James Milton: Football predictions & free betting accumulator tips

Free football tips, bets and analysis for this weekend's FA Cup, EFL and European action.

Best bets

Blackburn to beat Norwich
2pm Sunday
2pts 3-1 general

Doncaster draw no bet v Leyton Orient
3pm Saturday
1pt 14-5 Betfair, Paddy Power

Karim Benzema to be first goalscorer v Villarreal
3.15pm Saturday
2pts 100-30 bet365

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Best FA Cup bet

Norwich v Blackburn 2pm Sunday

Norwich sacked manager Dean Smith after a 2-1 Championship defeat at Luton on Boxing Day and the Canaries have disappointed in two subsequent home fixtures, drawing 1-1 with Reading before a 1-0 loss to Watford on Monday.

Former Huddersfield boss David Wagner is expected to be unveiled as Smith's successor but Norwich, who managed just one shot on target against the Hornets in their first match of 2023, are worth opposing in the FA Cup third round.

Sunday's visitors Blackburn are six points above the Canaries in the Championship and won 2-0 at Carrow Road on December 17, prompting manager Jon Dahl Tomasson to hail "a fantastic day, a great result and a brilliant performance".

Blackburn suffered 2-1 defeats to fellow playoff hopefuls Sunderland and Middlesbrough in their next two outings but the Black Cats' winner came in the 91st minute while Tomasson's side had to play for more than 40 minutes with ten men at Boro.

Rovers returned to winning ways with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Cardiff on Sunday and they look a big price to make the fourth round for the first time since 2016-17 by beating out-of-sorts Norwich.

Best EFL bet

Leyton Orient v Doncaster 3pm Saturday

League Two leaders Leyton Orient have to be respected after an outstanding first half of the season but they have failed to score a goal in three matches since Christmas and look too short to beat improving Doncaster on Saturday.

Orient ended 2022 with goalless draws against Stevenage and Newport County before losing 1-0 at promotion contenders Northampton, where they mustered just one shot on target and had defender Omar Beckles sent off in injury-time.

Doncaster lost 3-0 at Tranmere on Boxing Day but responded with a dramatic 4-3 win over Rochdale, in which they led 2-0 after ten minutes, and a more convincing 2-1 success against in-form Carlisle.

Consistency remains an issue for Donny, who have won five and lost four of their last nine league fixtures, but they are worth chancing at the odds, particularly given Orient's festive flat spot.

Best European bet

Villarreal v Real Madrid 3.15pm Saturday

Karim Benzema announced his international retirement last month, having missed France's World Cup campaign due to injury, but the Real Madrid striker remains a formidable force at club level.

The 2022 Ballon d'Or winner returned to action with a late brace in Real's 2-0 win at Valladolid on December 30, taking his tally to seven goals in 718 minutes in La Liga this term.

Benzema is averaging five shots per game in the Spanish top flight, scoring first in three of his last seven appearances, and he is worth backing to break the deadlock against Villarreal, who have lost to nil in four of their five games against teams above them in the table.

Weekend accumulators

Banker
Luton
The Hatters have beaten Norwich, QPR and Huddersfield in their last three Championship matches and should see off FA Cup opponents Wigan, who have conceded 14 goals in their last four league games.

Blowout
Stockport
County beat FA Cup visitors Walsall 2-0 in League Two on December 29 but they look uneasy odds-on shots for the rematch against the Saddlers, who have won six of their last eight league games.

Accumulator
Brentford 31-20, Luton 20-23, Derby 21-20, Lazio 8-15. £1 accumulator returns £14.96 with Coral.

Both teams to score
Games at Hull 4-5, Middlesbrough 17-20, Villarreal 4-7. £1 accumulator returns £5.23 with Hills.

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