The fabled fixture computer has thrown out a very trappy coupon in each of the top four divisions of English football this weekend. It’s difficult to draw too many conclusions after Matchweek 1 in the Premier League, while many of the early season EFL front runners are playing away.
One angle which has the potential to be profitable is to take on the odds compilers’ assumptions around promoted and relegated teams. Those playing at a higher level can sometimes be underestimated, while those slumming it can occasionally be given too much credit.
Weekend English football betting tips
Nottingham Forest to beat Sheff Utd @ 17/20
Plymouth Argyle to beat Southampton draw no bet @ 7/4
Stevenage to beat Reading @ 7/4
Wrexham vs Swindon over 3.5 goals @ 13/8
Bet on the latest football odds at Betzone
Improving Forest a fair price to down blunted Blades
A Crystal Palace team shorn of Wilfried Zaha and Michael Olise should have beaten Sheffield United out of sight at Bramall Lane. Only poor finishing kept the scoreline down to 1-0-.
The Blades blooded some new signings against the Eagles, but none immediately looked capable of making up for the goals and assists of Illimane N’Diaye, who left for Marseille on August 1.
Nottingham Forest appear to have improved for a settled summer that was the polar opposite of last season’s transfer trolley dash when running Arsenal to a close 2-1 defeat last weekend. They were a top half team on home form last term and look well capable of winning this.
Tip: Nottingham Forest to beat Sheff Utd @ 17/20
Argyle dismissively priced despite fearsome home form
Betzone News football tips regulars Plymouth Argyle have already landed the odds for us once this season and they look to have been written off a little too easily for the visit of Southampton given they’ve won 22 of their last 25 home league games.
Southampton have won just one of their three matches so far in 2023/24 and that required an 87th minute winner to see off a Sheffield Wednesday side who plenty expect to go straight back down to League One.
The four goals the Saints shipped to Norwich last time out offer further hope that the hosts could nick this one.
Tip: Plymouth Argyle to beat Southampton draw no bet @ 7/4
XG clues point to value in taking on the Royals
Stevenage have made an excellent fist of life in the third tier so far, winning all three of their matches and knocking Championship Watford out of the Carabao Cup for good measure.
Borough’s league successes include road victories against Northampton and a Cambridge side that had won their first two matches of the season. Winning at the Madjeski looks far from out of the question for Steve Evans’ outfit.
Reading have lost two of their first three games in the division, scoring a single goal so far. That relative lack of attacking threat is reflected in an xG of 0.91 per game, the third lowest in the league.
Tip: Stevenage to beat Reading @ 7/4
Last season’s National League winners Wrexham have certainly carried their goal power up to League Two, but their defence has looked like it has some catching up to do.
Their two games at the Racecourse Ground this term have been blockbuster slugfests: a 5-3 loss to MK Dons, followed by a 4-2 win over Walsall. Visitors Swindon look primed to play their part in another box-office encounter, arriving with the second highest xG per game in the division.
