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Football tips, predictions and best bets: Sky Bet EFL Championship, League One and Two on Saturday 13/01/24
Football betting tips: Saturday best bets
1.5pt BTTS ‘No’ in Accrington vs Gillingham at 21/20 (BetVictor, StarSports)
1pt Ben Sheaf to be carded in Coventry vs Leicester at 3/1 (Sky Bet)
1pt Blackpool to win to nil vs Exeter at 31/20 (BetVictor)
1pt Leyton Orient or draw Double Chance vs Portsmouth at 11/8 (General)
0.5pts BTTS in Both Halves in Huddersfield vs Plymouth at 9/1 (General)
Coventry vs Leicester
- Kick-off time: 12:30 GMT, Saturday
- TV channel: Sky Sports Football
- Home 11/4 | Draw 13/5 | Away 19/20
Michael Beardmore (@MickeyBeardmore)
Few teams in the second tier can rival runaway leaders Leicester City on the form front but Coventry are among them - the Sky Blues' record in their past 12 games in all competitions reading W7 D4 L1.
After a period of adjustment following the loss of key men Viktor Gyokeres and Gustavo Hamer in the summer, Mark Robins' side are up to eighth and showing signs they could replicate last season's run to the play-offs.
They were incredibly unlucky to lose to two late goals at Leicester on the opening weekend of the season and will be well up for this, additionally so given the fact it's (kinda) a derby.
Leicester possess huge pace on the counter and this could pose problems for Coventry holding man BEN SHEAF, who absolutely loves a tackle, averaging four per game - the highest per-game figure in the Championship.
Sheaf is committing 1.3 fouls per match, a figure that should rise given the ability of the visitors and he's an incredibly appealing price at 3/1 to BE SHOWN A CARD and add to his surprisingly-low three bookings this season.
Huddersfield vs Plymouth
- Kick-off time: 15:00 GMT, Saturday
- Home 7/5 | Draw 13/5 | Away 7/4
Michael Beardmore (@MickeyBeardmore)
Two of the Sky Bet Championship’s most porous defences meet in West Yorkshire as Huddersfield and Plymouth continue their respective bids to keep their heads above the water.
Plymouth might have lost head coach Steven Schumacher to Stoke last month but they seem to have become even more gung-ho without him.
Their matches often resemble basketball games such is their end-to-end nature – in their past six games, they’ve had two 3-3 draws, a 2-2 and a 3-2 win.
Huddersfield are not quite as adventurous but the Pilgrims can draw pretty much any team into this kind of battle.
We could go to the overs markets here but I prefer the tasty 9/1 available on BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE IN BOTH HALVES, something that’s happened in three of Argyle’s past five league games.
Blackpool vs Exeter
- Kick-off time: 15:00 GMT, Saturday
- Home 1/2 | Draw 3/1 | Away 5/1
Michael Beardmore (@MickeyBeardmore)
Exeter's pitiful haul of 18 goals from 25 Sky Bet League One games is the reason the Grecians find themselves in a relegation battle - only Shrewsbury (17) have scored less.
It's actually even worse than at first glance too - because they started the season fairly well. But they have dropped off badly, netting just eight times in their past 17 matches.
Exeter have failed to score in six of their 12 away trips this term and have drawn blanks in four of their five away games against teams in the promotion picture, with a 1-1 draw at Stevenage the sole exception.
This bodes badly for a seaside visit to BLACKPOOL, who boast the joint-top number of home clean sheets (seven in 14 matches) and should be backed to WIN TO NIL at 31/20 against their struggling visitors.
Portsmouth vs Leyton Orient
- Kick-off time: 15:00 GMT, Saturday
- Home 11/20 | Draw 3/1 | Away 9/2
Michael Beardmore (@MickeyBeardmore)
Portsmouth have been strong for most of the season but are just having a wobble at present.
A defeat at third-bottom Cheltenham, plus draws against rock-bottom Fleetwood (at Fratton Park) and fifth-bottom Exeter (away) are not the kind of results you would expect from the Sky Bet League One leaders.
A haul of just five points from the past 15 available has left Pompey with Bolton, Peterborough and Derby breathing down their necks at the top of the table.
Mid-table LEYTON ORIENT are nicely priced to add to Portsmouth’s problems at 11/8 to come away from Fratton Park with something via the DOUBLE CHANCE market.
The O’s away record is the best of any non top-seven side, they have picked up points in four of five trips to top-10 outfits – a 3-2 loss at Bolton the only exception – and are in good form recently (W3 D1 L1).
Accrington vs Gillingham
- Kick-off time: 15:00 GMT, Saturday
- Home 13/10 | Draw 23/10 | Away 19/10
Michael Beardmore (@MickeyBeardmore)
This bet has landed in Gillingham’s past eight games yet is somehow the outsider in the two-horse BTTS race at Accrington.
The Gills are the lowest scorers in Sky Bet League Two with a paltry 21 goals from 25 games – but sit mid-table because of their promotion-worthy defensive form.
They have kept clean sheets in six of their 12 away games with those dozen trips averaging a measly 1.92 goals per match.
Five of Accrington’s past seven home games have also landed BTTS ‘NO’ returns and they are one of only three teams to have kept a clean sheet against free-scoring Wrexham this season.
Odds correct at 1430 GMT (11/01/24)
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