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Lincoln the form side in League One
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Salford have been hitting the BTTS bet
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Alan Dudman previews six EFL matches
League One
Leg 1: Leyton Orient v Cheltenham, Saturday 15:00: Back Orient
After their 2-1 win in December, Leyton Orient are looking to seal their first ever season double over Cheltenham Town in the Football League and at 10/111.91 should be beating the Robins at Brisbane Road this weekend.
Easter was miserable for the east Londoners - losing 0-1 at Lincoln before a reverse against Peterborough
Injuries have hit Richie Wellens' team at the wrong time and their inexperienced midfield came up short on Monday, but Wellens was fulsome in his praise of Posh. The O's have lost four of their last six league matches (W1 D1), as many as they'd lost in their previous 18 games combined (W10 D4 L4), so the price is influenced here at around evens.
KEY OPTA STAT: Cheltenham registered their fourth away league victory of the season at Fleetwood on Good Friday. The Robins haven't won consecutive away games since February 2021 in League Two (four in a row), while at League One level they last did so in April 2007 (three in a row).
Leg 2: Reading v Lincoln City, Saturday 15:00: Back Lincoln
Lincoln have served us well of late and they keep on winning and two wins over Easter earned a maximum six points to go into the top-six and the unlikely play-off berth is now a reality.
They beat Carlisle on the road 1-3 on Monday, a performance that boss Michael Skubala described as: "We're really pleased. We had to dig in again, and scrap and fight. We knew coming here that Carlisle would be playing for their lives, and any team doing that will make it tough."
The Imps do start well and are good on the counter-attack. Monday they had to face a barrage of long balls and did well to dig in, and for a team that have won five on the spin with just two goals conceded, it's hard not to see them doing it again.
KEY OPTA STAT: Since losing their first league game in 2024, Lincoln City are unbeaten in 15 league matches (W10 D5), last enjoying a longer unbeaten run between December 2018 and April 2019 (19). The Imps are also looking to win six consecutive Football League matches for the first time since May 1992 (7).
Leg 3: Blackpool v Cambridge United, Saturday 15:00: Back Blackpool
Cambridge have lost a whopping 12 on the road this term with 35 conceded and with that ropey away record, this looks a good opportunity for Blackpool to find their scoring boots again.
The Tangerines are struggling in front of goal with just one in five and Easter was miserable too with a loss at Derby and a drab 0-0 with Wycombe.
However, Cambridge have a woeful xG on the road of just 0.86 and an xA of 1.53. With those numbers, they are readily opposable.
KEY OPTA STAT: Blackpool have only scored three goals in their last seven league games, failing to find the net in their last three. The Tangerines have already failed to score in four in a row once already this season, doing so in August.
League Two
Leg 1: AFC Wimbledon v Salford City, Saturday 15:00: Back BTTS
Former MK Dons boss Karl Robinson will be one of the least popular men in south London on Saturday with his Salford travelling to the Dons, and he'll be keen to avoid another 2-1 loss. It's been the scoreline of the moment for Salford recently with three of those on the spin.
Backers of the BTTS with Salford have hit the jackpot of late though, with a massive 14 of their last 15 collecting.
The Londoners have an xG of 1.66 at home 0- their highest figure and Johnnie Jackson's side still have something to play for with them being in contention for a play-off spot. Robinson meanwhile, remained unbeaten in his first eight league games in charge of Salford City (W4 D4) but has since suffered defeat in five of nine matches (W2 D2) and the Ammies could lose three in a row for the first time under the Englishman.
KEY OPTA STAT: Only Gillingham's (92) League Two games this season have seen fewer goals scored than AFC Wimbledon's (98 - 54F 44A), with both teams finding the net in just two of the Dons' last 10 matches.
Leg 2: Bradford City v Gillingham, Saturday 15:00: Back the draw
This is hardly a game for the ages, and the pitch at Valley Parade doesn't make for pretty viewing, and City have only lost one of their last nine league meetings with Gillingham (W4 D4), a 0-4 away defeat in October 2018 under former manager David Hopkin.
The draw looked a possible when first scanning the markets this week as the Gills have drawn three of their last six, and surely they are better than the 5-1 hammering on Monday. There were some strange results over Easter, and sometimes teams just cannot cope with the two games in three days.
Bradford have draw eight at home this term, more than their win and losses return where as Gillingham have only lost one of their last nine league visits to Bradford City, although six of those have been drawn (W2), including both of the last two.
KEY OPTA STAT: Braford City have won just one of their last six league games (D1 L4) though it did come last time out at Valley Parade, a 2-0 success against Tranmere Rovers. Across those six outings, the Bantams have conceded 14 goals, one more than across their prior 17 matches combined.
Leg 3: Notts County v Harrogate, Saturday 15:00: Back Harrogate
Harrogate are unbeaten in five and enjoyed a good return at Easter with the said 5-1 thumping of Gillingham, and since a 9-2 away loss to Mansfield in February, Harrogate Town have drawn five straight league games on the road; overall they've drawn eight away games this season, their most in a Football League campaign.
However, County are not reliable betting prospects these days, and the season that promised so much, has turned out to be a tame one.
For all their goals, they've won just once since mid-February and conceded five over Easter. Harrogate are a fair price here at 13/53.60.
KEY OPTA STAT: Notts County sat in fifth place with 42 points from 25 games at the end of 2023, but have won fewer points than any other team in League Two in 2024 and now sit in the bottom half of the standings (10 points in 16 - W2 D4 L10).
Now read Andy Robson's treble column for Saturday
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