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Boro to remain strong at the Riverside
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Newly promoted clubs to retain their momentum
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Hornets and Rams for home wins
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Click here for your free acca this weekend
You can read in detail about Betfair's new 90 Minute Payout offer here but in a nutshell, it means that if your selection is winning at the 90 minute mark, any goals that go against you in injury time don't affect your bet. However, goals that go in your favour will still count.
On top of that, Betfair are offering customers a completely free acca every weekend in August, with the first to be used across matches played on August 4-6th Customers are advised that they must opt-in, and T&Cs do apply.
However that does mean for the new season, Saturday's daily acca will use 3pm matches only in England as we all love a traditional acca bet on a Saturday afternoon!
So gather up your free acca, and let's all kick the season off with a win!
Leg 1: Middlesbrough (90mins) @ 5/61.84 (15:00)
The Boro start their latest promotion attempt at the Riverside, and with a very strong home record under Michael Carrick, they should be good enough to make a winning start.
Millwall narrowly missed out on the Play-offs in heartbreaking fashion, but they have managed to retain the services of Gary Rowett as manager, and they could well challenge again.
They lost more matches on the road than they won or drew last season though, and they will be second best here.
Leg 2: Plymouth (90mins) @ 11/102.11 (15:00)
There is a lot to be said about momentum in football, and I am not adverse to backing a newly promoted club in their campaign opener.
Plymouth were unstoppable on home turf in League One, winning 20 of their 23 fixtures, and the Home Park crowd will be raucous for Steven Schumacher's players come 3pm.
Huddersfield were only 18th in the Championship last year, and while they finished strongly under Neil Warnock, they might find it hard to rouse themselves to go again.
Leg 3: Watford (90mins) @ 5/61.84 (15:00)
Another season and another new face in the dugout for Watford, but like most of their managers, I expect Valérien Ismaël to make a good initial impression.
QPR should be able to aid him in that, as they were terrible post October 2023, and only a strong start to the campaign kept them in the division.
Gareth Ainsworth had 13 matches to improve things last season but there was little progress, and they could struggle under him now.
Leg 4: Derby (90mins) @ 8/151.53 (15:00)
Wigan will be aiming to return straight back to the Championship, but they are already on the back-foot with an eight point deduction, and this could be a long season for the Latics.
The Rams couldn't quite make the Play-offs earlier this year, but they at least have a bit of stability now with Paul Warne coming up to 12 months in charge, and they are definitely decent top six contenders now. A home win to open up should be a relative formality.
Leg 5: Wrexham (90mins) @ 8/131.61 (15:00)
There were two divisions between Wrexham and MK Dons last season, but they are both in League Two now, and the Welsh club have all of the momentum.
Everyone knows Wrexham's story by now, and they should be a force in the fourth tier, given the resources they have at their disposal.
The same can't be said for the Dons though, and Graham Alexander looks set to get off to a losing start as their new manager.
Acca Wreckers
As part of a new add-on to this Saturday Acca piece, I will scour the top leagues from around England and the rest of Europe and pick out one or two short priced favourites that I would have second thoughts about putting in my bets for the weekend.
Stoke City 4/71.57 are my first one of those, as they were very underwhelming last season, and while Alex Neil has lots of new players, it will take them a while to bed-in. Opponents, Rotherham, ended up being quite hard to beat, and they lost just four away fixtures since the turn of 2023.
Another one to be wary of is Leicester 4/91.44 on Sunday. Coventry are being written-off as one season wonders, but Mark Robins has improved them year-on-year, and they have so far managed to retain the services of Gustavo Hamer. The Foxes without Maddison, Barnes, Tielemans and Evans look a bit short in the betting to me.
Recommended bets
Back Middlesbrough, Plymouth, Watford, Derby and Wrexham all to Win @ around 18.017/1
Daily Acca 2023/24 P/L
Wagered: 0pts
Returned: 0pts
P/L: 0pts