EFL Betting Tips: Huge Rotherham clash the pick and West Brom to win on all Championship afternoon

Saturday at 3pm, the time when – usually – almost the whole English Football League gets underway on another gameweek. But not this time around.

 The first round of the FA Cup means that teams from both League One and League Two are in action elsewhere up and down the country, leaving the Championship to carry the EFL into the weekend.

 Friday night’s game between Leicester City and Leeds United is undoubtedly the box office game of the weekend, but there’s plenty happening on Saturday too – at both ends of the table.

We picked out three to home in on as the second tier of English football continues to take shape:

Rotherham United v Queens Park Rangers

Kickoff: 3pm Saturday

As big as Leicester v Leeds is at the top of the table, Rotherham v QPR feels equally as huge at the bottom. Defeat at Sheffield Wednesday – a dent in local pride – wasn’t surprising given the fact that they haven’t won an away game since 2022, but at home to fellow strugglers they’re slight favourites at 2.78.

Rangers have lost their last six and failed to win any of their last nine, a run of results that cost Gareth Ainsworth his job, and this weekend Martí Cifuentes will be hoping for that fabled new manager to kick in.

His side only have one goal in their last four games on the road, but against a team that hasn’t kept a single clean sheet in any competitive fixture this season they will fancy their chances. Fancy both teams to score? That’s at 1.85.

Prediction: A draw @ 3.35

Stoke City v Cardiff City

Kickoff: 3pm Saturday

 After a pretty torrid start to the season Alex Neil looks to have got the Potters back on track again of late. They’ve won four of their last six, and their last three victories have come against impressive opponents in Sunderland, Leeds United and Middlesbrough.

 They’re at 2.24 to come out on top against a Cardiff team that have won their last two, and the visitors will also be buoyed by the fact that they’ve scored six in their last 180 minutes of football – with four different goalscorers getting in on the action. They’ve also only failed to score in two games across all competitions this season, which is why a home clean sheet (2.68) isn’t expected.

Stoke haven’t exactly been free-scoring this season, but with 11 in their last nine they’ve started to find their shooting boots lately – despite not scoring at all in 2023/24, Dwight Gayle (3.25) is seen as the most likely to find the back of the net.

Prediction: Both teams to score @ 1.93

West Bromwich Albion v Hull City

Kickoff: 3pm Saturday

 These two head into Saturday’s game with an almost identical record so far in the current campaign. They’ve won, drawn and lost the same amount of games, and it’s only West Brom’s goal difference that sets them apart.

 As the away side and the one who has scored less and conceded more, the Tigers are the outsiders (at 3.9), but they do go into this game on the back of victories over Birmingham City and Preston North End – both of which resulted in a clean sheet.

The Baggies can do one better, though, with three clean sheets in a row, and at home this season they have only lost once in the Championship. They haven’t conceded at the Hawthorns since the first weekend of September. 

West Brom’s John Swift is the top scoring player for either side – with six goals – yet is at 4.5 to score anytime. Might be worth a shout after scoring in his last two.

Prediction: West Bromwich Albion to win @ 2.14

Recommended Bets

Back the draw in Rotherham v QPR @ 3.35
Back BTTS in Stoke v Cardiff @ 1.93
Back West Brom to beat Hull @ 2.14