Expert EFL predictions and free football tips from Aaron Ashley

When to bet

3pm Saturday

Best bets

Middlesbrough
2pts 4-5 bet365

Portsmouth
3pts 6-5 bet365

Lincoln draw no bet
2pts 13-10 Hills

MK Dons draw no bet
2pts 4-5 general

Aaron Ashley's EFL predictions

Middlesbrough v Stoke

Last season’s playoff semi-finalists Middlesbrough have got their tails up after a slow start and they can stretch their winning streak to seven league games at home to Stoke.

Boro suffered a playoff hangover in the early months of the season and picked up only two points from their opening seven games.

However, Michael Carrick’s side are now on the cusp of the top six following a remarkable run that has been highlighted by a 2-1 win at home to fifth-placed Southampton and a 4-0 rout of Tees-Wear derby rivals Sunderland.

Stoke snatched a late 1-0 win at home to Leeds on Wednesday, which came hot on the heels of a 2-1 victory over Sunderland. But Alex Neil’s side have been less convincing on their travels and have picked up only four points from six road trips.

The Potters have lost to nil at Ipswich, Millwall, Norwich and Leicester, while also drawing 2-2 at struggling Huddersfield, and they are likely to leave the Riverside empty-handed.

Reading v Portsmouth 

League One leaders Portsmouth failed to capitalise on Oxford’s midweek defeat at Wigan as they were frustrated in a goalless draw at Cambridge, but they look a nice price to get their title tilt back on track against a Reading side in freefall.

Pompey are four points clear of Oxford at the third-tier summit and they remain unbeaten after 14 games, having won six on the spin prior to Tuesday’s stalemate at Cambridge.

It is, therefore, a big surprise to see them available at odds-against to win at the Madejski Stadium, where Reading were beaten 2-1 by third-bottom Fleetwood on Tuesday night.

That means the Royals have lost seven of their last nine league games and find themselves eight points adrift of safety and staring down the barrel at back-to-back relegations.

Exeter v Lincoln

Seven defeats in their last eight games have seen Exeter plummet down the League One standings after a decent start to term.

The only positive note in that barren run was a 1-0 win at home to rock-bottom Cheltenham and, with confidence sure to be low, they are easy to oppose at home to Lincoln.

The Grecians have failed to score in five of their last six defeats, losing to nil in home meetings with Northampton, Barnsley and Wigan.

Lincoln, meanwhile, brought Charlton’s unbeaten start under Michael Appleton to an end with a 3-1 win on Tuesday, registering 23 shots during that victory.

The visitors are only two points adrift of the playoff places and make great appeal in their pursuit of a third straight league win. The 13-10 about the Imps in the draw-no-bet market provides some handy insurance.

MK Dons v Swindon

Mike Williamson got off to a winning start as MK Dons manager with a superb 4-1 success at home to Bradford on Tuesday, and there is every chance his side can follow up against Swindon on Saturday.

The Dons were utterly dominant against the Bantams as they racked up 18 shots, 11 of which were on target, while restricting their visitors to only two efforts on goal.

That could be a sign of things to come under Williamson, who was regularly praised for the attacking football he deployed at Gateshead, and this looks like another good opportunity for maximum points.

Swindon are having a decent season but they suffered a 1-0 defeat at home to Gillingham in midweek, which means they have now won only one of their last five league games.

Despite sitting ninth, the Robins have gone six matches without an away league win.

Accumulator

Leicester 4-11, Middlesbrough 3-4, Portsmouth 21-20, Stockport 1-3
£1 acca returns £6.52 with bet365

Click here to add Aaron Ashley's EFL acca to your bet365 betslip

First goalscorer

Kyle Wootton Stockport v Tranmere
at 5-1 BoyleSports

It should be one-way traffic at Edgeley Park, where Stockport are chasing a tenth straight win in League Two. With nine-goal forward Louie Barry sidelined, last season's leading marksman Kyle Wootton should return to the starting line-up and, having opened the scoring from the bench at Crewe in midweek, he may repeat the trick against Tranmere.

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