EFL Early Bird Acca Tips: Seeking value in League One and League Two

League One and League Two in England are motoring along at their usual frenetic pace, and here we are looking for some EFL Early Bird value from the FIFTH round of fixtures. Early season form has given us early indicators of who to side with and against as the embryonic tables take shape.

Three games from the third and fourth-tiers catch the eye with a full sweep of selections giving odds of 6.49.

• Early Bird Oxford vs Charlton: Oxford to win
• Early Bird Barrow vs Wrexham: Both Teams To Score
• Early Bird Gillingham vs Colchester: Gillingham to win

Acca odds: 6.24

Odds via Coral as at TIME, DATE YEAR. Odds may now differ.

Oxford vs Charlton: Addicks to fail University Challenge

England, League One, Saturday, August 26th, 15:00 (UK)

Turn the clock back to the first week of the season, and things were looking gloomy for Oxford United fans. Optimism was high going into the new campaign after a decent pre-season, with Liam Manning set for his first full campaign in charge.

The U’s finished 19th last term, just two points off the bottom four and relegation. With their 37-year-old manager, who is credited as having contributed to the development of Declan Rice, warning “lessons needed to be learned” following a season of toiling at the wrong end of the table.

They opened their campaign with a “hugely disappointing” 2-0 loss to Cambridge United. Days later, despite a Billy Bodin equaliser with 30 minutes on the clock, United were thrashed 5-1 by Championship side Bristol City in the Carabao Cup.

Since then, the Yellows have won three successive league games with victories over promotion favourites Derby and Barnsley, particularly eye-catching. Manning’s side now sits 4th, level on points with leaders Cambridge – a situation that makes the opening day loss more palatable than it appeared at the time.

Visitors Charlton in contrast, started the season positively, recording a 1-0 win over Leyton Orient. It’s been downhill all the way ever since.

Despite taking the lead, a 3-1 loss at League Two outfit Newport in the Carabao Cup started the rot. Saturday’s 3-2 home reverse, again after taking the lead, to a Port Vale side who were on a 12-game winless league run on the road was a third in succession and left Dean Holden’s men down in 18th place.

A key component in Oxford’s revival has been getting summer signing Mark Harris on the scoresheet. The Wales international, who was part of the 2022 World Cup squad, has fired in three goals in his last three appearances since joining on a long-term deal from Cardiff.

• Selection: Oxford to win
• Best Odds: 1.95
• Bookmaker: Coral

Barrow vs Wrexham: No Foster care for Wrecked defence but Barrow-load of goals still on the cards

England, League Two, Saturday, August 26th, 15:00 (UK)

A crazy 5-5 draw with Swindon was enough to persuade Wrexham’s former England international goalkeeper Ben Foster to hang his gloves up permanently. A torrid start to the season for the newly promoted side has seen them concede a whopping 13 goals – three more than any other side in the EFL.

The Cycling GK admitted his performances were not at the level he demanded of himself. As Swindon Town became the second visiting team this season to score five goals past him at the SToK Cae Ras, it was clear the 40-year-old keeper was a frustrated man.

This change of circumstance doesn’t put me off playing both teams to score selection here. The error-prone defence in front of Foster did him no favours neither did the costly habit of losing possession in their own final third. In the short term, the Red Dragons will likely turn to Mark Howard, who started 32 league games last season but was clearly deemed the second choice to his now-retired replacement.

Both teams have scored in all four Wrexham league games so far this season. They have been as good in attack as they have been poor in defence scoring 13 goals even in the absence of injured talisman Paul Mullin.

Barrow’s first league loss of the season on Saturday was also the first fixture of the four not to feature both teams on the scoresheet. However, a 1-0 defeat to last season’s losing playoff finalists Stockport, a side with a reputation for a tight defence, doesn’t concern me.

The trip to Edgeley Park was also a second successive road game in five days for the Bluebirds following on from the 1-1 draw at Accrington. A return to home soil will suit Pete Wild’s side, with their only fixture there so far resulting in a 2-1 win over Sutton.

• Selection: Yes in Both Teams to Score
• Best Odds: 1.75
• Bookmaker: Betfair

Gillingham vs Colchester: Gills to breathe more life into title charge

England, League Two, Saturday, August 26th, 15:00 (UK)

It feels too easy to predict a side at the top of the table with a 100% record to beat the rock-bottom team yet to win a point. But here we are, and the fact we are getting close to even money about it makes this selection impossible to overlook for inclusion in the Early Bird.

Although all the noise and hullabaloo remains around Wrexham as you would expect, Gillingham have gone quietly about their business. Their games may have seen 22 fewer goals than the ante-post title favourites, but the side from Kent has already picked up seven more points.

Neil Harris has seen his side win all four league games 1-0. Although the 3-1 dismissal of Championship high flyers Southampton in the Carabao Cup showed, they do possess a cutting edge in front of goal.

It is getting harder by the week to meet the former Millwall man’s pre-season hopes of keeping a lid on expectations. Saturday saw the Gills travel to Crawley and hand them their first league defeat of the season.

Visitors Colchester are one of only two of the 72 EFL sides who are yet to win a point. Despite leading MK Dons 2-1 with 88 minutes on the clock, the Essex outfit snatched defeat from the jaws of victory and slipped to a third successive league defeat.

The U’s were involved in the League Two relegation fight for much of last term until a late upturn in form took them to safety. A decent pre-season now also seems a distant memory.

Excuses could have been made for the narrow defeats to Bradford and in the Carabao Cup against Cardiff. However, alarm bells began to ring in the 2-0 loss to AFC Wimbledon, a result which could have been a lot worse considering they allowed 21 attempts at their goal, amassing 2.2xGA.

• Selection: Gillingham to Win
• Best Odds: 1.90
• Bookmaker: BetVictor

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