Football betting tips: EFL Trophy Final
2.5pts Both teams to score at 4/5 (bet365)
BuildABet @ 7/1
- Birmingham to win
- Both teams to score
- Kwame Poku to score anytime
League One champions-elect Birmingham have a date at Wembley with Peterborough in the EFL Trophy final.
The Blues have already secured an instant return to the Championship, scored 100 goals across all competitions and now have their sights firmly set on a League One record points tally. They are on course for 110 points and the record currently stands at 103 (Wolves 2013/14) for context.
Sunday’s opponents and fellow third-tier side Peterborough have endured a disappointing season by their standards.
Kwame Poku’s injury scuppered their attack and upset the balance of the team. Without their mercurial winger, Posh slid down the division and only won two of 16 league games over the winter period.
Poku is back now though and with him, Peterborough’s form has picked up. They went unbeaten in seven as winter rolled into spring and now their attentions are firmly fixed upon silverware.
Coincidentally, the sides squared off in their last game. Birmingham won 2-1 at London Road but that must be taken with a pinch of salt with changes made by both sides.
What are the best bets?
Goals look the most obvious way in here with BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE priced at 4/5.
Peterborough, League One’s perennial entertainers, have netted 62 times domestically (4th most) and conceded 72 (second most) with both teams to score clicking on 27 of their 41 games.
Across their last five games, Posh have conceded three or more goals three times and scored three or more times twice.
Interestingly, their two league meetings with Birmingham have seen this bet land in both with eight goals scored across the two games.
As for the Blues, manager Chris Davies is all about control. Dominating possession, controlling the tempo of the game and that, up until recently, saw them win a lot of matches to nil.
Birmingham have not kept a clean sheet in six though, conceding twice against the 10-men of Barnsley. The likes of Stevenage, Northampton, Shrewsbury and Bristol Rovers have all managed to bloody their nose recently too.
Team news
The Blues have a wealth of options upfront but Jay Stansfield is expected to lead the line at Wembley, the League One’s joint-top scorer has netted 18 times domestically. Lydon Dykes is out injured and Alfie May might have to settle for a spot on the bench.
Emil Hansson and Krystian Bielik are doubts for the game but Taylor Gardner-Hickman is back and should start on the right of midfield with Keshi Anderson on the left and Kieran Dowell in the number 10.
As for Peterborough, Tayo Edun is back available following suspension.
Abraham Odoh and Poku should provide the threat on the wings, flanking Ricky-Jade Jones with Malik Mothersille just in behind.
Predicted line-ups
Birmingham: Allsop; Laird, Klarer, Davies, Cochrane; Iwata, Seung-ho; Gardner-Hickman, Dowell, Anderson; Stansfield
Peterborough: Bilokaoic; Johnston, Fernandez, Hughes, Mils; Collins, Susoho; Poku, Mothersille, Odoh; Jones
Odds correct at 1540 BST (11/04/25)
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