Matchday 32/33 is here in the EFL, and again, it’s another matchday closer to the final stages of the season, meaning results matter. There are teams at the top end of the table looking to cement their positions, teams aiming to make a late dash, and teams attempting to stave off relegation. Here’s the pick of the EFL betting action from across the Football League this weekend.
Championship
Preston North End vs Burnley
Preston vs Burnley is a Lancashire derby and the final Lancashire derby of the season. And it could be an important derby game for both teams. The automatic promotion race is tight at the top of the Championship, with Burnley one of four teams battling for the two spots. No team can afford to blink in the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League, so Burnley must keep winning. They’ve won their last two. Preston, on the other hand, have won three of their previous four games and need to stay on this path if they’re to make a late push for the playoffs. There’s always one team that finds form around now and forces their way into the reckoning, and it could be Paul Heckingbottom’s side.
Sheffield Wednesday vs Coventry City
If the race for automatic promotion in the Championship is a close-run affair, the battle for the playoffs is even tighter. Fifth and sixth, two playoff spots, are up for grabs, and you’d say six, or even more teams, are in the race. Sheffield Wednesday vs Coventry are two teams just outside the top six but within striking distance. At this point, when teams in this group play each other, they know that a win will not only enhance their chances but damage their opponents’. It should make for a fiercely fought contest at Hillsborough. Wednesday will have to buck their ideas on home soil, mind, as it’s not been a fortress for them so far this season.
Leeds United vs Sunderland
Arguably, the match of the weekend in the Championship is between Leeds United and Sunderland, two teams vying for automatic promotion to the Premier League. Right now, Leeds are top of the table, and Sunderland start the matchday in fourth, five points adrift of the automatics. Leeds will look at Leeds vs Sunderland as a chance to cement their position at the top of the league, while Sunderland will see it as a way to claw themselves closer. Both teams come into this in fine form. The home team have won their last three, while the visitors have won three from five. Whoever wins here makes a statement.
League One
Barnsley vs Huddersfield Town
Barnsley vs Huddersfield is a Yorkshire derby and a clash between two teams with playoff ambitions and interestingly, two teams out of form. The aim for both outfits this season was to get promoted to the Championship, and while there’s been a dalliance with it, neither has really cemented their place in the top six. Barnsley are down in tenth and six points adrift of Huddersfield who are hanging on to sixth. The home team know that winning here will see them climb closer to where they want to be, and it will also send Huddersfield moving in the wrong direction. Both teams haven’t won for a while, so it will be down to one of them to step up.
Birmingham City vs Charlton Athletic
Birmingham City look destined for automatic promotion. They’re sitting pretty at the top of the League One table and have an eleven-point advantage over Wrexham in third. However, Birmingham vs Charlton may not be another straightforward victory, of which there have been many this season. While Birmingham have won their last three in the league, visitors Charlton come having won four from their previous five. The Addicks also have a very experienced manager in Nathan Jones, who has been there and done it at this level. This will be a real test of Birmingham’s credentials. Charlton are fifth, and a defeat could see their playoff place come under threat.
Bristol Rovers vs Burton Albion
At the other end of the League One table, a fight to avoid relegation is well underway. Bristol Rovers are currently five points clear of the drop zone, and they know they have to keep picking up points to stay clear of being dragged into the scrap for survival. Their opponents this weekend are Burton Albion, who at one stage looked dead and buried but are now only four points from safety. Bristol Rovers vs Burton Albion is, therefore, what many describe as a relegation six-pointer. The aim for Bristol Rovers is to keep their head above water and to push Burton Albion further down. At the same time, Burton are out to claw Rovers into the fight that they don’t want to be in.
League Two
AFC Wimbledon vs Salford City
AFC Wimbledon vs Salford City is essentially a top-of-the-table clash between two teams that are aiming for promotion this season. The beauty of League Two is that there are three automatic spots up for grabs, as well as the four playoff places. Both Wimbledon and Salford occupy playoff positions, but they’re both within reach of the top three, too. And, in Salford’s case, a defeat here could see them slip out of the top seven. On their day, both of these teams are capable of beating anyone, and each other, but with so much riding on this fixture, and both having drawn three of their last five, could it be another stalemate? Or could one team step up to the mark?
Doncaster Rovers vs Grimsby Town
Doncaster Rovers and Grimsby Town are enjoying excellent seasons in their own rights. Rovers are in the League Two playoff places and a point adrift of the automatic promotions spots, while Grimsby are marching towards the playoffs themselves. Both teams will see themselves as promotion candidates at this stage, and they know that they have to keep up a good level of form from there on in. Doncaster’s winning run came to an abrupt end last time out, so they will be eager to get back to winning ways and attempt to get back in the top three. Grimsby, who have won their last two, know Doncaster vs Grimsby is a chance to make it three wins from three and edge closer to seventh.
Morecambe vs Accrington Stanley
Morecambe vs Accrington Stanley sees two relegation-threatened teams go head to head, and neither are in the best of form. Morecambe have lost four of their last five and are four points from safety. Accrington, winless in four, are only seven points clear at this stage of the campaign. With no team in the bottom six in good form right now, a win for either team here could be hugely significant. Morecambe are at a stage where they have to win because they need to close the gap on 22nd place Tranmere. Accrington know that if they don’t keep picking up points, they could be sucked into the relegation scrap at the wrong time of the season.
