The midweek English football coupon is an intriguing blend of fixtures with the potential to impact the Premier League title race and the promotion and relegation pictures in the Football League.
In an unusual turn of events for this blog away wins appeal at odds-against in League One and League Two, before a tried and tested money maker returns in the Merseyside derby.
Midweek football tips
Peterborough to beat Cheltenham @ 23/20
Doncaster to beat Colchester @ 21/20
Everton vs Liverpool – Under 2.5 goals @ 6/4
Bet on the latest football odds at Betzone
Expect another dour derby on Merseyside with hosts in unders-tastic form
Everton are top of the Premier League under 2.5 goals table with an unparalleled 55% of their games seeing two or fewer netted – a fact that won’t be lost on those that followed us in on the bet for their 2-0 Goodison Park win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday at 10/11.
Free-scoring Liverpool are a superior side to the Tricky Trees on pretty much every metric but there’s still plenty to like about the 6/4 on under 2.5 goals in a Merseyside derby on Toffees territory.
The last four meetings between Sean Dyche’s side and their red-clad rivals have produced scorelines of 2-0, 2-0, 0-0 and 2-0, while only Manchester City (14), Arsenal (15) and the Reds (15) themselves have shipped less home league goals than the Toffees (18) this term.
Tip: Everton vs Liverpool – Under 2.5 goals @ 6/4
Posh can keep automatic promotion hopes alive with win at choking Cheltenham
Peterborough United travel to Gloucestershire knowing they can maintain an outside chance of pinching the second automatic promotion spot from Derby County with a win over Cheltenham. Only champions Portsmouth have won more away games this term and at 23/20 Posh look a bet.
The Robins have survival to play for themselves given wins in each of their two remaining games could see them avoid relegation if Burton claim a point or less from their final game of the season. However, Town now lost five of their last six, with four of those defeats coming at home.
Darren Ferguson’s men cleaned their clocks with a comfortable 3-0 success at London Road earlier this term and having won five of their last six look in the kind of form to complete the double.
Tip: Peterborough to beat Cheltenham @ 23/20
Reborn Rovers can gatecrash the playoffs with victory away to relegation battling U’s
It would have been unthinkable that Doncaster Rovers could be 21/20 to beat anyone away from home as recently as the end of January, when they sat third-bottom of League Two on 28 points.
However, fast-forward three months and they’re one point off the playoffs with two games to go with their post-season participation in their own hands. Grant McCann’s men have won their last nine games with Crewe, Crawley, Wrexham and Barrow (all placed above them) among their victims.
Only three League Two sides have lost more home games than Colchester’s nine this term and while they’ve only been defeated twice in their last eight at the JobServe Community Stadium their visitors, reborn on the back of some astute January transfer business, are too hot to oppose.
