Fancy yourself as a betting guru? Well here are SkyBet’s tips for this weekends League One fixtures:
Colchester United v Peterborough United
Peterborough are Sky Bet’s 13/10 favourites for Saturday’s clash at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, with Colchester 21/10 to register their first win of the season. The Posh have been cut to 11/4 fifth favourites for promotion following their impressive start, winning three of their first four games to sit second.
Kyle Vassell has found the net in each of their victories and the 21-year-old is 9/4 to score in another win and 5/1 favourite to open the scoring. Jabo Ibehre and Dan Holman are considered the hosts’ main threats at 13/2 apiece to break the deadlock, while George Moncur provides better value at 11/1, having already netted twice this season.
Colchester enjoyed a 1-0 victory when these sides last met in Essex, and a repeat of that scoreline is 17/2, while Posh are 100/1 to replicate their 5-1 Capital One Cup victory here last August.
Top tip: Vassell and Moncur both to score at 16/1
Doncaster Rovers v Oldham Athletic
Doncaster are Sky Bet’s 6/5 favourites for Saturday’s clash at the Keepmoat Stadium with Oldham 9/4 to register their first league win of the season.
The Latics might take some encouragement from the fact that Rovers, who have seven points to their name so far, have recorded both of their league wins on the road, although confidence is sure to be high following an odds-defying 2-1 win at Watford in the Capital One Cup.
Sky Bet are expecting a tense affair, with over 2.5 goals at evens (1/1), while a 1-1 draw is considered the most likely scoreline at 5/1. Nathan Tyson has scored two in three and is 6/1 to break the deadlock, with Theo Robinson the favourite in the first goalscorer betting at 11/2. Jonathan Forte is considered the visitors’ biggest threat at 7/1 to net first, having already scored three goals this season.
Top tip: Tyson and Forte to score at 9/1
Fleetwood Town v Leyton Orient
Fleetwood are Sky Bet’s 19/10 outsiders for Saturday’s clash with Leyton Orient despite their impressive start to the season. The Cod Army have racked up 10 points from 12 available, conceding just one, prompting their League 1 promotion odds to tumble from a pre-season price of 8/1 to 5/1.
The O’s are also expected to be well in the mix come the end of the season as 5/2 fourth favourites to go up and are unbeaten in three, with a 3-1 win at Oldham followed by back-to-back 0-0 draws. With Fleetwood also playing out a 0-0 draw in their last game, another goalless stalemate might tempt those fearing another at 17/2.
David Ball is the 5/1 favourite to break the deadlock, while Jamie Proctor is 100/30 to score in a Cod Army win for a fourth time this season. Darius Henderson and Kevin Lisbie are considered the visitors’ biggest threats at 11/2 apiece to open the scoring, having already got off the mark this season.
Top tip: 0-0 draw at 17/2
Gillingham v Crewe Alexandra
Gillingham are Sky Bet’s 23/10 favourites for Saturday’s Priestfield clash, with Crewe 9/4 to register their first League 1 win of the season.
The Railwaymen might take some encouragement from the fact that the away side have prevailed in seven of the last eight meetings between these two clubs, with Steve Davis’ men running out 3-1 victors here last season.
A repeat of that scoreline is available at 25/1, with a 2-1 Gillingham victory considered the most likely winning outcome at 8/1. Four-goal frontman Danny Kedwell has made an impressive start to the season and is 5/4 to score in a fifth successive league game, while Marcus Haber has just one less goal to his name and is 13/2 to open the scoring.
Top tip: Kedwell and Haber both to score at 13/2
MK Dons v Crawley Town
Manchester United’s conquerors MK Dons return to Sky Bet League 1 action as odds-on favourites for the visit of Crawley Town. Karl Robinson’s side produced one of the biggest shocks in League Cup history when dumping Louis van Gaal’s United out of the competition and they’re 33/1 to win by the same 4-0 margin on Saturday.
Benik Afobe and Will Grigg, who scored a brace apiece in Tuesday’s rout, are 11/2 to both be on the scoresheet against Crawley. The visitors are a big price (18/5) to record an upset but did record a 2-0 win when the sides last met at Stadium MK in April and its 22/1 for a repeat of that outcome. Crawley’s top scorer Izale McLeod can be backed at 5/1 to score in an away win.
Top tip: Under 2.5 goals at 8/11
Port Vale v Chesterfield
Chesterfield are slight 7/5 favourites to take maximum points when they visit Port Vale in Sky Bet League 1 on Saturday. The Spireites have made a strong start to the season with two wins and a draw from their opening four matches, although they have failed to win in their last two.
They also have a good recent record against Vale, winning three and drawing one of their last four meetings, including a 2-0 victory when they last met, which is available at 11/1. Top scorer Eoin Doyle can be backed at 9/4 to net in a Chesterfield win.
Vale, meanwhile, have lost only one of their opening four League fixtures but in Tom Pope have one of the leading scorers in the division. Pope is 11/2 to open the scoring and is 3/1 to net in a home win.
Top tip: Draw and both teams to score at 3/1
Preston North End v Sheffield United
Promotion fancies Preston will have to reverse recent form if they are to take maximum points from their Sky Bet League 1 clash with improving Sheffield United.
The Blades have lost only one of their last six meetings with North End but are 3/1 to inflict a first league defeat of the season on Simon Grayson’s third placed side, who are odds-on to extend their unbeaten start.
Preston have only conceded two goals so far this term and are 21/10 to win to nil, but United’s recent victory over promotion candidates Peterborough and their Capital One Cup win over West Ham in midweek will have no doubt bolstered confidence. Preston’s Joe Garner is 9/2 to open the scoring, while Jose Baxter, who has scored in the last two league matches, is 11/2 to net in an away win.
Top tip: Joe Garner and Jose Baxter both to score at 8/1
Rochdale v Bradford City
Rochdale look to have finally turned the corner after a poor start to the Sky Bet League 1 campaign and are 6/4 to take all three points when they host Bradford City (9/5) on Saturday.
After opening up with back-to-back defeats, Dale smashed five passed Crewe and then held title favourites Bristol City last time out and can be backed at 3/1 with the League sponsor to win by exactly one goal. City have won on each of their last three visits to Spotland, but did suffer their first league defeat of the campaign last time out.
Matt Done netted a hat-trick for Dale against Crewe and is 16/1 to break the deadlock, while James Hanson is a 5/1 shot to net first for the visitors.
Top tip: Both teams to score at 8/11
Scunthorpe United v Walsall
Both sides remain without a win as Scunthorpe host Walsall on Saturday, with the pair accumulating just four points between them so far. Three of those points come courtesy of Walsall’s three draws, and they’re proving tougher to beat, although home advantage sees the bookmakers side with Scunthorpe at 13/8 for a home win.
The Saddlers are 17/10 for an away win, but they’ve drawn two of their four games 0-0, and that’s 15/2 to come in again, while a draw of any type is 11/5. Scunthorpe’s last two games have gone under 2.5 goals, while three of Walsall’s four league outings have finished likewise.
Top tip: Under 2.5 goals at 4/6
Swindon Town v Coventry City
Swindon are favourites to continue their positive start to the Sky Bet League 1 campaign as they’re rated 1/1 to get a third win in five games.
Coventry will be a little disappointed to have just five points on the board after four games, but the Sky Blues are unbeaten in three and they’re given a 13/5 chance of winning at the County Ground, while another draw is 12/5.
The Robins took Championship side Brighton to extra-time in the Capital One Cup in midweek, whereas the visitors will be fresh having already gone out of the cup competition. Reda Johnson already has two goals on the board and is 14/1 to score first, while Michael Smith of the hosts also has two to his name – he’s the 9/2 favourite to break the deadlock.
Top tip: Michael Smith to score Swindon’s first goal at 5/2
Yeovil v Barnsley
Two of last season’s relegated sides from the Sky Bet Championship face off at Huish Park, with Yeovil the 7/5 favourites to beat Barnsley, despite the Tykes making a better start to the season.
Barnsley have recovered from their opening day defeat to Crawley with two wins in three games, including the 4-1 win over Gillingham last weekend.
Another win by that scoreline is unlikely at 50/1, although the Glovers are yet to keep a clean sheet this term, but they’re 21/10 to end that run on Saturday. Goals could be on the cards, however, as 23 have been scored in the eight league games involving the two clubs.
Top tip: Both teams to score at 4/6
Notts County v Bristol City
Notts County and Bristol City have suffered just one defeat between them in the eight Sky Bet League 1 games featuring either of the two sides this term, and a draw is on offer this Sunday at 23/10 with the league sponsors.
As the 9/2 title favourites, visitors Bristol City are 5/4 to take a win, with the Magpies rated 21/10 for a home victory. Arguably, the hosts have the better form as they’ve won two on the bounce, though the Robins are yet to lose.
Aaron Wilbraham and Liam Noble have three goals and two between them already this term and the Bristol City striker is 11/2 to score first, while the Magpies midfielder is 9/1 to score in a home win.
Top Tip: Both teams to score at 4/6
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