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. Blackburn travels to Derby in the Championship where their old manager is still searching for his first point, as relegation-threatened Bristol Rovers hosts faltering promotion chasers in League One. In League Two, managerless MK Dons might just be looking over their shoulders as they welcome one of the ever decreasing number of sides beneath them.

• Derby vs Blackburn Prediction: Both Teams to Score – NO
• Bristol Rovers vs Huddersfield: Over 2.5 Goals
• MK Dons vs Morecambe: Under 2.5 Goals

The Football Betting Podcast, OUT NOW!

The Football Betting Podcast waltzes back into your ears after a decent showing in the Champions League. Now, it’s back to Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga and English League 1 action for the weekend show.

Nine bets and many more games covered.

All that and more…

TIMESTAMPS:

• (09:09) – 1ST BET: Liverpool vs Southampton
• (19:15) – 2ND BET: Napoli vs Fiorentina
• (25:50) – 3RD BET: Wolves vs Everton
• (31:26) – 4TH BET: West Ham vs Newcastle
• (39:51) -5TH BET: Juventus vs Atalanta
• (46:40) – 6TH BET: Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen
• (51:10) – POD TREBLE

Our Football Betting Pod is available on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Derby vs Blackburn Prediction: Sheepish Derby will look to keep Rovers Return of goals low. 

England, Championship, Saturday, March 8th, 15:00 (UK) 

Our Derby vs Blackburn prediction is for Derby to win the match 1-0.

Three weeks ago this fixture carried little interest for those not directly impacted by the contest. However, once John Eustace decided to swap a promotion push with Blackburn for a relegation battle at Derby this game leapt off the page as one to look forward to.

There has not been any sign of the new manager bounce owner David Clowes would have desired after finally pulling the plug on Paul Warne, the man who guided his team to League One promotion last May. The Rams continue to be winless in 2025 losing nine of their 11 games including all three under Eustace which has seen them fall to the bottom of the table. 

The 45-year-old inherited a similar situation at Ewood Park last term but having stabilised the team, it is his foundations that see them on the fringes of the play-off places with all to play for in the final weeks of the season. Replacement Valérien Ismaël took charge of his first game last weekend and saw his new team snatch a last second point at home to Norwich despite having Emmanuel Dennis sent off with 5 minutes to go. 

Rovers offered little going forward in that 1-1 draw and Dennis’ suspension further limits their attacking options while there is no person better placed to negate their threats than the man who led them for a year. Eustace forged a reputation in non league for producing free-flowing front foot, attacking brand of football but his spells at Birmingham and Blackburn showed a pragmatic approach. Making both sides harder to beat by implementing a solid defensive structure before adding some attacking flair and goal threat. 

The Rams have not only failed to pick up a point in the last three games they have failed to score, putting further necessity to keep things tight at the back. The recent loss to Middlesbrough pleased the new manager who claimed his side were “solid, had a good shape and were very hard to play against” but ultimately conceded the only goal of the game in the 80th minute.

With what’s at stake at both ends of the table alongside the ex-manager narrative this has all the makings of a tight, nervy encounter. The seasonal stats back up the selection to be the value play.

Only a Burnley side that have conceded 10 league goals all season have seen fewer games feature both teams scoring than Blackburn’s 12 (34%). Of Derby’s 17 Championship appearances at Pride Park this term this bet has clicked in 11 (65%), only Leeds (67%), Sheffield United (71%), Blackburn (72%) and Burnley (76%) have a higher percentage.    

• Derby vs Blackburn Prediction: Both Teams to Score – NO (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.80
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 7/10

Derby possible starting lineup:
Widell Zetterstrom; Nyambe, Langas, Clarke, Forsyth; Adams, Armstrong; Goudmijn, Harness, Barkhuizen; Yates

Blackburn possible starting lineup:
Pears; Brittain, Hyam, Carter, Ribeiro; Tronstad, Travis; Kargbo, Weimann, Dolan; Gueye

Bristol Rovers vs Huddersfield Prediction: Expect goals as hosts need to step on the Gas against visitors with bite

England, League One, Saturday, March 8th, 15:00 (UK) 

Our Bristol Rovers vs Huddersfield prediction is for Huddersfield to win the match 1-2.

Following his December appointment, it appeared Inigo Calderon was going to steer Bristol Rovers comfortably away from the relegation zone. January saw wins over Cambridge and Barnsley before an impressive return of seven points from the first nine available in February. 

However, three successive defeats dragged the Gas back into trouble with the 0-0 draw at rock-bottom Shrewsbury on Tuesday considered an opportunity missed rather than a point gained. One thing the former Brighton U18 coach has brought with him his goals. 

An average of 2.85 from his 13 games in charge up markedly on the opening 21 fixtures of the season with the midweek goalless stalemate dropping that number below three for the first time since joining the club. Rovers have only scored three goals less from eight games fewer as Calderon seems to be delivering a “if we are going down, we are going down swinging” message. 

In the six League One matches played at Memorial Stadium there have been 24 goals scored. The home side have scored multiple times in all bar one of those fixtures while they are yet to keep a clean sheet leading to five seeing a minimum of three goals. 

That all bodes well for over 2.5 goals backers for the arrival of Huddersfield. The Terriers 1-0 home defeat to promotion rivals Wrexham saw them slip to seventh in the table, the last play-off place and extend a terrible home sequence. 

Michael Duff is yet to see his side score a league goal at home in 2025 and while that run will surely end soon they will go into this clash in a better state of mind knowing it is not being held at the John Smith’s Stadium. As is the case with us putting the selection forward given all of the last seven games there have gone under 2.5 goals. 

It is a different story on the road with only Barnsley, Peterborough and Wycombe seeing more than Huddersfields 11 (of 17) away games click for over 2.5 goals bettors. That includes five of their last six in League One, quite a stark difference and one we can take advantage of here.  

• Bristol Rovers vs Huddersfield Prediction: Over 2.5 goals (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.80
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 7/10

Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:
Ward; Wilson, Swinkels, Taylor; Hunt, Omochere, Butcher; Sinclair; Hutchinson; Sotiriou; Martin

Huddersfield possible starting lineup:
Nicholls; Spencer, Sorensen, Ruffels; Turton, Hodge, Evans, Roosken; Chirewa; Marshall, Koroma.

MK Dons vs Morecambe Prediction: With Shrimps on the menu, goals are off it.

England, League Two, Saturday, March 8th, 15:00 (UK) 

Our MK Dons vs Morecambe prediction is for MK Dons to win the match 1-0.

Describing your players as “mentally broken” and “in need of a lift” doesn’t seem to suggest a free flowing, attacking masterclass is on the horizon. But those were the words of MK Dons’  interim head coach Ben Gladwin after watching his side fall to a 2-0 defeat at Accrington Stanley on Tuesday evening. 

The 32-year-old found himself in charge following a 11th defeat in the last 16 league games for Scott Lindsey who after a promising start could not repeat the magic he produced in getting Crawley promoted last season. Despite having 71% of the ball at The Wham Stadium, MK mustered just four attempts at goal with none on target.

Hardly the stats to lift the expectation that a total of three goals in their last eight home games is about to be improved. The Dons have failed to score in six of those contests with under 2.5 goals clicking in seven. 

That heavy volume of losses has seen a dramatic tumble down the table from as high as third to their current precarious position of 17th. Accrington were one of only six clubs beneath them, Morecambe are another, going into the weekend occupying the final relegation spot a point from safety. 

An impressive 1-0 midweek victory over promotion chasing AFC Wimbledon lifted Derek Adams’ side off the foot of the table and they will be eyeing another win here to escape the drop zone. To do that they will certainly need to find a cutting edge that has been missing for much of the campaign. 

The Shrimps have lost seven of their last eight road trips, and seven have clicked for under 2.5 goals bettors. Half of those defeats were by a 1-0 scoreline, a defeat they have suffered seven times away from home in the league this term and on twelve occasions across all venues. 

In total 24 of Morecambe’s 35 League Two fixtures have gone under 2.5 goals. An amount only Colchester with 25 can top.

• MK Dons vs Morecambe Prediction: Under 2.5 Goals 
• Best Odds: 1.91
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 10/10

MK Dons possible starting lineup:
Trueman; Offord, Lawrence, Waller; Nemane, White, Kelly, Patterson; Crowley, Gilbey; Hogan

Morecambe possible starting lineup:
Burgoyne; Hendrie, Stott, Taylor, A. Lewis; White, Songo’o, Macadam; Garner, Angol, Edwards

Safer Gambling

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