EFL Playoffs semis first-leg tips: Oppose these two slumpers

The EFL Playoffs get underway with the Championship semi-final first legs this Thursday and Friday, before League One and Two join the fun over the course of Saturday and Sunday.

Sunderland and Walsall look there to be taken on after demoralising ends to the season, while the chance of goals looks underrated when Leyton Orient host Stockport.

Side with strong Cov home form against Sunderland on the slide

Sunderland slumped towards the conclusion of the Championship season, losing their last five league games and scoring just once across their last six second-tier outings.

The Black Cats have to be opposed on that evidence and the 6/5 about a Coventry win looks a very fair price on its own given their form at the CBS Stadium.

Frank Lampard’s side have won 11 and drawn two of their 15 home league games since the former Chelsea boss joined the club.

However, the Sky Blues have also kept clean sheets in four of their last five games in their own backyard and that’s a persuasive reason to chance a bigger payout for pairing the Coventry win with ‘Both teams to score – No’ given the visitors’ scoring struggles.

Chance of goals underrated as in-form League One sides collide

Leyton Orient are only very marginal 17/10 favourites to beat visiting Stockport (7/4) despite entering the postseason scoring for fun on a six-game winning streak.

However, County have been on an even more sustained run of great form, winning seven and drawing one of their last eight. Backing goals looks a far safer bet.

Over 2.5 goals looks like manna from betting heaven at 11/8. Five of Orient’s last six have seen the wager land, while Richie Wellens’ men have netted at least three by themselves in four of those fixtures.

Stockport locked down their playoff spot with 3-2 and 3-1 wins in their last two regular season outings, while four of their last five saw a total goals count of three or more.

Back late-surging Spireites to pick off deflated Saddlers side

Chesterfield and Walsall could hardly be entering their League Two playoff semi with more differing momentum and the in-form hosts look decent value to win at 11/10.

Three wins from their past five games saw Paul Cook’s Spireites side finally gatecrash the playoffs on the last day of term having seldom looked like doing so all year.

Walsall, on the other hand, ended the 15-match winless run that demolished their title ambitions with a 1-0 victory over Crewe on the final day. However, even that success ended contributing to further deflation.

The win looked set to see Saddlers snatch automatic promotion from the jaws of their slump only for a 96th-minute Bradford City winner to dump them back into the playoffs.

It’s hard to see arguably football’s most appropriately named manager Mat Sadler being able to lift his side again after that.