EFL Tips: Gab Sutton's Championship, League 1 & League 2 Tips for January 4
The EFL returns on Sunday for another full round of fixtures as the busy festive period comes to an end.
Gab Sutton, our Free Bets EFL expert, has lined up his top EFL betting tips for the best of the action.
EFL Betting Tips
Here are Gab's five betting tips for the weekend along with the best prices and latest odds from our top UK betting sites.
Norwich vs Stoke - Norwich to win
The traders have a dilemma, when it comes to judging Norwich City, in terms of whether to rate their chances based primarily on the league table, or their form under Phillippe Clement.
The standings say the Canaries are the Championship’s third-worst team, but that’s simply not been their reality since the Belgian took charge, as they’ve accrued 15 points from 10 games since his early November appointment – top-10 form.
With one defeat in six, the Yellows are trending upwards following New Year’s Day’s 2-1 victory at QPR, as forward Jovon Makama continued his sparkling individual campaign after making the switch from Lincoln.
Visitors Stoke are looking in the opposite direction, with seven defeats in 11, although they did manage a valuable 1-0 away victory at Hull last time out to stop the rot.
Doncaster vs Luton - Luton to win
Typically, the bigger clubs in a division are handed flatteringly short prices that don’t reflect their footballing capabilities, but that’s not the case for Luton’s trip to Doncaster.
Were the Hatters odds-on in South Yorkshire, it would be hard to justify backing Jack Wilshere’s inconsistent side, who haven’t gone more than four games without defeat all season.
At 13/10, however, there’s much more reason to put our faith in them, namely, how good they can be at their best, as evidenced by 4-0 and 3-0 home victories over Wycombe and Leyton Orient respectively, between Christmas and New Year.
Town played some sumptuous football in those games, which offered a microcosm of what Wilshere, regarded as a talented coach, might be able to deliver more reliably in future.
There’s also reason to get against Doncaster, who have only won one of their last 17 league games, losing 12 of them, and were desperate to get to the January window, having relied heavily on the excellent start in which they banked most of their 23 points.
Plymouth vs Burton - Plymouth to win
The Pilgrims have steadied the ship, since November’s international interlude, with Tom Cleverley’s side taking a respectable 14 points from nine games.
Argyle have gone from having League One’s worst defensive record, to conceding just 11 goals in nine, and five of those came when they had a numerical disadvantage.
They have a stronger defensive shape about them now, with a compact, disciplined 4-4-2 shape that helps them nullify the opposition, and that’s seen them grind out some valuable results, including three 1-0 wins.
For visitors Burton, on the other hand, it’s one win in seven league games, as a streaky season for Gary Bowyer’s side lands them one place above their hosts, outside the relegation zone on goal difference.
Harrogate vs Swindon - Swindon to win
Newport’s mild hint of a revival means Harrogate are arguably the worst team in League Two right now, and certainly the favourite for relegation.
The Sulphurites have been able to grind out the odd point away from home, but at Wetherby Road (EnviroVent), they’ve lost nine in 12, including each of their last seven, failing to score in the last six of them.
Overall, meanwhile, the North Yorkshire outfit have accrued a mere three points from their last 14 games, clearly their worst run in their time as a Football League club – a status in serious jeopardy.
Visitors Swindon haven’t been quite as free-scoring lately as they were but they remain in good form, with the promotion contenders having won four of their last five, as the likes of wing-back Finley Munroe and forward Aaron Drinan continue highly productive individual campaigns.
Salford vs Shrewsbury - Salford to win
This Salford team looks clearly the best to grace the Football League, since their promotion to the level in 2019.
Karl Robinson’s athletic, dynamic side are hot in form, responding to a three-game goal drought with an impressive 17 points from seven unbeaten league games.
Dan Udoh’s form has been key to that string of results, with the former Shrewsbury striker netting three goals in four, whilst facilitating the contributions of Kallum Cesay and Kelly N’Mai.
Udoh’s former employers, on the other hand, are in a comparatively sticky spot: six defeats in the first 10 plunged Salop into the mire, and although two defeats in the next 10 hinted at stabilization, four straight defeats have left them looking over their shoulders once again ahead of a crucial January.
Boss Michael Appleton has had to compromise a lot of ideals to make it work with his current personnel, which almost undermines the purpose of having a coach of his type in the first place.
Appleton favours complex in-possession ideas, but they need a specific type of player to make them work – and Shrewsbury just don’t have that due to disjointed recruitment.
More Football Tips
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