EFL picks: Saturday football betting preview and tips

Blackpool v Oxford

Crisis club Oxford are free-falling towards Sky Bet League Two and it’s hard to see them arresting their slide at Blackpool.

It is United's second trip to the north-west in the space of a few days following a chastening 4-2 battering at an Accrington side who had been finding it hard to score.

That setback has continued a rotten road trend for Karl Robinson’s men, who have managed just a solitary league away success in the last 13 months.

Improving Blackpool look just the sort to heap more misery on United. The Tangerines probably never suspected an emphatic FA Cup defeat by Arsenal would be the springboard for something pretty special, but Terry McPhillips’ men have gone unbeaten in seven since that reverse.

The run includes wins at Portsmouth and Coventry, while their last two efforts have been a luckless draw against Sunderland and a combative 0-0 draw at Charlton. They have conceded just four goals in their last nine games and have had the week to prepare, unlike their guests.

Recommendation
Blackpool
2pts 13-8 bet365

Walsall v Bradford

Bradford recorded their biggest win of the season when hammering Walsall 4-0 at Valley Parade in December and they should be trusted to complete the double over their League One rivals.

This is a massive match between a side dropping like a stone against a team who, despite hints of a revival, just cannot seem to escape the bottom four’s clutches.

That drubbing of Walsall looked like a turning point for the Yorkshiremen and they certainly improved, winning three of their next four.

They have lost only four of their last 13 but others around them are also picking up, hence the bother they are in.

Walsall are not getting better and have lost seven of their last eight and not found the net in their last three.

Recommendation
Bradford
1pt 19-10 bet365

Peterborough v Shrewsbury

It has been a roller-coaster return to London Road for Darren Ferguson.

His first two games back, against Plymouth and Doncaster, saw his charges reduced to ten men before the end of the first half and they duly lost both.

With 11 men on the pitch, however, Posh chalked up a 1-0 win at Oxford last Saturday and they can follow up that triumph by seeing off Shrewsbury.

The Shrews have failed abjectly to follow up last season’s playoff push and their last league win was before Christmas. Entertaining efforts against Stoke and Wolves in the FA Cup have hinted at what’s possible, but they have won only once on the road all season.

Recommendation
Peterborough
2pts 29-20 Ladbrokes

Morecambe v Lincoln

Lincoln threw away two precious points at home to Stevenage last week, pegged back to 2-2 after being 2-0 up going into the final three minutes.

That’s four draws in a row for the Imps – they were in front in three of them – although they still lead the way in League Two.

There’s no need for panic despite a mass of decent sides closing in on them and on a more positive note, they are unbeaten in seven games, four of which were away from home.

They have been travelling well all season so should fancy their chances at lowly Morecambe, whose own home form is lousy. They have won just four times in front of their own fans, all against teams in the bottom nine. Their home record against top-half sides is played eight, lost eight which hardly augurs well.

Recommendation
Lincoln
2pts Evs general

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