The Expert Acca: Tips and Predictions for This Weekend

Sam, Nathan, Daniele and Steve combine for a four-man Expert Acca with their most-fancied tips ahead of the weekend.

Each of the Championship, Scottish Premiership, Serie A and the Premier League features this week, as Sam puts up one of the bettingexpert Football Podcast bets from the show.

The Expert Acca Tips and Predictions

• Sam Ingram’s Tip: Blackburn Over 2.75 Goals
• Nathan Joyes’ Tip: Rangers Over 10 Match Corners
• Daniele Fisichella’s Tip: Sassuolo Over 2.5 Goals
• Steve Wyss’ Tip: Wolves Over 2.75 Goals

Expert Tips Acca Odds: 10.96

Expert Tips and Predictions Acca Odds via bet365 as at Wednesday 1st January 00:00. Odds may now differ.

Blackburn vs Norwich: From Podcast to Expert Acca

England, Championship, February 24th, 15:00 (UK)

After the midweek Cardiff visit for Blackburn Rovers, that’s six games in 21 days if we include Norwich’s visit on the weekend. It’s a lot of football in the legs of the Rovers players and I think we may see Norwich capitalise on that in the goalscoring stakes – Wagner’s men have had the week to prepare so they’ve had their feet up, twiddling their thumbs, whilst Blackburn headed to Cardiff in what is usually a bit of a scrap in Wales – one of those places where you usually know you’ve had a game come the end of 90 minutes.

Norwich will be without their leading goalscorer here – which doesn’t sound great – in Jon Rowe. He has been a revelation this season, managing 12 goals in 28 games at 20-years-old. Since picking up his injury, Norwich have gone on to win 4-2 against Watford and 4-1 versus Cardiff. We’re seeing the goals shared around this Canaries team which will be music to the ears of Wagner, although there is one standout.

Josh Sargent has morphed into a red-headed, prime Teemu Pukki since his own return from injury. In 11 starts, or ‘8.8’ 90s this term, the American has notched ten goals from 6.6xG. That overperformance on the underlying numbers might not continue, but if he gets a chance here on the weekend then I fully expect him to take it.

Back up his current credentials with Gabriel Sara in behind him, who’s imprinting his best self on the Championship, and Borja Sainz on the wing causing all kinds of problems for Championship right-backs, and what you’ve got is a potent playoff-chasing attacking unit. Norwich have scored 12 goals and conceded seven in their last five games – only Ipswich and Leicester have scored more.

Blackburn, though, also have goals in them. Sammie Szmodics leads the way as the division’s top scorer. Rovers tops the tree when looking at how many times Over 2.5 Goals has paid out for punters. The 25/33 games pips Plymouth Argyle just below them with 23/22. If there were two teams to pick from for an Overs pick in the Championship, looking at season trends and current form, it’d be these two.

These two sides come into the weekend with mirroring home and away form in terms of O2.5 goals landing this season. Three or more goals has banked in 75% of both Blackburn’s home fixtures and Norwich’s away games in 2023/24 – that’s 12/16 games for them both.

• Expert: Sam Ingram
• Selection: Over 2.75 Goals
• Best Odds: 1.80
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 10/10 (TRACKED BET)

Rangers vs Hearts: Corners to flow at Ibrox

Scotland, Scottish Premier League, February 24th, 15:00 (UK)

It’s first vs third in the Scottish Premier League this weekend as Rangers host Hearts in what could be a season defining match.

Rangers are flying at present, having won their last eight matches which has seen them leapfrog Celtic with seven league games to go.

Their success has largely been down to their impeccable home form, as they’ve secured 33 points from 13 games.

However, as their odds are always rather skinny, it’s a corner angle which catches the eye. With the title in their sights, they’ve sensed blood on home soil against their recent opposition, often penning them back.

In their 3-1 win against Ross County, they won a staggering 20 corners themselves. In their cup match vs Ayr, it was nine and prior to that, it was a whopping 14 against Livingston, even in a routine 3-0 win.

Rangers don’t just sit back, and they alone could win this corner bet proposal. Hearts will look to disrupt them, and we won’t just need to rely on the hosts to win our bet.

The introduction of Lens’ Oscar Cortes has helped with this bet, with the Colombian thriving in his new environment in his wide position. Attacking full-backs is his bread and butter, and hopefully he wins a few corners on Saturday.

• Expert: Nathan Joyes
• Selection: Over 10 Match Corners
• Best Odds: 1.72
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 9/10 (TRACKED BET)

Sassuolo vs Empoli: A ‘miracle worker’ and unexpected strugglers

Italy, Serie A, February 24th, 14:00 (UK)

Only a month after his appointment Davide Nicola has already made history at Empoli. Thanks to last Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Fiorentina he’s become the first manager in the history of the club to remain unbeaten for five consecutive matches (two wins, three draws).

Since Nicola replaced Andreazzoli on the bench, the Tuscan side has come out of the bottom three thanks to organised and combative displays that saw them taking points from Juventus and La Viola.

Playing with a back three has given Empoli more stability, and the signing of M’Baye Niang (two goals, both from the penalty spot, in the last two) in January has proven fruitful.

The visitors still have Serie A’s worst attack (19 goals scored, one less than bottom-of-the-table Salernitana) but have scored in five of their last six games and only lost two of their last seven away matches.

Sassuolo are outside of the relegation zone only by virtue of the goal difference. They’ve only won one of their last 12 games and are living their most difficult season since they got promoted to Serie A.

They’ll still be without their top goalscorer, Domenico Berardi (no wins in seven games this season for the Neroverdi without the Euro 2021 champion), but they have Italy’s tenth-best attack.

Alongside Berardi, Pinamonti and Lariente are in the top 12 for shots taken this season, all above 50.

There should be goals at the Mapei Stadium on Saturday: Sassuolo have only kept one clean sheet all season and Empoli only three on the road.

Fourteen Sassuolo games have produced more than two goals, and the reverse fixture ended 4-3 for Alessio Dionisi’s men.

• Expert: Daniele Fisichella
• Selection: Over 2.5 Goals
• Best Odds: 1.95
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 7/10 (TRACKED BET)

Wolves vs Sheffield United: Demanding reactions

England, Premier League, February 25th, 12:30 (UK)

Sheffield United gave themselves a lifeline by beating Luton 3-1 in their most recent away game but came back down to earth last week when Brighton humiliated them on their own patch. Not for the first time this season, the Blades got torn to shreds as their opponents smashed them 5-0 at home.

Chris Wilder will demand a reaction once again, and maybe Sheffield United are better suited to playing away from home at the moment. They are joint bottom of the Premier League table and know they need to take risks in games in order to obtain victories. They have a huge defensive problem and are on track to concede close to 100 goals this season!

Wolves are one of just three teams that Sheffield United have beaten this season. Gary O’Neil was furious that VAR allowed a last-gasp penalty in the reverse fixture, but there’s a good chance they can get revenge here. Wolves have been one of the big surprise packages in the Premier League thus far and sit in a comfortable 11th position. Wolves have goals in them, and no team in the bottom half has netted more times than the West Midlands outfit.

Taking the home team on a -1 Asian Handicap looks appealing, but I think over 2.75 goals is the better bet. Wolves could cover this goal line on their own but have only kept three clean sheets all season. Sheffield United are in win-or-die mode and will go down swinging under Wilder. You do worry for them, though, that the likes of Pedro Neto and Hwang could fill their boots in this particular fixture.

• Expert: Steve Wyss
• Selection: Over 2.75 Goals
• Best Odds: 1.88
• Bookmaker: bet365
• Stake: 9/10 (TRACKED BET)

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