EFL Acca Tips and Predictions: On The Nose

If the Euro 2024 fixtures aren’t your cuppa tea (or even if they are), Jack Wright has delved into the remaining EFL fixtures to bring you the three bets that catch his eye.

Plentiful reasoning included for one of the three games in League One and a couple from League Two.

1. Carlisle vs Stevenage: Stevenage to Win
2. Doncaster vs Forest Green: Doncaster to Win
3. Notts County vs Salford: Salford to Win

bet365 Acca Odds: 11.94

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The pair also analyses a tightly bunched Championship table ahead of Sam bringing shame to his hometown club with a relegation outright betting opportunity.

Carlisle vs Stevenage: Evans sent opponents for wobbling play-off chasers

England, League One, Saturday, March 23rd, 15:00 (UK)

Rock bottom Carlisle slipped ever closer to confirmed relegation on Saturday with a 1-0 defeat at a struggling Shrewsbury side. The Shrews hadn’t won any of their previous six home games, losing five.

For the Cumbrians it was a 12th defeat in the last 13 in League One in what has been a wretched campaign. Paul Simpson’s men are now 16 points from safety, with the manager admitting his side have been poor at both ends of the pitch throughout the campaign.

A side with brittle confidence and who seemingly only know how to lose present perfect opponents for play-off chasing Stevenage. Boro have slipped out of the top six after successive defeats, but know this: their game in hand could not be better hand-picked.

Steve Evans was fuming about the non-award of a penalty for his side in the first of those losses at Peterborough. It was a game I watched, and I was impressed with how his side nullified the threat of 4th placed Posh whilst causing headaches at the other end, restricting the free-scoring hosts to just six shots, four on target but three resulting in goals.

A disappointing first half proved pivotal in the weekend loss to Leyton Orient. However, I expect a clear week to regroup and prepare for this massive fixture, which will be decisive against opponents who are quite frankly always there for the taking.

Much also has been made of the 17 key and big match decisions that have gone against Stevenage followed by an equal number of apology emails. A point clearly made by Evans in an hour-long call with Howard Webb, head of PGMOL. It will be interesting to see if there is a “redressing of the balance”, possibly starting on Saturday.

• Selection: Stevenage to Win (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.80
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 8/10

Doncaster vs Forest Green: Doncaster refuse to let FGR out of the woods

England, League Two, Saturday, March 23rd, 15:00 (UK)

Doncaster have put a very nice run of form together to move 13 points clear of the relegation zone. Rovers have suffered just one defeat in their last nine league games and made it back to back victories with a 2-1 win at Swindon last weekend leapfrogging their hosts in the table in the process.

It has been a testing campaign for Grant McCann and his team. A seemingly never-ending injury list has seen them scrapping for their lives at the wrong end of League Two. It is no coincidence that as the injuries finally eased, consistently improving performances followed.

In short, I feel Doncaster is in something of a false position and can take another giant leap towards safety by claiming another three points here. Forest Green is the side that currently occupies the final relegation spot, so this fixture has extra meaning.

The experienced Steve Cotterill has done a fine job at FGR. A shock midweek win at Bradford lifted his side out of the drop zone only to return after falling to defeat at the weekend.

I wonder how much the disappointment at losing to the only side below them, Sutton United, will prove hard to bounce back from. The Eco-Power Stadium has become a difficult place to visit, with Doncaster winning their last three games there.

The last two were “to-nil” and against sides that sit in the top seven. The reverse fixture ended 2-1 to the side from South Yorkshire, and I am taking them to complete the double here.

• Selection: Doncaster to Win (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.95
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 7/10

Notts County vs Salford: Charging

England, League Two, Saturday, March 23rd, 15:00 (UK)

A couple of disclaimers ahead of my final preview. At the time of writing Notts County have yet to travel to Bradford on Tuesday night, and this selection is fundamentally built on taking the Magpies on rather than having complete faith in Salford.

There is no debating that County have struggled massively since Luke Williams departed to take the vacant manager’s job at Swansea. Just one win in ten games has seen last season’s National League play-off winners slide down the table to 17th place.

The weekend draw at Accrington at least halted a run of five straight defeats. But I can’t be having a side that has only picked up one point in five home games under their new manager losing the last four, priced up at odds on.

Karl Robinson’s side are 20th in the table but are now 11 points above the relegation zone following a 3-1 defeat of Morecambe on Sunday. This came hot on the heels of giving second placed Stockport a real scare in taking a 2-0 lead four days previously – ultimately having to settle for a 2-2 draw.

The former MK Dons boss started his time in charge of the Ammies with an eight game unbeaten run and after a mini wobble seems to have his charges back on track. We have certainly seen enough upturn in his time at the club to believe the odds of 4.00 are well worth taking and offer more than a little value.

• Selection: Salford to Win (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 4.00
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 5/10

EFL Acca Tips and Predictions Odds via bet365 as at 20:00, March 18th, 2024. Odds may now differ.

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