Sky Bet EFL betting preview: Predictions & best bets for the weekend's action in the EFL

Recommended bets

2pts Peterborough to beat Oxford at 11/10

1pt Portsmouth most booking points v Tranmere at 7/4

1pt Reading to beat Hull at evens

For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record

Reading v Hull (Paul Higham)

If ever a team seems to have accepted their fate then it’s Hull, judging on their deadline day activity when they let both Jarrod Bowen and Kamil Grosicki leave and watched 24 goals wander through the exit door.

Four defeats in a row sees Hull in 14th and mired in the dictionary definition of mid-table obscurity, sitting 11 points off the play-offs and ten points above the relegation zone and seemingly going nowhere this season.

Reading, then, have a superb opportunity to go above Saturday’s opposition and will be full of beans after beating Cardiff in the FA Cup during the week so, as long as Mark Bowen can freshen things up, then they should be ready to go.

The Royals have not won in five in the league, but they have only lost once in their last six at home and have only failed to score three times all season at the Madejski, so against a side low on form and confidence it’s a fine chance to get three points on the board.

Generally available at even money to win, Reading are also a shade of odds-on in some places so that just shows that they’re well fancied but still backable.

Best bet: Reading to beat Hull at evens

Peteborough v Oxford (Paul Higham)

Even if Oxford hadn’t just gone 120 minutes against Newcastle during the week you’d still fancy Peterborough to continue their flying recent form having strung four wins together, scoring 12 and conceding just two.

Oxford, by contrast, have scored just four in their last four and although they’ve lost just one of those, the lack of goals is a concern when facing Ivan Toney, who has scored as many by himself during the same timespan.

The hosts are knocking on the door of the automatic promotion places now in League One after their recent run and with the third-best home record behind them they’ll be well up for making it five in a row.

It was back on Tuesday that Oxford pushed Newcastle all the way so gamely, but that will have taken plenty out of the legs and although they may not show immediately, it's the second half in particular that could well play a part. Posh have scored five in four after the break so are dangerous against tired legs.

There are a few bookies who even have Posh as slight odds-on for this contest at the time of writing so the few firms offering odds against are worth a look at, including this standout price.

Best bet: Peterborough to beat Oxford at 11/10

Tranmere v Portsmouth (George Pitts)

A fascinating cards shout from Sky Bet League One, where promotion-chasing Pompey travel to relegation fighters Tranmere.

In the disciplinary table, it is 15th versus fifth and, with the pitch at Prenton Park notoriously bad at the moment, the visitors could easily be frustrated and forced into making rash challenges.

Paul Cook’s side, who have won their last eight in all competitions, are going to have to dig in here. They received four bookings in their last away outing (at Lincoln), two at Bolton and three at Gillingham.

It is interesting looking at Tranmere’s disciplinary record at home in the league, with it generally being pretty poor. With referee Michael Salisbury in charge, a man who has dished out 68 yellows and nine reds in just 23 games this season, the cards market is most definitely worth a look. In one game at Christmas between Reading and Derby, he handed out a staggering 10 yellows and a red.

If you want to go with booking points in the game, it is a good option to consider overs but backing Pompey to have more at just under 2/1 looks an excellent price.

Best bet: Portsmouth most booking points at 7/4

Nottingham Forest v Leeds (George Pitts)

• 1730 GMT kick-off on Sky Sports

It’s a big one at the City Ground, as Leeds look to bounce back from their shock home defeat to Wigan and keep their place in the top two - just.

Drop points here and Fulham or Forest could be within touching distance of Marcelo Bielsa’s side, who were at one stage 12 points clear of third.

Leeds fans, with last season’s capitulation still fresh in their memory, are starting to panic and Bielsa can hear the outside noise. The Argentinian held another long press conference on Thursday, answering just five questions in 59 minutes.

When his side are up against it and in need of a response, he usually gets just that. Either way, they will enjoy plenty of possession – averaging 60% this season.

Both sides have high corner averages though and this is where we are looking for the match bet, with no reliance on the final result.

Forest’s Sabri Lamouchi won Manager of the Month for January on Friday after overseeing a resurgence and helping them back into automatic contention.

They are a side with a high average of seven corners in front of their own fans this term. With confidence and home advantage, they can register a few set pieces as they look to trump their promotion rivals and they could easily rack up a few in the space of a couple of minutes.

The visitors, however, have a high corner count, averaging eight per game away from home this term. With these figures in mind, you can back both teams to register at least six corners each at a tempting 3/1, but the 11/8 for five each looks a more realistic play.

Best bet: 5+ corners each team – 11/8

Sporting Life Accumulator

Odds correct as of 1400 GMT on 07/02/20

Follow Sporting Life on social media - find us on Facebook here or tweet@SportingLifeFC

Related football links

• Latest Premier League podcast
• Laura Woods column: Here's to you, Allan
• Alex Keble: How to fix Man City
• Pundit Panel: The VAR verdict
• Henderson favourite for PFA award
• Summer transfers set to happen
• Latest Paper Talk
• Our latest football tips
• Bruno Fernandes: What United will gain
• Super 6: Enter NOW!
• Fantasy Football: Pick your team now!
• Football results
• Latest football odds

Responsible gambling

We are committed in our support of responsible gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.Sky Bet's responsible gambling tools are detailed here and if you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133, or visit begambleaware.org.