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. With the international break complete the Championship returns to give us a full complement and provides the highest tier of English league action on FA Cup weekend. 

Two sides desperate for Championship points clash at Vicarage Road as Watford look to keep their play-off hopes alive against rock-bottom Plymouth. It’s a similar story in League One with fifth placed Stockport hosting a Burton side in 21st. The theme continues in League Two as Carlisle face a tough trip to Yorkshire to take on promotion chasing Doncaster.  

• Watford vs Plymouth Prediction: Over 2.5 goals
• Stockport vs Burton Prediction: Under 2.5 goals
• Doncaster vs Carlisle Prediction: Over 2.5 goals

Watford vs Plymouth Prediction: Clever money on goals as we make Pilgrimage to the Vicarage. 

England, Championship, Saturday, March 29th, 12:30 (UK) 

Our Watford vs Plymouth prediction is for Plymouth to win the match 1-2.

Goals look on the lunchtime menu as Watford aim to keep their slim play-off hopes alive as they welcome the worst travellers in the division. Plymouth have only picked up eight from a possible 57 points on the road this term with no team conceding more than their 43 goals away from home. 

The Pilgrims did register their first away win of the season the last time they made the long trip from Devon. A 2-1 defeat of Portsmouth at Fratton Park boosted their chances of survival although a subsequent loss at home to Derby by the odd goal in five leaves them rooted to the foot of the table with a six-point gap to bridge in order to escape the relegation zone.

Against the Rams, Miron Muslic once again saw his side concede soft goals, something that has plagued them throughout the campaign. The manner in which they fought back to level and created chances to go ahead does illustrate there is still fight left in this dog but time is running out.

Encouraging Under Muslic

After his appointment on January 10th there have been plenty of encouraging performances under the Bosnian-born head coach. A come-from-behind defeat of West Brom and 5-1 thrashing of Millwall stand out in the league, while taking the scalps of Brentford on the road and at home to Premier League champions elect Liverpool in the FA Cup are current high points of a tough campaign. 

Argyle travelled to Manchester City and opened the scoring in a 3-1 defeat proving they can score against the elite while the charismatic Muslic’s post Brentford speech to his players went viral. Chairman Simon Hallett has gone on record saying how the 42-year-old was hired following a data led approach to Wayne Rooney’s successor and how he “massively improved” the attacking process of former club Cercle Brugge.

The Hornets go into the final eight games of the season five points adrift of the play-off places but know in time honoured fashion they are in a cluster of clubs that will make the top six with a strong home straight. That has to start here and manager Tom Cleverley will be desperate for his side to rediscover a cutting edge after a frustrating 1-0 defeat at Oxford before the international break. 

Watford dominated possession (62%), had 16 shots to eight, half of those attempts were in the box, where they had 28 touches, 20 more than the hosts and they racked up an xG of 1.33. At home though they have only failed to score in three of their 21 games fixtures across all competitions. 

The last two league head-to-heads have seen exciting draws with the reverse fixture this term ending 2-2. In both those fixtures over 2.5 goals clicked in the first half. 

In the last ten league games at Vicarage Road there have been 26 goals with at least three in seven of those. While Plymouth have seen over 2.5 goals land in four of their last five fixtures across all competitions. 

• Watford vs Plymouth: Over 2.5 goals (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 2.00
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 10/10

Watford possible starting lineup:
Selvik; Ngakia, Pollock, Sierralta, Larouci; Louza, Dele-Bashiru; Kayembe, Sissoko, Chakvetadze; Bayo

Plymouth possible starting lineup:
Hazard; Palsson, Katic, Szucs; Sorinola, Gyabi, Houghtoni, Mumba; Hardie, Wright; Bundu

Stockport vs Burton Prediction: Defences expected to have the Edge – Hats off. 

England, League One, Saturday, March 29th, 12:30 (UK) 

Our Stockport vs Burton prediction is for Stockport to win the match 1-0.

Stockport’s automatic promotion hopes look to have been ended with a 1-0 defeat to top-two rivals Wrexham last weekend. The Hatters nearly escaped conceding a penalty but Jay Rodriguez converted the rebound in what turned out to be the only goal of a tight encounter. 

With a nine point gap to the Welsh outfit who sit second, attention will now likely switch to keeping Bolton and the chasing pack at arms length over the final eight games of the regular season. A home record which has seen them only beaten once, and win eight of the last 11 league games would suggest they can get back to winning ways against relegation-threatened Burton. 

It has been a traumatic campaign for the Brewers who were winless in their opening 13 games of the League One season. Mark Robinson was sacked after the first 11 of those and finally interim manager Tom Hounsell made way for Gary Bowyer to take over on a permanent basis in mid-December with the club second bottom. 

The former Blackburn and Dundee boss tightened the defence up, reducing the average goals conceded per game from 1.58 to 1.22 and on the road a dramatic improvement from 1.56 to exactly 1.00. He has seen his side win three of the last four away games and crucially victories over Shrewsbury, Lincoln and Stevenage all came accompanied with a clean sheet. 

That latest win at Shrewsbury has closed the gap to Bristol Rovers immediately above the relegation zone to six points with Bowyer’s side having a game in hand. 

All of which paints a picture of a tight encounter at Edgeley Park, something to be expected given Stockport have seen a league high 66% of their games click for under 2.5 goals bettors. Across all venues 10 of their last 12 league games have seen no more than two goals, while for Burton it is seven of their last nine and 11 of their last 13 away games in the third tier. 

• Stockport vs Burton Prediction: Under 2.5 goals (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 1.80
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 10/10

Stockport possible starting lineup:
Addai; Horsfall, Connolly, Pye; Knoyle, Norwood, Bate, Touray; Collar; Wootton, Oloafe

Burton possible starting lineup:
Crocombe; Vancooten, Sweeney, Armer; Godwin-Malife, Lofthouse, McKiernan, Dodgson; Webster; Bennett, Burrell.

Doncaster vs Carlisle Prediction: Doesn’t matter Hughes scores the goals as long as someone McCann.  

England, League Two, Saturday, March 29th, 15:00 (UK) 

Our Doncaster vs Carlisle prediction is for Doncaster to win the match 2-1.

After their planned fixture with Salford was postponed last weekend Doncaster enjoyed a rare international break off. At this late stage of another hectic campaign that could be a really beneficial pause in proceedings ahead of the final nine games of the season. 

Rovers have that game in hand on all of their rivals and sit fifth in the table but just one point outside the automatic promotion places whilst enjoying a five point cushion to Colchester one place outside of the playoffs. This represents a fantastic opportunity to capatalise on the fact that while Donny had their feet up only two of the top 15 didn’t drop points.

Grant McCann declared his intent to win the title this season in the immediate aftermath of his side’s play off semi final defeat to Crewe last May and that remains a possibility. Leaders Walsall not only have played a game more, but have only picked up 12 points from the last 39 on offer and are next up at the Eco-Power Stadium after this visit of Carlisle. 

The 44-year-old has stated his intention to make good use of the extra time on the training ground and how he will set his side up to attack the upcoming fixtures on the run in. As a result we should have a continuation of the sequence that has seen eight of their last nine home games produce a minimum of three goals.

Relegation-Haunted

While the hosts have had the luxury of two weeks preparation time the same is not the case for the relegation-haunted visitors. Last weekend’s 2-1 defeat of Bromley breathed life into their survival hopes and they were in action again on Tuesday, twice coming from behind to claim a point at home to MK Dons. 

That point moved the Cumbrians off the foot of the table and closed the gap to safety to six points. The performance pleased manager Mark Hughes who seems to have delivered the message if we are going down let’s go down swinging. 

Three early stalemates in the former Manchester United and Barcelona striker’s 10-game tenure including two goalless draws saw his side slip further off the pace. The last three fixtures, which have seen a win, draw and defeat all saw a minimum of three goals and indicate an openness in a desire to earn enough points to scramble to safety.    

• Doncaster vs Carlisle Prediction: Over 2.5 goals 
• Best Odds: 1.90
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 10/10

Doncaster possible starting lineup:
Sharman-Lowe; Nixon, Wood, Anderson, Senior; Bailey, Broadbent; Molyneux, Clifton, Gibson; Street

Carlisle possible starting lineup:
Breeze; Davies, Lavelle, Thomas, Harper; Vela, Whelan, Wearne; Harris, Dennis, Jones.

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