James Milton: Saturday EFL predictions & free betting accumulator tips

Free football tips, bets and analysis for this weekend's Premier League, EFL, Bundesliga and La Liga action.

Best bets

Crewe
2pts 11-8 bet365

Exeter draw no bet
2pts 6-5 bet365, Betfred

Hull
1pt 13-10 bet365

Burton Albion v Crewe Alexandra

3pm Saturday

Crewe should have a spring in their step when they head to Burton following an excellent comeback victory over Swindon in League One on Tuesday.

The Railwaymen found themselves 2-0 down shortly before half-time at home to the Robins before a virtuoso display from winger Daniel Powell transformed that deficit into a 4-2 victory.

Powell scored Crewe's first goal before the break, helped set up two more in the second half and was one of two home players denied by the woodwork.

Crewe had 26 attempts on goal against Swindon, dominating the shots-on-target count 12-2, and a similarly confident approach could see them take the points at Burton.

Alex also impressed in 2-0 victories at home to Peterborough and away to Oxford last month and, while they have lost five of their seven away games those include 1-0 defeats at top-ten teams Hull, Ipswich, Sunderland and Accrington.

Burton are at the other end of the table despite a 4-2 home win over Charlton and a 1-1 draw at Sunderland in their last two outings.

Before those results, the Brewers had gone 11 League One fixtures without a victory and their lack of clean sheets is a major concern given the attacking verve shown by Crewe in midweek.

Burton have conceded at least once in their last 21 league matches dating back to a goalless draw with Gillingham in February and that run looks unlikely to end on Saturday.

Cheltenham Town v Exeter City

3pm Saturday

Go west for the game of the weekend in League Two where Devonian raiders Exeter look value to halt Cheltenham's impressive start to the season.

Both promotion contenders won their midweek fixtures as Cheltenham came from behind to see off struggling Bradford 2-1 at Valley Parade and Exeter thumped Grimsby 4-1.

That made it ten goals in just two games for the Grecians, who hammered Colchester 6-1 last weekend, and they are averaging two goals per game in the fourth division this season.

A stunning Danny Rowe free kick condemned them to a 2-1 home defeat to Oldham last month, ending a 13-game unbeaten run in all competitions, but they responded in style with the routs of Colchester and Grimsby.

They are unbeaten in the league away from home this season although six draws in eight games, including 2-2s at Salford, Bolton, Morecambe and Bradford, suggest it is worth a draw-no-bet investment.

Hosts Cheltenham have to be respected but Exeter's in-form attackers should cause problems for a side who are far from rock-solid at home.

Michael Duff's men have lost to Morecambe and Grimsby at Whaddon Road this season and were held to a 0-0 draw by struggling Mansfield in late October.

They conceded a 95th-minute equaliser in a tight contest with promotion rivals Cambridge United in their last home fixture and look uneasy favourites against the confident visitors.

Oxford United v Hull City

3pm Saturday

Oxford have struggled to land a blow on the stronger teams in League One this season and that trend may continue when highflying Hull visit the City of Dreaming Spires.

Karl Robinson's side have struggled to recapture the form that took them to the playoff final last season and they have suffered 2-0 defeats against top-half sides Lincoln, Peterborough, Charlton, Sunderland, Fleetwood and Crewe this term.

The clash with Hull is their third home game in eight days after a 2-1 derby defeat to Swindon last weekend and a 0-0 draw with Ipswich on Tuesday.

Neither of those results bodes well for their chances of taming the Tigers as Swindon have the worst defensive record in the division and injury-hit Ipswich had lost their last two games to nil.

One of those defeats was a 3-0 loss to Hull at Portman Road and Grant McCann's side have responded superbly to last season's relegation from the Championship.

Wednesday's 2-1 home win over Doncaster took them four points clear at the top and the Tigers have won six of their eight away matches, averaging 2.25 goals per game on the road.

Weekend accumulators

Banker
Wolfsburg
Cologne snapped an 18-match winless streak in the Bundesliga with a coupon-busting 2-1 victory at Dortmund but Wolfsburg, bidding for a fifth win in sixth league games, should burst their bubble.

Blowout
Everton
The Toffees have lost four of their last five league games – the exception was a nervy 3-2 victory at Fulham – and their trip to Burnley looks tougher than the betting suggests.

Accumulator
Brentford 21-20, Preston 4-5, Barcelona 2-5, Wolfsburg 21-20. £1 accumulator returns £10.59 with Hills.

Both teams to score
Games at West Ham 4-6, Cambridge United 4-5, Cheltenham 7-10. £1 treble returns £5.11 with Hills.

Thought for the week

Burnley bore the brunt of Manchester City's recent frustrations last weekend, going down 5-0 at the Etihad, and Saturday's visitors Fulham may be wary of a similar outcome.

Before Riyad Mahrez's hat-trick inspired a rout of the Clarets, City had scored just ten goals in their first eight Premier League matches. In the previous three seasons their goal tally at that stage had been 27, 21 and 29.

Pep Guardiola's men have dominated the shot count in their recent games, winning it 22-4 in the 2-0 defeat at Tottenham, 22-2 in the 1-0 Champions League win at Olympiakos, and 18-2 in this week's goalless draw away to Porto.

That was Pep's first 0-0 in the Champions League for 59 games and the City chief must be puzzled by his side's uncharacteristic lack of goals.

In ten post-lockdown Premier League matches last season, City racked up four 5-0 wins, two 4-0s and a 3-0 despite the absence of record goalscorer Sergio Aguero.

So, will the Burnley victory open the floodgates this term? The 4-0, 5-0 and 6-0 correct scores against Fulham are priced up at 8-1, 14-1 and 22-1 and a wide-margin win would set up City nicely for a crack at Manchester United's not entirely convincing defence next week.

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