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. After the hectic Easter period the promotion and relegation picture has become much clearer .

Two sides who can mathematically still make the Championship play-offs meet, as Millwall welcome Swansea to The Den. In League One play-off chasing Reading travel to relegation threatened Bristol Rovers, while in League Two its fourth top against fourth bottom, Walsall vs Accrington.

• Millwall vs Swansea Prediction: Both teams to score
• Bristol Rovers vs Reading Prediction: Reading to win
• Walsall vs Accrington Prediction: Accrington or Draw Double Chance

Millwall vs Swansea Prediction: Goals the mane play as Swans fly into the Lions Den 

England, Championship, Saturday, April 26th, 15:00 (UK) 

Our Millwall vs Swansea prediction is for Swansea to win the match 2-1.

It’s that time of the season when a side’s motivation has to come into your thinking when solving the conundrum of predicting the outcome of a match and this appears to be a clash where each team has plenty to play for. Mathematically both Millwall and Swansea have a chance of making the playoffs, albeit the visitors would need a series of results that would be a stretch even for Championship standards.

Alex Neil has course and distance form having taken a mid-table Norwich side into the top-six and to the promised land via a day out at Wembley in 2015. Having taken over with the Lions in 13th place on December 30th he is looking for a repeat, now sitting in eighth a tantalising three points adrift of Coventry with two games to play.

Hopes looked to have faded after a 4-1 thrashing at Blackburn on Good Friday, however a 3-1 defeat of Norwich at the Den on Monday was the perfect response and the dream lives on. The 43-year-old manager hailed that win as “one of the best” since his appointment and in truth the margin of victory should have been far greater.

The South Londoners created a host of chances and offer attacking threat from a variety of sources. Concerns remain at the back though with first choice goalkeeper Lukas Jensen ruled out for months with a ruptured achilles, backup Liam Roberts also unavailable leaving inexperienced George Evans to step up. 

The 19-year-old was barely tested by the lacklustre Canaries but he should expect to be in for a busier afternoon against visitors in sensational form. When Alan Sheehan was put in interim charge following the dismissal of Luke WIlliams, Swansea were 17th and nervously looking over their shoulder at the relegation zone eight points behind them. 

The Swans have gone on to win seven of the subsequent 11 games, including each of the last five collecting a total of 23 points with only promoted duo Leeds (25) and Burnley (29) accumulating more. Millwall are fourth over that period of time incidentally but that haul of points has moved Swansea 14 clear of the drop and agonisingly just six adrift of the playoffs. 

Fans are understandably calling for Sheehan to be given the job on a permanent basis. Another three points would match the run of six straight wins achieved by the club in the League One campaign of 2007/08 under Roberto Martínez. 

All of which points towards a fixture where two sides go all out to claim the victory. With a pair of in-form attacks on display expect goals at both ends.  

• Millwall vs Swansea Prediction: Both teams to score (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 2.00
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 10/10

Millwall possible starting lineup:
Evans; Crama, Tanganga, Cooper, Sturge; Saville, De Norre; Cundle, Azeez; Ivanovic, Coburn.

Swansea possible starting lineup:
Vigouroux; Key, Cabango, Darling, Tymon; Franco, Fulton; Ronald, O’Brien, Eom; Vipotnik

Check out our Championship BETSiE Projections: Predicting the Unpredictable

Bristol Rovers vs Reading Prediction: Royals step on the Gas in play-off Hunt

England, League One, Saturday, April 26th, 12:30 (UK) 

Our Bristol Rovers vs Reading prediction is for Reading to win the match 3-1.

Reading fans look away now! Having confidently put the Royals forward to register another win on Good Friday they put in a below par performance to slip to a 1-0 defeat at home to Lincoln. 

My assertion they were a good bet for claiming the victory was at least validated on Easter Monday. Bouncebacks don’t come more empathic than the 5-1 thumping they handed out to Mansfield in Nottinghamshire and that win leaves Noel Hunt’s men in seventh, outside of the playoffs only on goal difference. 

It remains remarkable Reading are challenging for promotion given the ongoing crisis off the pitch. Owner Dai Yongge has been given another extension until May 5th to complete the sale of the club after the EFL believed enough progress had been made. 

Such turmoil can either destroy or galvanise and in this case it is clearly the latter. Therefore I cannot fathom how the visitors can be priced up at odds against to beat a free-falling Bristol Rovers outfit. 

The Gas have lost 10 of their last 14 league games, including seven of the last eight and have fallen to defeat in their last four at home. Iñigo Calderón looked like a broken man following another abject performance from his team in the 1-0 loss at home to Stevenage on Monday.

Home supporters turned on their team throughout that clash with the dreaded chants of “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” directed at the players and “you don’t know what you’re doing” to the head coach following the final whistle. The former Brighton Under-18’s boss admitted he would do the same if he were in the stands with Rovers in the relegation zone on goal difference behind Burton who also have a game in hand. 

• Bristol Rovers vs Reading Prediction: Reading to win (TRACKED BET)
• Best Odds: 2.40
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 10/10

Bristol Rovers possible starting lineup:
Ward; Moore, Wilson, Taylor, Hunt, Butcher, Sawyers, Thomas; Sinclair, Shaw; O’Donkor.

Reading possible starting lineup:
Pereira; Rushesha, Mbengue, Bindon, Yiadom; Knibbs, Wing, Savage; Bodin, Wareham, Campbell.

Walsall vs Accrington Prediction: Slipping Saddlers not exactly good enough to beat Accrington Stanley  

England, League Two, Saturday, April 18th, 15:00 (UK) 

Our Walsall vs Accrington prediction is for the match to be a 2-2 draw.

Of all three EFL divisions League Two looked to have followed the trend of the Premier League and had obvious Champions from pretty much the outset. On January 18th Walsall defeated MK Dons 4-2 to stretch their unbeaten run in the league to 16 games, making it a ninth win in succession and an 18th victory from 25 fourth tier fixtures. 

That success gave them a 12 point lead at the top of the table and looked to illustrate they could cope with the loss of 15-goal top-scorer Nathan Lowe who had just been recalled from loan by parent club Stoke. Since then the Saddlers have won just two of the ensuing 19 league games, one of which coming at relegated Morecambe and are currently on a winless run of 12 fixtures. 

Lowe remains the club’s leading marksman with next best, Jamille Matt adding only three of his 12 league goals since his strike partner’s departure. From Champions elect Walsall are now four points behind leaders Doncaster and incredibly even sit a point outside the automatic promotion places.

Visitors Accrington have been fighting for their EFL lives and looked to have secured it as they led Carlisle 1-0 with 90 minutes on the clock on Monday. A Callum Whelan stoppage time equaliser means Stanley have a six point cushion to the drop zone and so a point will guarantee League Two football at Wham Stadium next term. 

Although John Doolan’s men haven’t been in electric form they have been more than holding their own in recent weeks, having only been beaten twice across the last nine fixtures. Five of those games have ended in a draw and with eight of Walsall’s last 12 matches also ending all square it seems a smart play to have that outcome onside here.

The reverse fixture was a 0-0 stalemate and that was at a time when Mat Sadler’s team were flying. Although the temptation was to go all in on the draw at odds of 4.20 having the shock away win in our pocket too is the selection.    

• Walsall vs Accrington Prediction: Accrington or Draw Double Chance 
• Best Odds: 2.50
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stakes: 10/10

Walsall possible starting lineup:
Simkin; Okagbue, Williams, Allen; Asiimwe, Chang, Jellis, Stirk, Gordon; Barrett; Matt, Harrison.

Accrington possible starting lineup:
Kelly; Aljofree, Matthews, Ward; Love, Grant, Coyle, B. Woods; Whalley; Walton, J. Woods

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