EFL Tips: Gab Sutton's Championship, League 1 & League 2 Tips for December 20
It's the final weekend of EFL action before Christmas, with a host of big clashes across the Championship, League One and League Two.
Gab Sutton, our Free Bets EFL expert, has lined up his top EFL betting tips for the best of this weekend's EFL fixtures.
EFL Betting Tips
Here are Gab's five betting tips for the weekend - ideal for an EFL acca - along with the best prices and latest odds from our top UK betting sites.
Watford vs Stoke City - Stoke Double Chance (Draw/Stoke)
If we ranked Championship sides on the mass of the player-by-player, talent and potential across the squad, Watford would be in the top six.
The Hornets boast international hot prospects in Luca Kjerrumgaard, Rocco Vata, Vivaldo Semedo, Caleb Wiley, Othmane Maamma and Nestory Irankunda, any one of whom could go onto achieve big things in the game.
Plus, they have one of the best midfielders in the Championship in Imrân Louza, one of the top ball-carriers in Georgi Chakvetadze, and yet another wide star in Kwadwo Baah.
And yet, they haven’t performed as a cohesive unit, despite that individual talent, which is why they find themselves languishing in 14th – albeit with one defeat in nine.
Whereas, the reason Stoke are only a point outside the top six is because Mark Robins has drilled his team into a real unit, with a great collective spirit and, having conceded just 20 goals in 21 league games, they boast the Championship’s strongest defensive record.
So, Stoke should pick up something at Vicarage Road, on the basis of being the stronger collective outfit.
Lincoln vs Cardiff - Cardiff (Draw no bet)
Cardiff gave a great account of themselves in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, losing 3-1 to Premier League side Chelsea but not without some late drama, in a competitive display from Brian Barry-Murphy’s side.
The picture is just as rosy in the league for the Bluebirds, who have won their last five in succession with 14 goals scored, via a 4-3 thriller against Doncaster.
One might have been forgiven for fearing how the South Wales outfit would cope without the prodigiously talented Rubin Colwill, who got injured at Northampton at the start of the winning streak, but Omari Kellyman has stepped up to the mantle admirably.
Meanwhile, Yousef Salech remains the complete centre-forward, while Ryan Wintle and Alex Robertson bring oodles of creativity from deeper midfield, in their roles as a #6 and an #8 respectively.
While Cardiff have this excellent ability to control games, which is reflected in both their sustainable rate of chance creation, and their possession numbers, hosts Lincoln are more direct.
Michael Skubala’s side are about getting the ball into dangerous areas quickly, often with two, three, sometimes four centre-forwards by trade on the pitch simultaneously, in a 4-2-3-1, with the aim of having multiple goalscoring threats in the penalty box.
The Imps could be found wanting for control, though, and they may risk getting overrun in the middle of the pitch, in their quest to go from back-to-front.
It wouldn’t be entirely unreasonable for Cardiff to be evens to win this game outright, given their excellent form, so to get them a fraction off evens to win via the draw no bet option, which returns the stake if the game’s a draw, represents great value.
Doncaster vs Plymouth - Plymouth Double Chance (Draw/Plymouth)
It takes a brave or foolish person to side with Plymouth Argyle this season, given that Tom Cleverley’s team have lost 12 of their 20 league games – you be the judge.
Nonetheless, there are some indications that Argyle have steadied the ship. Instead of parting company with Cleverley, as many of the Green Army asked for, the board resolved to support the rookie with a more experienced network around him, on and off the field.
That process will continue in January, when the club will be looking for a couple of experienced heads to complement some of the individual talent in the group, like Bradley Ibrahim and Lorent Tolaj, but it started with the appointment of Derek Adams as DoF.
Since Adams returned to the club he won promotion with as a manager in 2016-17, the Devonians have won three of their six league games, all 1-0, with Alex Mitchell producing some imperious displays in central defence.
With that in mind, there’s a hint of stabilization for Argyle, taking some of the pressure off what remains a crucial January window.
While hosts Doncaster are favourites, they’re not exactly in the greatest of form,
Fleetwood vs Gillingham - Fleetwood to win
Gillingham might be level on points with hosts Fleetwood, which is why Saturday’s game at Highbury is evenly priced, but that’s skewed by form in the first two months of the season.
Since late September, the Gills have won just once in 11 league games, drawing six, whereas Pete Wild’s side have won five in the same number of games, accruing 18 points, where their visitors have managed just half that number.
The Fylde coast outfit took 11 points from their first six games in August, then suffered one win in five, but since starting October with a 2-0 loss at Cheltenham, they’ve accrued 15 points from nine games.
The Lancashire side have one of the best midfield trios in the division, in Harrison Neal, Elliot Bonds and Matty Virtue or Mark Helm, and one of the top strikers in Ryan Graydon, who accompanies an attractive plethora of options in Wild’s 3-5-2.
On the other hand, Gillingham’s six-match unbeaten run sounds impressive in theory, but it includes a five-match winless streak they’re also on, while they faced four of the bottom six in that time, as well as Play-Off outsiders Colchester and Barnet.
One of the factors behind their sub-par performances, is that boss Gareth Ainsworth went on a period of leave for health reasons, assistant Richard Dobson struggled in the interim period because he has different qualities – not as motivational or charismatic – and Ainsworth has since been somewhat rushed back into the building, perhaps ahead of the ideal schedule.
The situation has created a sense of limbo and uncertainty, which is far from ideal.
Shrewsbury vs Chesterfield - Chesterfield to win
Chesterfield have capitalised on the inconsistency elsewhere in League Two’s Play-Off scramble, by showing some of it themselves.
The Spireites have taken a respectable 14 points from their last nine league games, with just one defeat in that time, in contrast with a previous return of nine points from eight, after starting the season with three consecutive wins.
Paul Cook’s side aren’t at full strength due to injuries, and they’ll be keen to make some spinal alterations in January, but for now they have an efficient team that can carry a threat, and have taken something from all bar four of their league games.
With industrious striker Lee Bonis coming into form, and all-action midfielder Ryan Stirk back from the sidelines, the Derbyshire outfit intent to establish themselves as an automatic promotion contender.
Victory at Shrewsbury would help. The timing of the fixture isn’t ideal for the visitors, with Salop having lost just two of their last 10, but it’s still just one point from five for Michael Appleton’s men against top seven opposition – albeit that point did come last time out at Walsall.
Furthermore, there’s the possibility that their possession-based style may get used against them, with personnel like Tom Anderson and Will Boyle who aren’t ideal for that approach; Chesterfield will feel they can catch them out through ruthless, incisive attacks on turnovers.
More Football Tips
Check out below for more football betting tips on this week's football action.
