EFL Weekend Tips and Predictions: Best Bets Preview

Jack Wright returns for another installment of his weekly EFL duties here at bettingexpert with weekend tips and predictions covering the three best leagues in the world. Coventry travels to Oxford in the Championship after a dominating win over Preston, as Burton hosts what looks and feels like a relegation six-pointer in League One. In League Two, AFC Wimbledon might just make use of the much-welcomed extra rest against Bromley.

Oxford vs Coventry Prediction: Sky’s the limit for in-form Coventry. 

England, Championship, Saturday, March 1st, 12:30 (UK) 

Our Oxford vs Coventry prediction is for Coventry to win the match 1-2.

Eyebrows and more than the odd grumble were raised when Frank Lampard was appointed Coventry’s new manager at the end of November with the club 17th in the Championship. The 46-year-old was rather lazily placed in the same basket as Wayne Rooney and Steve Gerrard with many forgetting some good periods under all of Derby, Chelsea and Everton. 

A relatively inauspicious, inconsistent start saw his opening nine league games in charge split evenly between wins, draws and losses. The last fixture in that sequence was a defeat at Norwich where Sky Blues capitulated to surrender a 1-0 lead and concede twice in added on time to lose 2-1.

Rather than feel sorry for themselves this Coventry squad have been galvanised and since then gone on to win seven of their subsequent eight Championship fixtures. The loss came at home to champions elect Leeds but the weekend victory over Preston made it nine points from a possible nine since then. 

That rare win against the Lillywhites has been seen as another positive sign given the last league success against North End was in 2007. A run of 22 meetings producing eight draws and 14 defeats. 

Mark Robins was, and remains a hugely popular figure at the CBS Arena, rightly so given all he achieved during his time in the Midlands. But it is looking an ever increasingly justified managerial change with Lampard getting the superb squad he inherited simply performing to their capabilities. 

Crucially January additions of seasoned Championship performers like Matt Grimes have been supplemented by the return from injury of captain Ben Sheaf. Coventry are without doubt the form horse as we enter the business end of the season with them now sitting just one point and one place outside the playoffs.  

This is the first of three games against sides currently in the bottom seven, a huge opportunity to continue their good run and put them in the box seat for a top six finish. Oxford enjoyed their own new manager “bounce” going unbeaten in the opening nine league games of Gary Rowett’s tenure. 

However, the U’s have lost three of their last four Championship fixtures without scoring and failed to muster a shot on target in last weekend’s defeat at West Brom. Their most recent home game ended in a disappointing 2-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Portsmouth and they go into this testing fixture with injury problems in defence. 

Siding with the in-form Sky Blues at odds against looks a nice piece of business and I would expect them to kick-off on Saturday as the odds-on favourites. 

• Coventry vs Oxford Prediction: Coventry to win (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 2.05
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 10/10

Oxford possible starting lineup:
Cumming; Kioso, Helik, Brown, Long; Vaulks, Brannagan; Placheta, Goodrham, Phillips; Harris

Coventry possible starting lineup:
Dovin; Thomas, Kitching, Bidwell; Van Ewijk, Eccles, Grimes, Rudoni; Sakamoto, Simms; Thomas-Asante

Burton vs Mansfield Prediction: A goals storm Brewing for this Stag party. 

England, League One, Saturday, March 1st, 15:00 (UK) 

Our Burton vs Mansfield prediction is for Burton to win the match 3-2.

Burton may just have discovered the recipe for survival under Gary Bowyer. Successive 1-0 away wins has breathed new life into their hopes of securing their League One status, climbing up to the final relegation place and only three points off Exeter three places above them. 

Now the side with the worst home record in the division must take advantage of a fixture against freefalling Mansfield. The Stags are winless in their last nine league games, losing eight of those fixtures in a dreadful sequence which sees them looking nervously over their shoulder in 16th. 

Nigel Clough’s side are conceding goals at an alarming rate, having shipped 11 in their last four away games. Their last seven road trips have clicked for over 2.5 goals backers.

This fixture could develop into a shootout, with both teams identifying it as a game they can win to go a long way to realising their season’s objectives. The Brewers are yet to keep a clean sheet in six games at the Pirelli Stadium under their new boss but having recently beaten Rotherham 4-2 and Reading 3-2 there, it is likely they will see their best route to success is to come out swinging. 

Those six home games under Bowyer have seen an average of 3.50 goals with a minimum of three goals in four of them. Both the reverse fixture and Mansfield’s last road trip ended 3-3 with the last five head to heads across all venues and competitions having seen over 2.5 goals. 

• Burton vs Mansfield Prediction: Over 2.5 goals (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.94
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 10/10

Burton possible starting lineup:
Crocombe; Godwin-Malife, Sweeney, Armer;  Lofthouse, Chauke, Webster, Kalinauskas, Dodgson; Burrell, Bennett

Mansfield possible starting lineup:
Flinders; Bowery, Flint, Kilgour; Oshilaja, Baccus, Reed, Maris, McLaughlin; Evans, Vickers.

AFC Wimbledon vs Bromley Prediction: Raven mad if you think Stevens can’t score against Bromley.

England, League Two, Saturday, March 1st, 15:00 (UK) 

Our AFC Wimbledon vs Bromley prediction is for AFC Wimbledon to win the match 3-0.

We are looking to work one of the anomalies of the EFL fixture list in our favour for this final selection. Whilst AFC Wimbledon have had a clear week of preparation and recovery time, Bromley were given the tough task of a rescheduled home clash with in-form Bradford on Tuesday night.

The hard fought 1-0 win for the Bantams saw them leapfrog Wimbledon and up to second place in League Two, while denting the playoff hopes of Bromley. Although the 10th placed side from Kent continue to punch well above their weight following last season’s promotion from the National League.

Such a quick turnaround will be tough for a side operating on a limited budget especially at this stage of a gruelling campaign. A trip to the Dons who boast the third best home record in the fourth tier is tough enough at the best of times, with only five of the 16 visitors to Plough Lane this season leaving with any points. 

This fixture also sees a battle between the joint top-scorers in the division with Michael Cheek and Matty Stevens both having hit 16 league goals so far this term. Stevens will be hoping for better luck than when he was hunting down the golden boot award in the 2021-22 season. 

Having hit 23 league goals the then Forest Green striker suffered an anterior cruciate ligament knee injury with eight games of the season remaining. Although Rovers went on to be crowned champions, the 27-year-old was displaced as top scorer by Dom Telford who ended two goals ahead of him.

It has been a long road to recovery that took in a loan spell at Walsall before being released by FGR following the club’s relegation to the National League last term. He now looks back to his best after an injury-free first season in south-west London. 

He looks good value to add to his tally here with his current goals haul being heavily indebted to strikes on home soil. Stevens has only hit the back of the net in three away games but has scored a total of 12 goals at Plough Lane. He has scored in six of his last eight League Two appearances at home. 

Bromley have conceded 11 goals in their last five away league games, shipping three at both Salford and Chesterfield as well as four at Crewe. While Wimbledon have won their last five at home without conceding. 

This all points towards a home win and in that case it would be a surprise if we did not see Stevens’ name on the scoresheet once more. 

• AFC Wimbledon vs Bromley Prediction: Matty Stevens to score 
• Best Odds: 2.88
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 10/10

AFC Wimbledon possible starting lineup:
Goodman; Ogundere, Lewis, Johnson; Neufville, Reeves, Smith, Tilley; Browne; Stevens, Bugiel

Bromley possible starting lineup:
Smith; Jenkinson, Elerewe, Webster, Mayor; Arthurs, Charles; Whitely, Thompson, Congreve; Cheek

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