Dan Childs: Best bets and accumulator for Saturday's EFL football

Free football tips, best bets and acca for Saturday's EFL games including Oxford United v Sunderland, Birmingham City v Brentford, Southend United v Coventry City and Stevenage v Salford City.

When to bet

Kick-offs 3pm Saturday

Best bets

Sunderland draw no bet
3pts 19-20 Coral, Ladbrokes
Click to back this tip with Coral

Birmingham or draw double chance
3pts 7-8 Betway
Click to back this tip with bet365

Coventry
3pts 4-5 Coral, Ladbrokes
Click to back this tip with Coral

Salford
2pts 5-4 Betway, Coral, Ladbrokes
Click here to bet on this selection with Coral

Oxford United v Sunderland

Sunderland have had some frustrating times this season but they have risen to fifth, their highest position since October, and can maintain their Sky Bet League One promotion push by beating injury-hit Oxford.

Christmas cheer was in short supply among Sunderland supporters, who watched their team slip to 15th with a 0-0 draw at home to Bolton on Boxing Day.

At that point many of them would quite happily have seen the back of manager Phil Parkinson, who was criticised for a perceived direct style of football.

But Parkinson was given more time by the board and has repaid them with a remarkable turnaround which earned him the League One manager of the month award for January.

Sunderland's surge was briefly halted by a 1-0 loss at Portsmouth a fortnight ago but they responded with victories at home to Ipswich (1-0) and Rochdale (3-0) and head to Oxford with a spring in their step.

While the Black Cats are on the march, Oxford are going through a sticky patch and have won only one of their last eight matches.

Injuries are piling up for Oxford manager Karl Robinson, who lost winger Marcus Browne (ankle) during last Saturday's 4-0 loss at Peterborough and midfielder Liam Kelly (hamstring) in Tuesday's 2-2 draw at Burton.

Robinson's side are still adjusting to the departures of midfielder Shandon Baptiste and winger Tarique Fosu, who joined Brentford towards the end of the transfer window, and they take on Sunderland without combative midfielder Alex Gorrin, who starts a two-game ban.

Oxford need to turn things around quickly to stay in playoff contention but they are taking on Sunderland at a difficult moment and may come up short.

Birmingham City v Brentford

Brentford missed the chance to go second in the Sky Bet Championship when drawing 1-1 at home to Leeds on Tuesday and their promotion hopes could be dealt a further blow by Birmingham, who are overpriced to avoid defeat at St Andrew's this weekend.

Thomas Frank's Bees went into the Leeds match seeking a third successive victory and got off to the perfect start when Said Benrahma took advantage of a howler from Leeds goalkeeper Kiko Casilla to put the Londoners in front.

However, Leeds soon levelled though defender Liam Cooper and went on to dominate for long spells, showing why they have been in the top two for the majority of the season.

Brentford had to work hard for their point and must prepare themselves for another tough game against fast-improving Birmingham, who have the playoffs in their sights.

Pep Clotet's Blues are unbeaten in nine and have won three successive league games for the first time this season.

Aston Villa loanee Scott Hogan scored for the third successive game by netting the winner in Tuesday's 1-0 victory at Barnsley and his blossoming strike partnership with Lukas Jutkiewicz could do plenty more damage.

The duo are an obvious threat to Brentford and can ensure the Bees are sent back to the capital without the three points they crave.

Southend United v Coventry City

League One highflyers Coventry are unbeaten in their last 13 matches and look solid odds-on favourites to defeat struggling Southend at Roots Hall.

A few months ago, the idea of backing Coventry to win any away game would have been questionable.

Between August and December they went nine away league games without a victory. But the rot was stopped with an emphatic 4-1 victory at Wycombe and they have not looked back.

Since then the Sky Blues have won at Tranmere (4-1), Doncaster (1-0) and Bristol Rovers (2-1) and they approach the weekend full of confidence after Matt Godden's 84th-minute goal sealed a 1-0 success at home to promotion rivals Portsmouth on Tuesday.

Third-placed Coventry are a match for anyone in the division and should be far too strong for second-bottom Southend, who remained 13 points adrift of safety after a 4-0 loss at Peterborough on Tuesday.

Stevenage v Salford City

Mid-table Salford have not given up hope of mounting a push towards the Sky Bet League Two playoffs and they can make a start by defeating basement boys Stevenage at the Lamex Stadium.

The Ammies were on a six-match unbeaten run until losing 3-2 at home to promotion-chasing Plymouth on Tuesday.

However, the result was slightly harsh on Salford, who won the shot count 21-14.

Salford also cursed their luck last Saturday when they drew 0-0 at home to Crawley while out-shooting their visitors 20-3.

Sooner or later Graham Alexander's side are likely to make their dominance count and the victims could be Stevenage, who are in desperate trouble at the foot of the table.

Graham Westley's side have lost six matches in a row, conceding 16 goals in the process, and look ideal opponents for Salford, who are overpriced at odds-against.

Accumulator

Middlesbrough 6-10, Portsmouth 6-10, Coventry 4-5, Salford 19-20. £1 accumulator returns £10.37 with Coral.

First scorer

Jonson Clarke-Harris (Bristol Rovers v Blackpool)
1pt 11-2 Betfred

Jonson Clarke-Harris has been the talisman for Bristol Rovers this season, scoring 11 goals in 22 league appearances, and looks a likely scorer against Blackpool at the Memorial Ground. The powerful 25-year-old is capable of playing in a higher division and can expose the Seasiders, who have not kept a clean sheet in 16 matches.

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