Dan Childs's Saturday EFL football tips, odds & betting previews

Walsall v Peterborough

Walsall are on the ropes in the Sky Bet League One relegation battle and a knockout blow could be administered by playoff-chasing Peterborough, who are this season's final visitors to the Banks's Stadium.

The Saddlers are four points adrift of safety with just two games remaining and will be unable to save themselves if sixth-bottom Southend and fifth-bottom Plymouth pick up maximum points from trips to Rochdale and Accrington.

They must try to win their remaining games – they finish away to Shrewsbury – but that is going to be a tall order for a club who haven't achieved back-to-back league victories since August.

Interim manager Martin O'Connor spoke of a lack of quality after Walsall lost 1-0 at Wycombe on Monday and it was easy to see where he was coming from.

Scoring goals has been a problem for much of the season.

Striker Andy Cook is the only player to reach double figures, scoring 12 in 41 appearances, and he has gone off the boil, netting just once since February.

Peterborough have plenty of firepower with 14-goal attacker Matt Godden and 12-goal forward Ivan Toney competing for the single centre-forward berth.

Posh have taken a while to get going in their third spell under manager Darren Ferguson but a recent run of five games without defeat has kept them in the playoff hunt.

They need a victory to ratchet up the pressure on sixth-placed Doncaster and look decent value to deliver at odds-against.

Recommendation
Peterborough
3pts 7-5 bet365

Birmingham v Wigan

It has been a testing season for Birmingham, who were deducted nine points by the FA last month, but they can finish their home schedule on a high by beating Wigan at St Andrew's.

After following up the deduction with a 3-2 defeat at West Brom, Birmingham were five points above the drop zone with seven games remaining.

For a club accustomed to being among in the playoff-chasing pack it was a difficult situation to get used to but they responded superbly.

Garry Monk's side have put together a five-match unbeaten sequence including a 1-0 victory at home to Leeds and a 1-1 draw at home to Sheffield United, and they will want to keep it going.

Sky Bet Championship standings

Sky Bet League One standings

Sky Bet League Two standings

Bet on these games at Soccerbase.com

Wigan make the trip south in good spirits after sealing survival with victories away to Leeds (2-1) and at home to Preston (2-0) and will be looking forward to a second season in the same division for the first time since 2014.

But staying up has been their motivation all season and it would be understandable if performances dipped now their goal has been achieved.

The Latics' away record of two wins, four draws and 16 defeats is the poorest in the division and it may be about to get even worse.

Recommendation
Birmingham
2pts 11-10 bet365, Betfred

Northampton v Yeovil

Sky Bet League Two strugglers Yeovil need to come up with at least one more victory to have a chance of preserving their EFL status but they are unlikely to get it against mid-table Northampton.

Need-to-win factors are influencing the betting with Northampton odds-against to defeat a side eight places and 19 points below them.

But Yeovil have needed to win their matches for a long time and they haven't recorded a victory since a 3-2 success at home to Morecambe eight weeks ago.

Northampton have had a frustrating campaign and have struggled recently, winning only one of their last seven.

But they haven't lost in their five games against the bottom three sides and were 3-1 winners at home to Macclesfield in their last home game.

Yeovil, weakened by the absence of injured defender Gary Warren and suspended centre-back Adel Gafaiti, look less of a threat than the Silkmen and could be brushed aside, meaning they would be relegated if Macclesfield win at Port Vale.

Recommendation
Northampton
2pts 6-5 bet365, Betfred, Betway

Carlisle v Crawley

The battle for seventh place in League Two and the last playoff spot that goes with it features eight teams, including ninth-placed Carlisle, who look poor value odds-on favourites to defeat 19th-placed Crawley.

Carlisle were fourth in January but have won just three of their last 14 games are are struggling to cope with a mounting injury list.

Key duo Danny Grainger and Jamie Devitt missed Monday's disappointing 1-0 loss at injury-ravaged Grimsby while influential winger Kelvin Etuhu lasted just 27 minutes before suffering a torn hamstring. Only Devitt has a chance of featuring this weekend.

The performance against Grimsby would not have been good enough against the majority of League Two teams and improvement will be needed to get the better of Crawley, who are in decent nick.

Crawley have dispelled any lingering relegation fears by taking seven points from three games and should be backed to keep their unbeaten run going.

Recommendation
Crawley or draw double chance
1pt 13-10 bet365, Betway

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