Alex Jack’s best bets for Saturday’s EFL matches include wins for Cardiff and Bolton.
Bonfire Night may have been and gone but there should still be plenty of fireworks in the EFL on Saturday with 31 matches taking place across the Championship and Leagues One and Two.
Our fourfold includes a pair of home selections in the Championship and two away picks in the third and fourth tiers.
Best bets:
Cardiff to beat Blackburn
13/10
Derby -1 v Plymouth
17/10
Bolton to beat Stockport
6/4
Port Vale to beat Gillingham
13/10
Accumulator odds 37/1
Cardiff to beat Blackburn
13/10
Cardiff’s 1-0 loss at Luton on Tuesday was a rare blot on the copybook of interim Bluebirds boss Omer Riza, who had lost only one of seven matches in charge prior to that setback.
Riza has overseen a huge upturn in fortunes in the Welsh capital since taking over from Erol Bulut, with the Bluebirds enjoying particular success on home soil where they have won all four of their matches under the 44-year-old, scoring 10 goals and conceding just once.
That impressive home record will be put to the test against Blackburn this weekend, but Rovers head into the game having lost three on the bounce in the Championship and without a goal in their last four league outings.
Cardiff will move to within a point of the Lancashire outfit with victory and the Bluebirds look a nice price to do just that.
Derby -1 v Plymouth
17/10
Derby have impressed at home since returning to the Championship, winning four and losing only one of six matches at Pride Park, and they can build on that strong record when a familiar face returns to the East Midlands venue.
Former England and Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney ended his playing career with the Rams before beginning his time as a managerial with them, and although he would love to get one over his former club, his current side Plymouth have been struggling on the road.
The Pilgrims hold the worst away record in the Championship, picking up just a solitary point from their seven road fixtures, while they have scored only once and conceded 16 times on their travels.
Another fruitless awayday may beckon for Rooney’s Argyle, who look set to leave Derbyshire empty-handed.
Bolton to beat Stockport @ 8/5 (15:00)
After winning their first three matches in the third tier following a 14-year absence, Stockport have won just two of their following 11 games and head into Saturday’s home clash with Bolton on the back of a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of high-flying Wycombe in midweek.
So another game against an in-form side is probably not what County needed, with opponents Bolton having won six of their last eight in the league ahead of their trip to Edgeley Park.Â
Recent wins at Crawley, Northampton and Stevenage should mean the Trotters make the short hop across Greater Manchester full of confidence and they may well prove too strong for their local rivals.
Port Vale to beat Gillingham @ 11/8 (15:00)
Port Vale are on a 10-match unbeaten run in League Two, a record that would be intimidating for any side, never mind one as out of form as Gillingham.Â
After a flying start to the season, the Gills have taken just one point from their last six league games and have lost at home to Grimsby, Accrington Stanley and Newport in that time. They also bowed out of the FA Cup on home soil to Blackpool last weekend.
Mark Bonner needs to turn Gillingham’s fortunes around quickly but a visit from the in-form league leaders is unlikely to signify an immediate upturn.
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