Saturday EFL Predictions: betting preview and free football tips

Free football tips, best bets and expert accumulator advice for Saturday's EFL matches.

When to bet

Kick-offs from 3pm Saturday

Best bets

Preston
2pts 21-20 general

QPR
2pts 11-10 Coral

Fleetwood draw no bet
1pt 13-8 Betfred

Crawley
1pt 7-5 Coral

Peterborough v Preston

Ryan Lowe has hit the ground running at Preston, losing just two of his 11 games in charge. The new manager’s relationship with Steven Gerrard also helped secure the loan signing of highly thought of Aston Villa striker Cameron Archer, who has scored twice since his January arrival.

North End were unlucky not to take all three points from their midweek game with Huddersfield which they dominated and their sights have been lowered significantly against strugglers Peterborough.

Posh have lost five of their last six league games and have conceded 18 goals in the process. Their 4-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Cardiff on Thursday means they now sport the worst defensive record in the division.

These are two sides going in different directions and Preston can take all three points from their trip south.

Barnsley v QPR

Another away side with a good chance of picking up compensation for a midweek draw are Queens Park Rangers. The R’s held Middlesbrough, one of the form teams in the division, to a 2-2 stalemate on Wednesday and as a result have taken 17 points from their last 21 available.

Ilias Chair returned from the Africa Cup of Nations to get on the scoresheet and their other star creative midfielder Chris Willock added the second.

Mark Warburton’s side face a Barnsley squad who have won one of their last 27 league games and are on a six-game losing streak. Unless they pull off a great escape, the Reds are destined for the third tier next season and QPR can speed up that process with a win.

Cheltenham v Fleetwood Town

Stephen Crainey took over at Fleetwood Town in November with the Cod Army in a perilous position near the bottom of League One, but the new manager has lost just three of his 13 games in charge, including wins over table-toppers Rotherham and Bolton.

Crainey’s side take on Cheltenham, who picked up their first win in 12 against Sunderland last week. However, that may have been more reflective of the Mackems’ struggles than anything else.

Fleetwood’s new signing Ellis Harrison has already netted two crucial goals since joining from Portsmouth and could be key to the Cod Army staying up. They are the top scorers in the bottom half and can show why against the Robins.

Crawley v Hartlepool

Hartlepool face a long journey to Crawley and have been poor on the road this year, taking just six points from a possible 42 away from home.

Crawley have improved hand over fist from November onwards and look set to punish the poor travelling Pools once again.

Accumulator

QPR 21-20, Coventry Evs, Middlesbrough 4-6, Swindon 3-5

£1 acca returns £10.93 with Betfred

First scorer

Viktor Gyokeres Reading v Coventry
9-2 Boylesports

Of the Swede’s 12 goals this season, seven were the first of the match and the streaky scorer has netted three in his last four after a barren run of 13 games.

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