Hi all,
It’s been yet another exciting first half of the season in the Football League from the brilliance of Wolves and Wigan to the woefulness of Birmingham and Bury.
I’m looking back at how my Championship, League One, League Two and Ante-Post Multiples bets are getting on so far, and have done the same with the Premier League predictions in my Prem Mid-Season Betting Review here.
A couple of my pre-season tips look absolute belters, including Wolves to be promoted from the Championship at a massive 9/2.
To put this in context, they’re now being quoted at some ridiculously short prices, such as 1/80 and 1/50, to go up after thoroughly impressing so far.
My 14/1 tip for Sunderland to go down was also looking great but Chris Coleman has recently steadied the ship, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see them kick on in the second half of the campaign.
I put up Britt Assombalonga as Championship top scorer at 9/1 before the action got underway and while he’s now just 7s, he is third favourite behind Leon Clarke and favourite Leo Bonatini.
In League One, my 14/1 and 16/1 top scorer tips Brett Pitman and Charlie Wyke are third and fourth in the top scorers chart, just a few goals away from Peterborough‘s Jack Marriott, so I’m quite happy with those picks.
Blackburn have been the form team of late and I backed them at 9/2 for the title but it looks as though it could be a close run thing with Wigan. Shrewsbury, who were so impressive for so long this season, are a huge 33/1 with some for the title.
Luton keep threatening to take control in League Two after scoring seven goals or more in League games on three different occasions this season, so my 8/1 tip on them to top the division looks very nice indeed. They’re now 2/5 with a number of bookies.
Yeovil are just one point off the foot of the table so I’m quietly confident about my 5/1 on them to go down, and Colchester, my 9/2 shots for promotion, have been putting some form together and find themselves just outside the play-offs on goal difference.
I put up three multiples at the beginning of the season and while they’re not exactly flying in, there is still a good chance of a few making a decent return.
The League winners one features Chelsea, Middlesbrough, Blackburn and Luton. The Hatters look good and Rovers could do the business giving us a nice double but the first two aren’t looking great.
The same sides were backed for the 109,741/1 League Winners Handicap each-way 4fold/ Lucky 15 but that ship looks to have sailed.
The one I really like the look of is the 15,300/1 Top Goalscorer each-way 4fold/ Lucky 15.
Boro’s Assombalonga and Bradford‘s Wyke have great chances of topping the Championship and League One scoring charts respectively, and City’s Jesus and Luton’s James Collins aren’t completely out of it in the Prem and League Two.
Plus, I’ve backed them each-way so we could see a decent return from that one. Fingers crossed!
End of Season Tips
I went to watch Villa play Derby the other day and the Rams look very impressive at the moment. I tipped them up each-way as 14/1 outsiders for the Championship after they brought in experience in the shape of Tom Huddlestone and Curtis Davies in the summer.
While I cannot see past Wolves for the title, the 5/2 around on the Rams being promoted looks about right. Second place is certainly up for grabs, although Cardiff fans may disagree with that.
If Derby to go up then Matej Vydra will have no doubt been instrumental in helping to fire them there. He’s just two goals off top spot in the top scorers chart, so 8/1 looks like a lovely price.
One team who have been unexpectedly impressive this season is Bristol City, and I fancy a little stab at the 9/1 for them to win the League with a 19-point handicap.
In League One, the title looks to be between Wigan and Blackburn, despite Shrewsbury still sitting second, and I’m tempted to top up on Rovers at 3/1, but the Latics will be tough to overcome so I’ll probably just stick with my initial pre-season investment on Rovers.
Kieffer Moore has been on fire for Rotherham this season but there’s not much point backing him for the top scorer gong as it looks as though his parent club Ipswich may well recall him in January.
Oldham‘s Eoin Doyle has hit 12 League goals but his loan from Preston is up in January, too, and while he may well be snapped up by a League One club, it is a risk to back him as top scorer. I’m quite happy being on Pitman and Wyke in that market already.
If Jack Marriott keeps hitting the back of the net for Peterborough then they could end up in the top six and the 7/2 for them to do so looks decent enough, considering they’re only out of it on goal difference at the moment.
In League Two, I’m extremely happy with the Hatters’ chances of being crowned champions so don’t fancy another bet in that market, having said that it might be worth putting a few quid on Notts County at around 6/1 for a bit of insurance.
The top goalscorer betting is still interesting. I tipped Luton’s James Collins at 9/1 and he made a great start to the season but has been a bit unlucky. I pointed out how I’d chosen him over his strike partner Danny Hylton in pre-season because the latter was injured.
But before coming on as a sub with 10 minutes to go last week, Collins had missed the previous five games with a leg injury – and Hylton has been on fire since and finds himself top of the charts, five ahead of Collins.
One team on the up in League Two are Colchester and that is partly thanks to their striker Sammie Szmodics, who has been in great form of late.
Despite missing six weeks of the season with an ankle injury, he finds himself just four goals away from Hylton and I like the look of him each-way at 33/1 with Bet365 to finish in the top four. If you fancy him to go all the way and end up top scorer than he is a massive 50/1 with Betway.
For my multiple I’m going for a huge 101,438/1 each-way Top Goalscorer 4fold/ Lucky 15 in the shape of Everton’s Wayne Rooney, Derby’s Matej Vydra, Portsmouth’s Brett Pitman and Colchester’s Sammie Szmodics.
As Justin Bieber once said – never say never!
Championship Betting Tips
Promotion – Derby 5/2 (Bet365 – bet HERE)
Top Goalscorer – Matej Vydra 8/1 (Betway – bet HERE)
Handicap – Bristol City +19 9/1 (Bet Victor – bet HERE)
League One Betting Tips
Top 6 Finish – Peterborough 7/2 (Betway – bet HERE)
League Two Betting Tips
Top Goalscorer – Sammie Szmodics e/w 33/1 (Bet365 – bet HERE)
Multiple Tips
Each/way 4fold/Lucky 15 Top Goalscorer – Wayne Rooney (Everton), Matej Vydra (Derby), Brett Pitman (Portsmouth), Sammie Szmodics (Colchester) 101,438/1 (Bet365 – bet HERE)
Good luck and follow The Set Odds for more tips!
