Expert EFL predictions and free football tips from Steve Davies

Racing Post
 
Expert EFL predictions and free football tips from Steve Davies

All matches kick off 3pm Saturday

Best bets

Salford
4pts 10-11 bet365

Portsmouth
3pts 29-20 bet365, Betfair

Over 2.5 goals in Grimsby v Mansfield
3pts 21-20 Betfair, Coral, Ladbrokes 

Lincoln
1pt 13-8 BoyleSports

Steve Davies's EFL predictions

Salford v Colchester

Colchester may just have salvaged their League Two status with Monday's 4-0 thrashing of a dire Crewe, but one rare high in a season full of lows doesn't mean they should be backed at Salford.

Indeed the hosts at a shade of odds-on look great value given that Salford are also in very decent nick and playing at a better level.

The U's had failed to score in six of nine matches before Crewe raised the white flag last time out.

Veteran John Akinde is still a handful at the age of 33 but Salford can more than match Colchester for firepower given they are the basement's joint top scorers.

And last week's late, late 3-2 win at Wimbledon will have done wonders for the morale of a side who have won six of their last nine at the Peninsula Stadium.

Shrewsbury v Portsmouth  

The old 'bare bones' cliché gets an airing at New Meadow where Shrews boss Steve Cotterill won't be able to send out anything like his best team against Pompey – and they will probably pay for that.

Ryan Bowman, sent off in the 3-1 loss at Barnsley, is added to a whole list of injuries which have clearly played a part in Shrewsbury's four-match losing streak.

Portsmouth are without Joe Morrell – also banned – but have lost only two of 13 and are finishing the League One campaign in style.

Grimsby v Mansfield  

The Stags are League Two's top scorers and should be able to gorge themselves on a Mariners' back line who haven't kept a clean sheet in five.

Mansfield are just outside of the playoff places and cannot afford to take any backward steps, so they'll be frustrated at Monday's 1-1 draw at home to Rochdale straight after four-goal wins over Crawley and Swindon.

Back a goal-feast at Blundell Park.

Lincoln v Port Vale  

The side outside the top three in League One with the joint-fewest home losses? It's Lincoln, down in 13th who have lost only once at Sincil Bank this term.

Granted they draw too many but if they wanted a lift, then taking seven points out of a possible nine – four of those off Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth – has to get them believing before they take on flatlining Port Vale.

Accumulator

Sunderland 10-11 Wycombe 10-11 Salford 10-11 Stevenage 8-13
£1 acca returns £11.24 with bet365

First goalscorer

Tom Cannon Millwall v Preston
at 15-2 general

With six in six few frontmen are in better nick than North End's Cannon who can get the scoring started at The Den.