Football, racing and more with expert advice. Get the best football bets and prices!6 Aug
Using the last seven years as a guide (when two clubs have been promoted), all fourteen clubs have avoided relegation!
Three of the fourteen teams have been promoted with Carlisle (2006) and Doncaster (2004) having won the title.
The other eleven teams occupied positions 8-21 during the study period.
6 Aug
Forty teams have been relegated to Division Two during the last decade.
10/40 finished in the top four, though only Walsall (2006/2007) won the title.
23/40 (57.5%) occupied positions between fifth and nineteenth place, with seven finishing in the lower echelons of the division.
Just one (Luton in 2008/2009) finished bottom of the pile.
Ending on a positive note, ten of the forty teams were promoted.
4 Aug
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:
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
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
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
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
1 Aug
The new domestic football season kicks off this weekend with what is certain to be 10 months fantastic quality football, excitement, passion, drama & all off that will combine to give millions of football fans great pleasure.
The Premier League action starts in 2 weeks time but this coming weekend is all about the tens of managers, the hundreds of players & millions of fans that make up the 72 teams in the football league & it is their big chance to shine in the spotlight.
English football is the most competitive in the world & that is certainly the case within the Championship, League 1 & League 2 as every year it becomes an ever increasingly difficult task to assess the leagues with confidence & deciding who will win the leagues, who will be promoted & who will be relegated can almost be described as mission impossible for punters.
While the task of finding the league winner is tough, we at http://www.bettingpreview.co.uk/blog/ have had a good look at the betting markets for the Championship, League 1 & League 2 and here are our own independent views on the teams we feel are worth following & who offer betting value at this stage:
Last year the ante-post market for the Championship had a rather obvious look to it with Newcastle United & West Bromwich Albion looking the two most obvious contenders for the title & promotion and so it proved to be no surprise that they both achieved automatic promotion.
This season, there does not look to be anything obvious about the ante-post scene in the Championship and the general consensus is that this is going to be one of the most wide open Championship seasons ever.
The general opinion in the football world is that anything up to 15 teams have a fair chance of at least reaching the Play-offs & even promotion and the way the market is framed we have to agree with that theory as well.
Middlesbrough have been the team for money during the last few weeks, with their price coming in from 10/1 to a general 6/1 and they are certain to start the Championship season as favourites so command respect with Gordon Strachan investing heavily in the squad but they don’t represent any value in our eyes & we are going elsewhere for a bet.
Next in the market behind Middlesbrough come Billy Davies’s Nottingham Forest who had a fantastic season last year in the Championship, finishing 3rd & in our view they represent the most solid bet in the Championship and certainly better value than Middlesbrough.
Admittedly Billy Davies & Nottingham Forest have not had the best of pre-seasons with players leaving to weaken the squad slightly but we were very impressed by the fantastic management of Billy Davies & his ability to generate such a solid, committed team spirit that made Nottingham Forest a hard side to beat & strong force to resist.
All those characteristics combined are what tempt up get stuck into the general 8-1 – 9/1 available for Nottingham Forest & we believe Nottingham Forest are an excellent each way value shot as they certainly have an outstanding chance of at least being in the first 3 & as stronger chance than most of winning the Championship.
Next on our list of value ante-post bets comes Brian McDermott’s Reading who were the form team in the Championship for the last 3-4 months of the season & that excellent form marks them down as serious contenders for this season in our view.
Brian McDermott had an immediate & emphatic response after he took over as Reading manager & he turned Reading into a really positive & potent attacking team who took on all comers which saw them finish the season with tremendous momentum including fantastic wins over Premier League opposition in the cups.
That combination of tremendous end of season momentum, confidence & Reading’s positive, attacking style looks a really tempting value proposition in our view & we believe they are well worth an each way interest at around the general 12/1 – 14/1 quoted as we write this.
Our final betting option for the Championship is admittedly ‘a bit of a flyer’ & may generate a ‘what are you talking about’ type reaction but we genuinely believe Coventry City have the potential to be a proper force & live outsider in the Championship this season & the main reason for that is their new manager Aidy Boothroyd.
Coventry City are a very well run club with a proud history & they are also a big club with the facilities & overall set up to handle Premier League football & in our view Aidy Boothroyd is a no nonsense manager who is proven at this level & he is exactly the right type of manager to take on everything that being Coventry City manager entails & making a real success of it.
Chris Coleman did an excellent job at Coventry City & he certainly built a solid enough base from which Aidy Boothroyd can improve things & priced at around 50/1 in the market, Coventry City represent each way value in our opinion and definitely worth a small investment in a league that is completely wide open.
Middlesbrough have been the team for the big betting money in recent weeks & they command great respect but the question is whether they can handle the expectancy & pressure while the likes of QPR, Sheffield United, Cardiff City, Burnley, Ipswich Town, Bristol City, Leicester City & Swansea will all believe they have an excellent chance of promotion and they all do warrant respect.
There is no doubting how fierce the competition will be in the Championship this season with so many massive clubs taking each other on & absolutely anything is possible this season as this genuinely looks the most wide open Championship for quite a few years but we are taking Nottingham Forest & Reading as our main each way value bets & rock solid promotion contenders while we also believe Coventry City are a massive priced each way value outsider & those three teams will hopefully give us some fun this season.
Nottingham Forest each way, Reading each way & Coventry City each way
Nottingham Forest & Reading for Outright Promotion.
League 1 is always fiercely competitive & it really is a tough test that any team has to pass & pass well if they are to win the League and that will definitely be the case again this season but we do believe one team do look outstanding contenders to take the main prize.
Those outstanding contenders in our view are Alan Pardew’s Southampton side who were absolutely magnificent last season & certainly would have stood a fine chance of promotion last year had they not incurred a 10 point penalty at the start of the season.
Southampton were the form side in League 1 for the last 4 to 5 months of the season and we believe that fantastic momentum & positivity can really drive them on to success this season & they do look the most solid option in League 1.
Admittedly the general price of 5/2 for Southampton is short for such a competitive League as League 1 but they have everything in their favour: great stadium, excellent manager, sound financial structure, the best squad in League 1 & importantly the extra motivation to get back to the Championship because there is no doubt they still believe they were hard done to by the F.A. & Football league authorities.
League 1 is obviously not a 1 team race though & our other main each way value contenders for the prize are Lee Clark’s Huddersfield Town & Gus Poyet’s Brighton and we do believe both of those teams will give Southampton a real run for the prize & certainly do look solid promotion contenders as a minimum.
Lee Clark’s Huddersfield Town finished 6th in League 1 last season but they were only 6 points behind 2nd place, only 5 points off 3rd & 4 points from 4th & we do believe they represent a very solid each way bet again this season with more improvement to come built around the basis of their incredible home form & their positive approach will see them win far more than they lose.
The case for Brighton is not so obvious as Gus Poyet’s team finished 13th, 36 points of the eventual winners & 21 points short of the play-offs so obviously they require massive improvement but we believe their is every chance that improvement will come.
Brighton were a much improved side for the last few months of the season & now Gus Poyet is totally settled into the job, we do believe a good, positive start for Brighton will give them the momentum they need & they do look great each way value in our opinion.
Charlton, Sheffield Wednesday, Peterborough & Swindon are all teams who command respect & teams we expect to be in the mix but we do believe Southampton are the clear, outstanding contenders to win League 1 while Huddersfield Town & Brighton both have young, progressive managers and they can bring about the improvement required to see them challenge as strongly & consistently as any other side in League 1.
Southampton to win League 1, Huddersfield Town & Brighton each way
Southampton, Huddersfield Town & Brighton each way on the Handicap market
Our feelings for League 2 are quite simplistic but entirely accurate in our view as we believe League 2 is & always has been a complete lottery & puzzle that looks almost impossible for punters to solve.
We have heard it said that the National Lottery would be entirely appropriate sponsors for League 2 because the chances of correctly & confidently predicting the winners of League 2 before a ball has been kicked are similar to the chances of winning the lottery.
Ok, that is an exaggeration on our part but a valid one as it perfectly portrays the difficulty in deciding which team or group of teams will go well in League 2 this season & fight their way to success through what must be the toughest & most competitive league anywhere, we certainly can’t think of another league that comes close.
The honest truth with League 2 is that all the teams are capable of beating each other, home or away, and that has always been the case in this incredible league.
The betting market is headed by Bradford City & closely followed by teams such as Rotherham, Gillingham, Wycombe, Morecambe, Stevenage, Torquay, Port Vale & Chesterfield and indeed they are all solid contenders with excellent managers whom all have the potential to challenge for promotion & win League 2 but the three teams we like as value each way shots are Northampton, Aldershot & Bury.
Aldershot, Bury & Northampton are all priced around the 14/1 – 16/1 mark and in our view that is the minimum price range which should be considered when betting in League 2.
Alershot finished 6th last season, Bury 8th & Northampton 10th and we believe a little improvement from all three sides will see them firmly involved in the mix for League 2 and are worthy of a small stakes each way bet.
Northampton, Aldershot & Bury all each way for League 2
Those are our own independent views on what we believe to be the best value betting options in the Championship, League 1 & League 2 and we hope they provide ideas & indeed betting success for the season ahead.
Whatever ante-post football bets you choose to go for, we of course recommend that you shop around for the best prices & best terms and we at http://www.bettingpreview.co.uk/blog/ of course wish you all the best of luck with your football bets for the season.
13 May
The Play-Offs are a fantastic, exciting feature of the season & invariably they are always notoriously difficult to predict & this year looks highly likely to be on the toughest to predict in recent seasons.
In League 1 Millwall, Charlton, Swindon & Huddersfield Town all had fantastic seasons & finished within 5 points of each other while in League 2 it was even closer with only 1 point difference covering Rotherham, Dagenham, Aldershot & Morecambe.
Those small points differences show how competitive these Play-Offs Matches are going to be & how tight they are to call but we have had a good look at the set up in each League & the markets available so here are our views on how we feel the Play-Offs may work out & the value bets worth consideration.
Millwall, Charlton, Swindon & Huddersfield Town all had fantastically consistent seasons & totally deserve to have earned their places in the Play-Offs & all four will now believe they have an equal chance to reach the Final & gain promotion to the Championship.
The draw for the Semi Finals puts Millwall up against Huddersfield Town & Charlton up against Swindon and they really do look incredibly tough Semi Finals to call.
In the case of Millwall versus Huddersfield Town, it’s a match up of the two teams with the best home records in League 1 as both Millwall & Huddersfield Town only lost 1 home game out of the 23 home league matches played.
Millwall achieved 56 points at home with 17 wins & 5 draws and had the best home defensive record while Huddersfield achieved 50 points at home with 14 wins & draws and had the best home goalscoring record in League 1.
Those statistics show how close both matches are likely to be & clearly the strong home form indicates that is quite possible that both teams will win their home matches so it could well come down to which side gets the best home result but deciding which side that will be is incredibly tough.
The first leg of this Semi Final sees Huddersfield Town taking on Millwall at Home so clearly Huddersfield will be looking to win that & take a lead to Millwall while Millwall will obviously look for a positive result to take back.
It really is a tight call between these two sides in terms of ability & quality so perhaps the vital key could be Millwall’s experience from being in this situation last season & so MILLWALL get our narrow vote to edge their Semi Final against Huddersfield Town and qualify for the final.
MILLWALL to qualify for the Final
Just like the Millwall vs Huddersfield Town clash, this looks an equally competitive Semi Final draw & a tough one to call give how close they finished to each other.
Charlton achieved 2 more points that Swindon but we don’t expect that to count for too much in the context of this Semi Final & given the fact both their home & away records are similar it really does highlight the task in splitting them.
Charlton achieved 48 points at home & 36 away while Swindon achieved 47 points at home & 35 points away so there really is nothing in it & even their goalscoring records are similar too.
The pressure is on Charlton more than it is Swindon so that could be a factor but Charlton do have the edge in terms of allround player quality & that probably counts for more & we see CHARLTON has the bet to edge this tight Semi Final and qualify for the Final.
CHARLTON to qualify for the Final
We’ve put forward both MILLWALL & CHARLTON as our bets to qualify for the final so assuming we are proven right, we see a Millwall vs Charlton, all London final and that really does look a cracking prospect both in terms of the match & the occasion itself.
Just as with the Semi Finals, a Millwall vs Charlton clash would be tough to call given the London derby element & of course anything is possible on the day itself but as things stand, we see MILLWALL as being the overall strongest contenders & they are our recommendation to win the League 1 Play-Offs and book their return to the Championship.
Rotherham, Dagenham, Aldershot & Morecambe all finished within 1 point of each other & all had very similar home & away records with similar goalscoring records as well so absolutely anything is possible in these Play-Offs.
The betting for the League 2 Play-Offs have Morecambe & Rotherham both on 5/2 & Aldershot & Dagenham both on 11/4 so that indicates how close the bookies think it is & how hard it is to decide which side will prevail.
The line up for the League 2 Semi Finals sees Rotherham vs Aldershot & Dagenham vs Morecambe and to be honest we feel absolutely anything is possible in those matches but on balance ROTHERHAM look just the pick to qualify past Aldershot & MORECAMBE just to have the edge over Dagenham.
ROTHERHAM to qualify for the Final & MORECAMBE to qualify for the Final
We’ve put forward ROTHERHAM & MORECAMBE as our recommendations to qualify for the final and indeed a Play-Off Final between Rotherham United & Morecambe is a hard call to make on the day but as things stand now, ROTHERHAM get our vote to win the League 2 Play-Offs and celebrate promotion to League 1.
MILLWALL & CHARLTON to qualify for the League 1 Play-Off Final
MILLWALL to win League 1 Play-Offs outright
ROTHERHAM & MORECAMBE to qualify for the League 2 Play-Off Final
ROTHERHAM to win League 2 Play-Offs outright
22 Mar
There are 7 very important & indeed very interesting midweek games place in League 1 & League 2 this week with 3 fixtures in League 1 & 4 in League 2.
We have had a good look at the games & here are our predictions with the value betting options we feel are worth consideration.
Colchester to beat Brentford – Correct Score: 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer eachway: Platt/Lisbie/Wordsworth
Southampton to beat Hartlepool – Correct Score: 3-0/4-0
First Goalscorer eachway: Lambert/Barnard/Lallana
Southend vs Walsall DRAW – Correct Score: 1-1
First Goalscorer eachway: Byefield/Vernon/Mousa
Accringston Stanley to beat Burton – Correct Score: 2-1/3-1
First Goalscorer eachway: Symes/Miles
Bradford vs Notts County DRAW – Correct Score: 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer eachway: Hughes/Hanson/Davies
Darlington vs Aldershot DRAW – Correct Score: 1-1/2-2
First Goalscorer eachway: Straker/Bozanic/Morgan
Rotherham to beat Macclesfield – Correct Score: 2-1/3-1
First Goalscorer eachway: Le Fondre/Walker/McAllister
26 Feb
This weekend sees another full set of vital & interesting fixtures take place in League 2 with loads of potential for some fantastic betting opportunities.
We have had a good look at the fixture list & here are the games that caught our punting eye & a range of value betting options we feel are worth consideration.
BURY to beat Barnet – 2-0/2-1
- Lowe/Morrell/Jones score 1st/anytime
BRADFORD CITY to beat Darlington – 2-1/3-1
- Hanson/Evans/O’Brien score 1st/anytime
Burton vs Rotherham United DRAW – 1-1/2-2
- Le Fondre/Harrad/Pearson score 1st/anytime
Chesterfield Town vs Aldershot Town DRAW – 1-1/2-2
- Talbot/Whaley/Straker score 1st/anytime
DAGENHAM to beat Grimsby – 3-0/3-1
- Benson/Scott score 1st/anytime
Lincoln City vs Crewe DRAW – 1-1/2-2
- Miller/Moore/Grant score 1st/anytime
ROCHDALE to beat Macclesfield – 3-0/3-1
- O’Grady/Dagnall score 1st/anytime
MORECAMBE to beat Port Vale – 3-1/3-2
- Jevons/Mullin score 1st/anytime
NORTHAMPTON TOWN to beat Cheltenham – 2-0/3-0
- Akinfenwa/Mckay score 1st/anytime
NOTTS COUNTY to beat Hereford – 3-0/3-1
= Hughes/Rodgers/Davies score 1st/anytime
Shrewsbury Town vs Bournemouth DRAW – 1-1/2-2
- Pitman/Fletcher/Hibbert score 1st/anytime
ACCRINGTON to beat Torquay – 2-1/3-1
- Symes/Miles/Barnes score 1st/anytime
26 Feb
This weekend sees another full set of vital & interesting fixtures take place in League 1 with loads of potential for some fantastic betting opportunities.
We have had a good look at the fixture list & here are the games that caught our punting eye & a range of value betting options we feel are worth consideration.
This action looks set to be intense & competitive both on & off the pitch as these two local rivals go head to head in what is a massively important match for both Huddersfield Town & Leeds.
Huddersfield Town are intent on achieving at least a play-off place from this season so they will be going all out for the three points & Leeds United need to get back to winning ways to kick-start their title push again.
Huddersfield Town have got the best home record in League 1 with 10 wins & 6 draws from their 16 home league matches so far with an incredible 39 goals scored during those games.
That impressive home record gives Huddersfield Town a massive boost every time they play at home because they know they are so hard to beat & that gives them the confidence to go & play their positive attacking football to attempt to win the match.
Huddersfield Town also come into this match in excellent overall form & that will further boost their confidence levels so we are expecting a top performance from them here.
Leeds United were walking away with League 1 a few months back but all that has gone wrong since & they are really struggling to find consistent winning form again.
Leeds United know they cannot afford to drop any more ground in the title race & they know this is going to be a really tough fixture and that only adds to the extensive pressure they are already under.
The atmosphere is going to be electric for this one with both sets of fans primed & we are expecting Huddersfield Town & Leeds United to put on a cracking show here which will be tremendoulsy competitive but for the bet we are going with Huddersfield Town to win this & extend their excellent home form.
Outright Match Result: Huddersfield Town to win
Correct Score options: Huddersfield Town to win 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Rhodes/Kay/Roberts
Scorecast options: Rhodes/Kay/Roberts score 1st & Huddersfield Town win 2-0/2-1
Double Result: Huddersfield Town H/T & F/T
Good football looks the order of the day here as both managers believe in playing positive football so Leyton Orient & Swindon look set to produce a good contest here.
Geraint Williams at Leyton Orient & Danny Wilson at Swindon, both believe in getting their teams to play a good, solid passing game & that positive style has certainly benefitted them both in recent months.
Leyton Orient are only 6 points above the relegation zone but they don’t play like a side with relegation fears & indeed their home for has been pretty good recently so they will believe they can get something from this.
Swindon Town come into this match on a great run of form, scoring goals & winning games in style as they push towards a certain play-off place & also holding claims for automatic promotion as well.
Swindon Town are full of confidence at present & they will believe they can win anywhere so we are expecting them to come & be very positive in this game with 3 points the only target for them.
This should be a good game because Leyton Orient will be determined to be positive & committed here while Swindon will come looking for the win so it is going to be competitive but in terms of a bet then we really do like the claims of Swindon given their excellent form & they do look a great value bet to get a vital away win.
Betting Recommendations:
Outright Match Result: Swindon Town to win
Correct Score options: Swindon Town to win 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Austin/Paynter
Double Result: Swindon H/T & F/T
12th place Southampton welcome 10th place Walsall for what should be a good, honest game of positive football between two well organised sides.
Southampton are 5 points behind Walsall coming into this match but they do have 2 games in hand & also would have 10 more points had they not started the season on minus 10 points.
Alan Pardew has done a fantastic job to breath new life into Southampton & he has got them playing a really positive, exciting brand of football which has got everybody excited at the club again & there is now a new sense of belief there.
That sense of belief is reflected in the Southampton squad & their determination to win games by playing positive, attacking football which was perfectly highlighted by their excellent performance in winning 2-0 away at League 1 leaders Norwich City last weekend.
Admittedly, Southampton did slip up in midweek with a 0-0 draw against lowly Wycombe but that was a blip & they will really fancy their chances back on home soil where they have only been beaten twice in the league so far this season.
Walsall are a good, solid, well organised side who play their football like that & particularly away so they will certainly not be easy for Southampton in this one.
Walsall will go into this game determined to get a positive result & they are capable but their weakness away from home is not being able to score enough goals & that does make it tough to win and particularly against teams as good as Southampton.
This should be a good game as both Southampton & Walsall will compete hard for everything which will please the fans & the home fans are likely to be pleased most because we really do like the look of Southampton to win this one & they are well worth a bet to get another home win here.
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/Lallana/Barnard
Double Result: Southampton H/T & F/T
Southend United vs Charlton DRAW – 1-1/2-2
- Bailey/Shelvey score 1st/anytime
BRENTFORD to beat Tranmere – 2-0/2-1
- Weston/Macdonald/Strevens score 1st/anytime
BRIGHTON to beat Exeter City – 2-0/2-1
- Murray/Bennett/Navaro score 1st/anytime
Bristol Rovers vs Colchester DRAW – 1-1/2-2
- Dickson/Platt/Howe score 1st/anytime
CARLISLE to beat Gillingham – 3-0/3-1
- Harte/Ansiyah/Dobie score 1st/anytime
MILLWALL to beat Hartlepool – 2-0/2-1
- Harris/Morrison/Schofield score 1st/anytime
NORWICH CITY to beat Oldham – 3-0/3-1
- Holt/Martin/Hoolahan score 1st/anytime
Stockport County v Wycombe DRAW – 1-1/2-2 – Ibere/Donnelly score 1st/anytime
22 Feb
There is a full programme of matches in League 1 & League 2 taking place on tuesday night and here our thoughts on the games that catch our eye & betting recommendations for the remaining fixtures:
This is a very important fixture as 2nd place Bury welcome play-off chasing Morecambe to what should be a really interesting match.
Bury have been on a fantastic run of form that has taken them 2nd place in League 1 & definitely in with a real chance of automatic promotion & quite possibly a chance at winning the League 2 title.
Another solid 1-0 win over Shrewsbury Town showed the great team spirit & determination to win that Bury have within their squad and certainly this home match represents another fantastic opportunity to get 3 more vital points.
Bury have got an excellent home record with 9 wins & 2 draws so far this season with an ability to be very well organised defensively, hard to break down with an attacking threat that gives them the chance to win matches & get positive results.
Morecambe come into this match needing a win to help bounce back after their disappointing performance in losing 2-0 away at struggling Cheltenham Town on saturday.
That performance & result was terrible and team confidence must have taken a hit after that & they will need to shake that off if they are to get anything from this game.
Morecambe are a capable side who have the attacking ability to get a result but an away record of only 3 wins from 15 away matches is a big concern & a draw is possibly the best they can hope for here.
This is going to be competitive & certainly Bury will not find it easy going against Morecambe but Bury’s home form is strong & with team confidence high, Bury do look well worth a bet to take the 3 points.
Outright Match Result: Bury to win
Correct Score options: Bury to win 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: Lowe/Morrell/Worrall
Both Aldershot & Dagenham hold hopes of reaching the play-offs so the 3 points at stake here are vital to both teams & this looks set to be a really competitive game.
Only two points separate Aldershot & Dagenham which suggests this is going to be a close battle & both need the win if they are to stay in the hunt for a play-off spot so we are expecting both teams to go for it here.
In terms of recent form Aldershot definitely have the edge over Dagenham who have slumped in recent weeks & Aldershot also have the psychological bonus of having already beaten Dagenham this season so that could be an important factor as well.
The most important factor could well the comparative home & away records with Aldershot having a superb home record of only 1 defeat in 15 matches scoring 31 goals while Dagenham have only won 3 from their 14 away matches scoring only 11 goals.
This will be competitive & both sides look to play positive football so it should be entertaining but in terms of the result we cannot look past Aldershot given their impressive home record & they look a great value bet to win this & make it 9 home wins for the season.
Outright Match result: Aldershot to win
Correct Score options: Aldershot to win 2-0/2-1
Player to score first each way/Player to score anytime: Morgan/Straker/Donnelly
ROTHERHAM UNITED to beat Shrewsbury Town – 2-0/2-1
- Le Fondre/Roberts/Ellison score 1st/anytime
ACCRINGTON STANLEY to beat Burton Albion – 2-1/3-1
- Symes/Miles/Grant score 1st/anytime
BOURNEMOUTH to beat Barnet – 3-0/3-1
- Pitman/Connell/Hollands score 1st/anytime
Cheltenham vs Torquay DRAW – 1-1/2-2
- Hayles/Allsop/Thornhill score 1st/anytime
Crewe vs Chesterfield DRAW – 1-1/2-2
- Walton/Miller score 1st/anytime
NOTTS COUNTY to beat Darlington – 3-0/3-1
- Hughes/Davies/Rodgers score 1st/anytime
GRIMBSY to beat Macclesfield 2-0/2-1
- Peacock/Wright/Coulson score 1st/anytime
Hereford vs Northampton DRAW – 1-1/2-2
- Akinfenwa/Gilligan/Lunt score 1st/anytime
Port Vale vs Lincoln City DRAW 1-1/2-2
- Richards/Davies/Haldene score 1st/anytime
ROCHDALE to beat Bradford – 3-0/3-1
- O’Grady/Dagnall/Jones score 1st/anytime
26 Jan
There is full midweek programme of games taking place in League 1 & League 2 and here are our thoughts on the games that caught our eye & the value betting options that we feel are worth consideration:
The standard of football in League 1 is pretty high these days and certainly Walsall & Norwich City play their part & this should be a very good game.
Walsall are a good, solid, well organised club who look to play the right way & certainly can test any team in the league on their day so we are expecting a good performance from them here.
Norwich City are absolutely flying at present coming into this match on a great run of form which has taken them to the top of League 1 & certainly looking a rock solid bet for promotion.
Confidence is sky high within the Norwich City squad at present & they are playing fantastic, attacking football which is giving them the opportunity to score goals & win games and they will believe they can do the same here.
This should be a decent game & Walsall will make it a test for Norwich City but on current form it is hard to oppose Norwich City & they look a decent bet to have too much quality & win this.
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: Martin/Hoolahan/Johnson
Competitive, high energy football looks the order of the day here between Brentford who are strong at home & Southampton who are in great form so should be a decent game.
Brentford have 5 wins & 6 draws at home in the league this season & they will certainly go into this match believing they can get a result & will use the fact they played very well against Championship side Doncaster last week as motivation for this.
Southampton are absolutely flying now under the excellent management of Alan Pardew & they look as though believe they are going to win every game they play in at present so we expect another positive show here.
This should be a competitive contest & indeed a scoring draw is tempting but we like the way Southampton are playing at present & after beating Ipswich at the weekend, they will be flying going into this match & they look a value bet to win again here.
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
Twenty two points seperate League 2 leaders Rochdale from mid table Port Vale but nevertheless both sides like to play football & decent, competitive game looks likely here.
Rochdale are having an absolutely fantastic season so far, sitting 9 points clear at the top of League 2 with promotion looking virtually secured already & this home game is another opportunity to work towards that.
Rochdale come into this match in excellent form having won 17 of their 26 league games which has seen them score an incredible 58 goals and we are expecting Rochdale to go for the goals again here.
A very impressive 4-1 away win at the weekend should see Rochdale come here with great confidence & belief and we expect them to go all out for the win right from the star in this one.
Port Vale are 22 points behind Rochdale which suggests they will struggle but they have improved greatly in the last few months & certainly will feel they have a chance of getting a positive result from this match.
Port Vale’s away record is excellent so far this season with only 2 away defeats & that proves they have the ability & character to go to Rochdale and get that result if they play to their best & things go there way on the night.
Rochdale will be positive from the start & Port Vale are capable of making it a real test so this should be very competitive & closer than many will expect but we have to side with Rochdale at home & they look a solid bet to win again here.
Outright Match Result: Rochdale to win
Correct Score options: Rochdale to win 2-0/2-1
First Goalscorer each way/Player to score anytime: O’Grady/Dagnall/Taylor
Other Recommendations for League 1 & League 2:
Exeter City vs Carlisle United – DRAW 1-1/2-2 – Anyinsah/Stansfield/Stewart score 1st/anytime
BRIGHTON to beat Stockport – 2-0/2-1
- Forster/Murray score 1st/anytime
Accrington Stanley vs Aldershot – DRAW 1-1/2-2
- Symes/Grant/Straker score 1st/anytime
ROTHERHAM UNITED to beat Chesterfield – 2-0/2-1
- Le Fondre/Ellison score 1st/anytime
Dagenham vs Notts County – DRAW 1-1/2-2
- Benson/Hughes/Rodgers score 1st/anytime
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