It’s three bets from three divisions in the EFL for the Not The Top 20 Podcast team on Saturday, with the treble boosted to 16/1 on the Sportsbook…
“…with Lyndon Dykes shouldering most of the goalscoring burden despite Charlie Austin’s obvious talents, there seems little reason to think their run stops here. 29/20 about an away win looks the value bet in the Championship this weekend.”
Warbuton’s men on a roll
Reading v QPR
Saturday, 15:00
Having lost five of their six games so far this season, Reading fans will be hoping that the late flurry of transfer activity will steer them away from the relegation zone, which they currently sit one place above.
In time Junior Hoillet and Alen Halilovic should help Reading in the final third, but there have to be question marks over the wisdom in signing the likes of Danny Drinkwater and Scott Dann at this stage of their career.
This is a club who are being punished for breaching profit and sustainability rules with a transfer embargo, and that is being played out on the pitch, where they look like one of the poorer sides in the league. That may well change, especially with Ovie Ejaria returning to the fold, but in the meantime we need to take any chance to oppose Vejko Paunovic’s side, and the visit of QPR offers a ripe one.
The R’s have been mightily impressive so far this season, unbeaten in their seven games in all competitions and looking both potent in attack and solid defensively. Rob Dickie has rightly won many plaudits for his goalscoring exploits, but his defensive solidity can’t be under-estimated and has been a key reason for their good form.
Chris Willock and Ilias Chair are in sparkling form and with Lyndon Dykes shouldering most of the goalscoring burden despite Charlie Austin’s obvious talents, there seems little reason to think their run stops here. 29/20 about an away win looks the value bet in the Championship this weekend.
Entertainers to produce more goals
Morecambe v AFC Wimbledon
Saturday, 15:00
AFC Wimbledon come here off the back of an excellent 3-1 home win against Oxford United in a game that typified Mark Robinson‘s side. Full of attacking intent and with three goals to show for it, they often threw caution to the wind, with Oxford missing plenty of chances in what was an open and end-to-end game.
As League One’s early entertainers, you can rest assured that Wimbledon will approach every game with this attacking mentality, which paves the way for goals. As well as that Oxford result, they’ve had a 3-3 draw with Bolton, a 2-2 draw with Ipswich and a 5-3 win in mid-week in the EFL Trophy over Portsmouth.
Morecambe’s defensive numbers are pretty good, with the second lowest xG against from open play in the league, and this is likely why we are getting an attractive price for both teams to score. The Shrimps have only failed to score in two of their last 14 home games so, with an open game likely given Wimbledon’s tendency to attack, I’m backing both teams to get on the scoresheet.
Vokes can net against leaky Oxford
Oxford v Wycombe
Saturday, 15:00
Oxford boast a remarkably good home record of late, winning eight of their last 10 league games, but here come up against a Wycombe side who promise to cause them plenty of problems.
Gareth Ainsworth‘s team have made a good start to life back in League One, with their usual brand of attritional football designed to disrupt ball-playing sides like their opponents here. They also have a proficiency from set-pieces, an Achilles’ heel of Oxford’s having conceded from two against Wimbledon.
Wycombe are sure to look to expose this weakness, and the most likely to profit is Sam Vokes, who has looked very lively in the infancy of his Chairboys career, and two goals to show for it. Vokes will be the focal point in attacks in open-play, and the man who Joe Jacobson will aim for from dead-ball situations, so the 11/4 on offer for him to score anytime represents good value.
Source: Betfair UK English Championship
