EFL expert Gab Sutton has assembled a 92/1 five-fold for the weekend's action across the Championship, League One and League Two.
Gab Sutton's EFL Weekend Accumulator
- Norwich City to beat Burnley @ 5/4
- Leyton Orient to beat Barnsley @ 6/5
- Doncaster Rovers to beat Stevenage @ 23/10
- Bristol Rovers to beat Crawley @ 11/10
- Tranmere Rovers to beat Newport @ 17/10
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Norwich to beat Burnley – 5/4
Norwich will be desperate to bounce back from their 3-0 loss at Millwall in their last league game, but they played well in the opening day 2-0 home defeat to West Brom, so perhaps the midweek League Cup win at Cardiff could be the shot in the arm they needed to get their season up-and-running.
With Ruairi McConville and Pelle Mattsson coming into their league XI after their performances in midweek, in defence and midfield respectively, I’m happy to back Phillippe Clement’s side to start to live up to their ante-post billing this Saturday.
Visitors Burnley have a great outlet in Jacob Bruun Larsen down the left hand side, but I would worry, if Kellen Fisher can keep him quiet, whether they have enough alternative ways in which to hurt their hosts.
It’s a rebuilding season for the visitors, but I’m not sure they’ve had the turnover of players they needed to really kick-start that process.
Leyton Orient to beat Barnsley @ 6/5
Leyton Orient got their first points of the season at Wigan last weekend, in a 2-0 win, with a performance that highlighted the new-found efficiency about Richie Wellens side.
Last year they had forwards who could do damage, but they didn’t have a strong centre-back pairing, which they may have found in Joe Olowu and Phil Chinedu, or a powerful, combative midfield general, which they now possess in Isaac Hayden.
Orient have a spine, and it’s something Barnsley are arguably lacking: Tarn boast prodigious talent in Jonny Bland, Patrick Kelly and Reyes Cleary, plus some of this summer’s recruits, but the defence looks inexperienced.
On the one hand, they’ll have the pace to hold a high line, but equally they may not have the knowhow or organizational nous to ride out those difficult moments.
Doncaster to win at Stevenage @ 23/10
I’m surprised Doncaster are as big as 23/10, given Stevenage’s start to the season: a fortuitous 1-1 draw at relegation favourites Burton on the opening day, followed by a 2-1 home loss to Oxford last weekend.
There should be a lot of local faith in Alex Revell, and a long-serving core of players including the likes of Carl Piergianni at the back, so it’s not time to panic just yet at this embryonic stage of the season, but Boro fans could be forgiven for being a bit nervous after a 3-0 League Cup defeat to Reading.
Visitors Doncaster haven’t exactly started on fire either, with last week’s goalless draw with Barnsley being their first point of the campaign, but they have made a fabulous acquisition this week in Tommi O’Reilly.
Having racked up the assists last season in League Two with Crewe, O’Reilly was exactly the kind of signing Stevenage needed to make to take their attacking side to the next level, and I expect the Fodes-nicknamed Aston Villa loanee (after Phil Foden stylistic similarities) to make an instant impact for Grant McCann’s side.
Bristol Rovers to win at Crawley Town @ 11/10
Steve Evans will be delighted with how the attacking side of his team’s season is going, with seven goals in their first two league games, following a 5-3 victory over Newport last week.
The Scot, however, is often associated with rock-solid teams, like the last side with which he won promotion at this level, 2022-23 Stevenage, and he’ll have been desperate to iron out those issues at the back this week.
So, if Bristol Rovers can keep their attacking threat with some defensive fine-tuning, they look great value for the win at Crawley at odds-against quotes – and I also like Fabrizio Cavegn, one of the best finishers in League Two, to score anytime at 15/8.
Crawley won 2-1 at Rochdale last weekend, scoring from their only two shots on target: I’m not sure they can do that every week.
Tranmere Rovers to win at Newport County @ 17/10
Newport’s opening day 3-0 win over Rochdale may have been a perfect storm, in that they came up against a religiously possession-based opponent, which played right into the hands of the raw pace of Yahya Bamba and Shaquille Gwenge.
My concern for the Exiles is that it may have been a flash in the pan, and that they’ll struggle to replicate that performance in other games against better-balanced opposition: in fairness, they did score three again at Bristol Rovers last weekend, but they also conceded five.
Tranmere, I feel have a much stronger midfield than their hosts, and a quintet of Will Vaulks, Lee O’Connor, Jordan Davies, Tom Ince and Charlie Whitaker could overpower County.
Darrell Clarke is very good at cultivating a great team spirit at the sides he manages, and building a connection with supporters: he’s done that again with Rovers, who showed immense togetherness to somehow grab a point at Port Vale with outfielder Bobby Faulkner in goal for the entire second half.
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