Weekend EFL predictions: Ipswich, Wimbledon & Fleetwood angles

Weekend EFL: The Championship rejoins the EFL fray this weekend with a blockbuster clash between promoted Birmingham City and relegated Ipswich Town under the Friday night lights at St Andrews getting the second-tier season underway.

Our weekend Football League best bets begin in the second city, where the sides scarcely seem separable, before revisiting a Wimbledon outfit that landed a wager for us last weekend and banking on Fleetwood to continue last season’s strong form on home turf.

Weekend EFL: Protagonists in tantalising Championship owner look tough to split

The fixture-generator has thrown out an absolute corker to usher in the new Championship season, with last season’s runaway League One winners Birmingham 7/5 favourites for victory over current title favourites Ipswich.

Kieran McKenna’s men have made light of losing striker Liam Delap to Chelsea earlier this summer by winning all four of their pre-season friendlies, scoring 12 times in the process.

However, Birmingham went through the whole of last season without losing a home league game and taking them on doesn’t really appeal given they’ve strengthened further since then.

Under the circumstances a draw that both sides would likely take before kick off feels like good value at 41/20.

Weekend EFL: Dons defence can do us favour for second successive weekend

An 85th-minute own goal was AFC Wimbledon’s undoing in a 1-0 away loss to Luton last Friday but the rock-solid rearguard that underscored their 2024/25 still landed our wager.

Johnnie Jackson’s side limited the title favourites to one shot on target and two more off target at Kenilworth and must have every chance of shutting out Lincoln at Plough Lane on that form.

They’re priced up at a chunky 43/20 to blank visiting Lincoln, having kept 15 clean sheets in 23 home league games last season and look more than capable of doing so up in class on the evidence of their first League One outing.

Weekend EFL: Fleetwood can build on last season’s formidable Highbury form

Bristol Rovers fans could be forgiven for fearing a long old season following a 1-0 opening day defeat at home to Harrogate, a side that finished 19th in League Two last term.

A trip to the Highbury Stadium, where Fleetwood lost just four league games in 2024/25 doesn’t look like the most obvious candidate to improve the mood of Pirates fans.

The Lancashire outfit are 29/20 for victory, which looks a very fair price on the strength of that hard-to-beat home form, but also their impressive 2-0 away win over a Barnet side fancied to go well this term last weekend.

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