EFL Tips: Gab Sutton's Championship & FA Cup Tips for December 6
The FA Cup second round is here, which means that along with the usual Championship action this weekend we have more non-league sides dreaming of the third-round draw.
Free Bets' EFL expert Gab Sutton has lined up his top EFL tips and predictions for the best of this weekend's EFL fixtures.
EFL Betting Tips
Here's Gab's five Championship and FA Cup tips this weekend - perfect for a weekend EFL acca - plus the best prices and latest odds from our selection of sports betting sites.
Swansea vs Oxford - Double Chance: Draw/Oxford
Swansea raced to a two-goal lead at West Brom, in Vitor Matos’ first game in charge, but it soon appeared that the players don’t quite have the stamina to play at the intensity the Portuguese coach requires.
So, either Matos will have to apply the pragmatism to introduce a more moderate version of his methodology, or the Swans might continue this trend of starting on fire but being unable to sustain it – they ultimately lost 3-2 at the Hawthorns.
If the hosts are going for the early sprint, the visitors will be going for the marathon: Oxford boss Gary Rowett is long in the tooth now, he always knows the limitations of the squads that he works with and is very good at finding a way of making it work within those parameters.
We’ve seen that recently, with the U’s picking up after a tough start, amassing 12 points from their last nine games, including a valuable three points against promotion second-favourites Ipswich last time out.
Cheltenham vs Buxton - Cheltenham to win
It’s been an instant turnaround for Steve Cotterill at Cheltenham, since the man many deem their greatest ever manager from his work in the late ‘90s an early noughties, returned for a long awaited second stint.
The Robins had taken a paltry four points from their first 10 games before Cotterill took charge, and have since amassed 13 points from eight, with the team looking very settled and in good shape.
The optimism ahead of Saturday’s hosting of National League North side Buxton is edged with a note of caution, in that Town have historically struggled in the FA Cup, losing at home to Dover in 2014-15, Maidstone in 2017-18 and Alvechurch in 2022-23 - to balance out memories of the trip to White Hart Lane in 2011-12, and welcoming Pep Guardiola in 2020-21.
Nonetheless, it feels different this time around, and in the creativity of Ethon Archer, Jordan Thomas and Isaac Hutchinson, they have players who can cause problems for their step-2 opponents.
It’s not as if Buxton are in the best of form in their division either: midtable, with five defeats in their last six.
Although, boss John McGrath is lauded in non-league as a developer of talent, based on his work at Mickleover over several years, and the script is written for visiting forward Callum Ebanks.
A free-scoring striker in Cheltenham’s youth team, who’s progress was restricted by injury and had to drop down the levels, but now has the perfect opportunity to show his former employers exactly what he can do – for those keen on following the narrative, Ebanks is 9/2 to score anytime.
Grimsby vs Wealdstone - Grimsby to win
Grimsby might have struggled to navigate cup games like this one last season, when they were at the start of their rebuild under David Artell, and didn’t have a great deal of depth behind their best XI.
This season, on the other hand, they have the options they need to navigate the fixture congestion challenges, because they have quality in reserve.
The likes of Zak Gilsenan and Jude Soonsup-Bell are prodigiously talented footballers who haven’t even played much this season, for different reasons.
Meanwhile, Jaze Kabia, who was in sensational goalscoring form at the start of the campaign, has found himself on the bench.
The Mariners are an excellent footballing side and should have what it takes to unlock Wealdstone, even with the visitors punching above their weight in the National League, sitting proudly in 9th.
MK Dons vs Oldham - Oldham to win
Two of the factors to consider when weighing up who to bet on for FA Cup ties, are firstly the prices, and whether they accurately reflect the place the respective teams are in, and secondly the motivations.
For clubs with lots of external investment, the FA Cup isn’t quite as important because that money-spinning draw with a Premier League club wouldn’t make a huge difference to their financial fortunes, whereas for a club that has to be self-sufficient, it’s a really big deal.
With that in mind, Oldham could be somewhat underrated for their trip to Stadium MK.
Firstly, Micky Mellon’s side have only lost five of their 18 league games, and their xG For ranks 4th in League Two, so it’s not as if they don’t have what it takes to compete with MK Dons in normal circumstances – in fact, they drew there on the opening day.
Secondly, the Latics aren’t aflush with cash, so some extra money in the coffers could really move the needle for what they’re able to do in January.
Plus, Oldham have one of the best strikers in League Two in Michael Mellon, who scored a hat-trick at Northampton in the 1st Round.
Stockport vs Cambridge - Cambridge to win
Two of the factors to consider when weighing up who to bet on for FA Cup ties, are firstly the prices, and whether they accurately reflect the place the respective teams are in, and secondly the motivations.
For clubs with lots of external investment, the FA Cup isn’t quite as important because that money-spinning draw with a Premier League club wouldn’t make a huge difference to their financial fortunes, whereas for a club that has to be self-sufficient, it’s a really big deal.
With that in mind, Oldham could be somewhat underrated for their trip to Stadium MK.
Firstly, Micky Mellon’s side have only lost five of their 18 league games, and their xG For ranks 4th in League Two, so it’s not as if they don’t have what it takes to compete with MK Dons in normal circumstances – in fact, they drew there on the opening day.
Secondly, the Latics aren’t aflush with cash, so some extra money in the coffers could really move the needle for what they’re able to do in January.
Plus, Oldham have one of the best strikers in League Two in Michael Mellon, who scored a hat-trick at Northampton in the 1st Round.
More Football Tips
Check out below for more football tips and predictions on this week's football action.
