EFL Betting Tips: Resurgent Southampton in crunch clash and Notts County out to assert dominance

It’s the final round of full English Football League fixtures before the upcoming international fixtures, and every team wants to try and head into break on a high.

At the top end of the divisions there are big games coming up across the country, but potentially none of them as vital as West Bromwich Albion’s trip to Southampton in a clash of former Premier League outfits at St. Mary’s.

We’ve picked that, and a couple more games from the EFL, to zone in on ahead of another exciting weekend in the world’s greatest football pyramid:

Championship

Southampton v West Bromwich Albion

Kick off: 3pm Saturday

It’s fourth v fifth in Hampshire, and you can’t understate how big three points would be for either side given the current state of things at the top of the second tier table.

The Saints’ recent resurgence – which sees them unbeaten in seven with five wins along the way – sees them as favourites (at 1.93), while the Baggies have lost only two of their last 14 in the league.

Adam Armstrong, who has eight goals to his name, is seen as the most likely to find the back of the net at 2.62 as anytime goalscorer, but despite their high position in the table Russel Martin’s side have one of the worst defensive records – which is why they’re at 2.72 to keep a clean sheet against a West Brom outfit that have scored seven in their last 13 games.

Prediction: Southampton to win and over 1.5 goals @ 2.28

League One

Leyton Orient v Oxford United

Kick off: 3pm Saturday

Second-placed Oxford have a chance to go top of the table if they win and other results go their way, but the task becomes more difficult now that they’ve lost their manager after Liam Manning joined Bristol City.

They’re still favourites, but only marginally (2.62 to Orient’s 2.86), and part of that is down to the fact that the hosts have come out on top in five of their nine home games this season.

Oxford’s 20 games this season have seen over 1.5 goals scored in all but two of them, and they’ve got clean sheets in their last three. Craig Short will be hoping that that can continue – they’re at 3.4 to keep another at Brisbane Road.

Prediction: Oxford to win and both teams to score @ 5.0

League Two

Crewe Alexandra v Notts County

Kick off: 3pm Saturday

To say that it’s tight at the top of League Two would be doing it a disservice. Stockport are five points clear at the summit, but just one point separates second from fifth – even sixth-placed Morecambe could join the top two if things go their way this weekend.

For County and Crewe, though, they have an opportunity to bolster their own promotion hopes while denting the other’s – and despite having home advantage it is the hosts who are marginal outsiders here at 2.98 to win.

The Railwaymen (with 35 in 16) are the division’s top goalscorers, while the Magpies have a poor record defensively with just three clean sheets in their 21 games across all competitions this season. They have, however, only failed to score in four of them, so it’s no surprise that both teams to score is at just 1.42 for this one.

Luke Williams’ side have struggled on the road all season, so a home victory wouldn’t be a turn up for the books.

Prediction: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals @ 1.7

Recommended Bets

Back Southampton to beat WBA  and over 1.5 goals @ 2.28
Back Oxford to beat Leyton Orient and BTTS @ 5.0
Back BTTS and over 2.5 goals in Crewe v Notts County @ 1.7