Football League Acca: Jack Goddard pinpoints five tasty EFL selections

The EFL kicked off last Saturday and was as eventful as ever. Here we help you make sense of it all and find some winners among the chaos.

Norwich City v Wigan

Kick-off: 12.30pm Saturday

Norwich’s bid to win their third consecutive Championship title got off to a spluttering start last weekend, as they lost to a Cardiff side that struggled for long stretches of last season. The Canaries’ current goal-scoring problems run deep, as they have now failed to score in three consecutive games, if you include their two final pre-season friendlies. 

The Norfolk side need to find a way to supply Teemu Pukki, who scored 48% of their Premier League goals last year, and they have found a potential solution through the signings of Gabriel Sara and Marcelino Nunez from Brazil and Chile respectively. However, neither of them have played yet, and it will take time for them to form a connection with Norwich’s talisman.

Wigan will be eager to get League One’s joint-top scorer Will Keane amongst the goals as soon as possible, and his form could prove crucial to the Latics’ hopes of survival this year. As it is, they kicked off with a goalless draw against Preston last week. Unless either of these sides properly get into gear, I think this will be a low-scoring affair.

Selection: Under 2.5 goals @ 1.81

Sheffield United v Millwall 

Kick-off: 3pm Saturday

Top-of-the-table Millwall travel to Sheffield United off the back of an extremely comfortable opening-day victory. In fact, the Lions were one of just two teams to score more than a single goal in the Championship last Saturday - let’s hope that changes this week!

The Blades were on the wrong end of a 1-0 Watford win on Monday night but are a stronger force on their own patch. In fact, only two current Championship sides recorded more home points last season - Huddersfield, and Millwall themselves.

The East-London side are nowhere near as formidable away from home, however, recording just five wins on the road last year. Gary Rowett will need to fix that problem if Millwall are to break their glass ceiling and compete for the play-offs this year.

Bramall Lane is a tough place to start, though. United were a force to be reckoned with under Paul Heckingbottom last year, and I fancy them to get their first win of the season on their own way to a likely top-six finish.

Selection: Sheffield United to win @ 1.9

MK Dons v Sheffield Wednesday 

Kick-off: 3pm Saturday

MK Dons and Sheffield Wednesday finished 3rd and 4th respectively in last season’s League One table, scoring 78 goals apiece. The problem for both teams was with their defending, which was perfectly exemplified by the Owls’ 3-3 draw with Portsmouth last weekend.

Wednesday ended up drawing a game they were perfectly in control of due to their complete inability to defend a cross, something that Dons manager Liam Manning will be looking to exploit at the weekend.

MK sadly lost their star man Scott Twine to Burnley early in the transfer window but have signed a whole host of midfield and attacking options in a bid to replace him - in particular Will Grigg and Bradley Johnson.

There were 250 goals in matches involving these two sides last season - coming out at well over 2.5 goals a game. Hopefully that trend will continue.

Selection: Over 2.5 goals @ 2.12

Hartlepool v AFC Wimbledon

Kick-off: 3pm Saturday

After spending numerous seasons bouncing around the bottom of League One, Wimbledon will be hoping for a happier year now they’ve finally been relegated. They started off in the right vein, defeating Gillingham comfortably at home.

Hartlepool, on the other hand, could not have had a worse start, having been thumped 4-0 by Walsall - who finished just one spot above them last season - on the opening day.

The Monkey Hangers have signed 13 new players this summer so far, and it might take a bit longer to integrate them all into a properly coherent unit. No-one finished off their League Two campaign last year worse than ‘Pool (one point from their last five games), so they’ll need to click into gear soon.

Nonetheless, expect former Charlton manager Johnnie Jackson to continue his 100% start with the Dons and secure the three points in the North East.

Selection: Wimbledon to win @ 2.86

West Brom v Watford 

Kick-off: 8pm Monday

Probably the biggest clash of this EFL match week kicks off on Monday night, as Steve Bruce’s side welcome Watford after securing a promising point at Middlesbrough.

West Brom have had a positive transfer window, adding valuable Championship experience, in Jed Wallace and John Swift, to their squad. The two combined well for the Baggies’ goal last weekend, and will likely help catapult West Brom back into promotion contention after a 10th-place finish last season.

Watford, however, have already taken care of one fellow promotion contender, defeating Sheffield United 1-0 thanks to João Pedro’s second-half strike. They’ve also made a shrewd appointment in Rob Edwards, who did a brilliant job with Forest Green - as long as they don’t sack him after one loss, he should take the Hornets back up again.

I’m backing both teams to score here in what should be a high-quality match.

Selection: Both Teams To Score @ 1.85

Recommended bets

Back Norwich-Wigan Under 2.5 goals @ 1.83
Back Sheffield United to win @ 1.9
Back MK Dons-Sheffield Wednesday Over 2.5 goals @ 2.12
Back Wimbledon to win @ 2.92
Back West Brom-Watford Both teams to score @ 1.85