampton to start what is a massively important season with a big home win here.

Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result: Southampton to win
Correct Score options: Southampton to win 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Lambert/Barnard/Lallana
Scorecast options: Lambert/Barnard/Lallana score 1st & Southampton win 2-0/2-1
Double Result: Southampton H/T & F/T

 

Notts County vs Huddersfield Town – (Saturday 3.00pm)
A football match for fans of positive, attacking football here as both Notts County & Huddersfield Town only really go out to play one way & that is to attack & score goals so this could well be a real cracker to start their season off.

Notts County were sensational in the last 6 months of the League 2 season & stormed through in the end to win League 2 in great style scoring 96 league goals along the way & although they have stepped up a level, they will have the confidence & belief to stick to their principles and have a real go.

Huddersfield Town were also excellent last season, finishing a very good 6th & not far off an automatic promotion place that will surely be their target & theirs for the taking as long as Lee Clark’s team reproduce the football they did last season.

This should be an excellent game of football as Notts County will want to start with a home win & Huddersfield determined to get the confidence boost that an away win will give them so anything is possible & it will be competitive so on balance an entertaining scoring draw appeals as the value call here.

Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result: DRAW
Correct Score options: 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Hughes/Rhodes/Kay
Scorecast options: Hughes/Rhodes/Kay score 1st & 1-1/2-2
Double Result: DRAW H/T & F/T
 

Swindon Town vs Brighton – (Saturday 3.00pm)
Swindon & Brighton are forecast to be two of the main promotion contenders in League 1 so this should prove to be a fascinating match to watch as both will want to get off to a good, positive start.

Danny Wilson will want to make sure there is no Play-off final hangover for Swindon after their defeat against Millwall & he will want to make sure that Swindon hit the ground running this season & turn those negative experience into positive ones.

Gus Poyet faced an incredibly tough job when he took at Brighton last season but he managed to steady the ship & towards the end of the season Brighton did develop far more consistency & certainly improved their form and that end of season form marks them down as promotion potential for this year.

This should be a really good, competitive game as both Swindon & Brighton will want positive starts and both will look for the win so anything is possible but they could well both cancel each other out & a scoring draw looks the value bet to take in this one.

Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result: DRAW
Correct Score options: 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Austin/Murray/O’Brien
Scorecast options: Austin/Murray/O’Brien score 1st & 1-1/2-2
Double Result: DRAW H/T & F/T

Predictions for remaining League 1 fixtures:

ROCHDALE to beat Hartlepool, 2-0/2-1
SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY to beat Dagenham 2-0/2-1
WALSALL to beat MK Dons 1-0/2-0
PETERBOROUGH to beat Bristol Rovers 2-1/3-1
CHARLTON to beat Bournemouth, 2-0/2-1
LEYTON ORIENT to beat Yeovil, 2-0/2-1

The following fixtures look prime contenders for scoring draws:

Carlisle vs Brentford, Exeter vs Colchester, Tranmere vs Oldham

Best Bets in League 2:

Chesterfield Town vs Barnet – (Saturday 3.00pm)
Chesterfield & Barnet were seperated by a gap of 22 points last year as Chesterfield had another solid season to finish 8th while Barnet only just survived and in our mind this looks an ideal for Chesterfield to get off to a winning start.

Chesterfield Town are regarded as one of main contenders for League 2 glory this season & they will be looking to celebrate moving to their new stadium by achieving promotion and their form in their new stadium will be the absolute key to that so this is a massively important match.

Barnet’s aim for the season will again to be do their best try & survive so they will probably view any result as a positive one here & that might well mean that a draw will do for them but whether they can achieve that is in doubt.

We are expecting Chesterfield to signal their intentions for the new season by being really positive here & going for the win and in our view they do look a solid bet to beat a Barnet side that may well struggle again this season.

Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result: Chesterfield to win
Correct score options: Chesterfield to win 1-0/2-0
First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Lester/Small/Mattis
Scorecast options: Lester/Small/Mattis score 1st & Chesterfield win 1-0/2-0
Double Result: Chesterfield H/T & F/T
 

Gillingham vs Cheltenham – (Saturday 3.00pm)
Interesting match here as it brings together two teams who had miserable seasons last year, Gillingham got relegated & Cheltenham only just survived so both will be looking for much better this season.

Gillingham will be totally determined to bounce back & regain promotion to League 1 so we are expecting them to be extremely motivated & positive from the start and we think they can start the season in the perfect way by beating a Cheltenham side who are generally poor away from home.

Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result: Gillingham to win
Correct Score options: Gillingham to win 2-0/3-0
First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Akinfenwa/Maher/Barcham
Scorecast options: Akinfenwa/Maher/Barcham score 1st & Gillingham win 2-0/3-0
Double Result: Gillingham H/T & F/T

Predictions for remaining League 2 fixtures:
BURTON to beat Oxford, 2-0/2-1
BURY to beat Port Vale, 1-0/2-0
CREWE to beat Hereford. 2-0/2-1
ROTHERHAM to beat Lincoln City 2-0/3-0
MORECAMBE to beat Wycombe, 2-0/2-1

The following League 2 fixtures look prime contenders for scoring draws:

Stevenage vs Macclesfield, Torquay v Northampton, Accrington vs Aldershot,
Shrewsbury vs Bradford, Southend vs Stockport

Those are our views on all the games in the Championship, League 1 & League 2 this weekend & the bets that we feel offer value but we wish you all the best with whatever football bets you have