Saturday Football Cheat Sheet: Best bets for Premier League, Championship and more

Saturday's Premier League tips and predictions

12:30 - Arsenal v Leeds: Back Gunners at 13/5

Dave Tindall: The Gunners have won nine of their last 10 Premier League games against Leeds (one draw) and have done so by an aggregate of 24-5 in the last seven.

But this is a very different Leeds. Their unbeaten run is based on a solid defence which has conceded just three goals so far. That's one fewer than Arsenal, who are held up as the masters of defending. Then again, three of those came at Brighton.

For this one, Arsenal are just 1/3 to get back to winning ways, while Leeds are a hefty 7/1. The Draw is also inflated at 4/1. Leeds, and others, have been shown the way by Brighton although the shock value may now have disappeared.

But I do think the Whites can push the Gunners hard here. Arsenal to win by a single goal is an option but preference is for Arsenal to win and Both Teams to Score at 13/5.

15:00 - Sunderland v Brighton: Alan Shearer's prediction

It sounds as if Brian Brobbey's injured for Sunderland, which I think will be key because I think he is a huge part in how Sunderland play, especially with the way he holds a ball up. It sounds as if he's going to be out for the game, which I think will damage Sunderland. Looking at Brighton, I mean, Fabian Hürzeler and his boys have been superb, so I'm going to go away win.

Brighton are flying high at the moment and are in the Champions League spots, but I'll be really surprised if they ended up there at the end of the season, but I do expect them to finish in around sixth or seventh, which again would be an amazing achievement.

15:00 - Aston Villa v Brentford: Back hosts to continue resurgence

Lewis Jones: The market still looks cold on Villa, but I think their rebuild is quietly coming together. Johan Manzambi, Suzuki and Nicolas Jackson all shone in the win at Tottenham and, despite so many new faces, there was an encouraging cohesion to Villa's performance.

That shouldn't necessarily come as a surprise. These players are working under a manager who knows exactly what he is doing. And perhaps we need to remind ourselves what Emery's track record actually looks like. He has not finished outside the top seven in any of his last 15 seasons as a manager. Fifteen seasons! That level of consistency is extraordinary and, pound for pound, I still think he is one of the best operators in the game.

15:00 - Ipswich v Fulham: Back fouls a plenty at Portman Road

Mark Stinchcombe: Struggling to call this game so it's a Bet Builder for me at nearly double-figure odds. I'll start with Ipswich's star man in Julio Enciso who's lit up the Tractor Boys season so far and the opposition have clearly taken note. He's their most fouled player, being fouled two or more times in four of his five games.

Going the other way, new signing Sasa Lukic is helping to break up the play by committing the joint most second fouls in the league, making three or more in three of his last four games. Coming up against his old club Fulham, I could see him wanting to prove a point and getting stuck in.

For the Cottagers, full-back Timothy Castagne is now the wrong side of 30 and has committed over 1.5 fouls in four of his five appearances and will have to contend with Enciso at times who likes to drift out wide and the runs from left-back of Leif Davis who has been a threat this season having already scored two goals.

15:00 - Chelsea v Bournemouth: Back goals at the Bridge

The Opta Stat: Chelsea's five league games under Xabi Alonso have seen 22 total goals (F10 A12), with only David Moyes in 2002 (25) and Nigel Adkins in 2012 (24) seeing more scored in their first five Premier League matches as a manager. The Spaniard's six managerial meetings with Bournemouth's Marco Rose have averaged 3.8 goals-per-game (F12 A11).  

Bournemouth have gone winless in five to start a Premier League campaign for only the second time, after 2023-24 (D3 L2 in both); Marco Rose is the second manager to fail to win their first five top-flight matches with the Cherries alongside his predecessor Andoni Iraola (first nine). 

Saturday's EFL tips and predictions

12:30 Championship - Swansea v Norwich: Back Swans to strike again

Jack Critchley: Heading into the break, Swansea City were the surprise leaders of the Championship. The Welsh side have won all but one of their opening eight matches, and are unbeaten at this stadium. Burnley are the only team to have found the net here, and they've also shown plenty of resilience by twice coming from behind on the road to win at Lincoln and Stoke.

Norwich return from the international break with plenty of injury concerns. Their match against Bolton proved fairly costly, with Mo Toure picking up a shoulder injury and Kenny McLean 'popping his ankle'. There are also rumours of issues with Ben Chrisene, Kellen Fisher and Paris Maghoma, although these are unconfirmed.

The Canaries defence has been conceding too many goals, shipping eight in their last two matches. They are also yet to keep a clean sheet this season. Swansea should be able to capitalise on those issues.

12:30 - West Brom v Birmingham: Back Brum to make fast start

Stephen Tudor: The last five meetings between these sides has produced 5.2 bookings per 90 which is unsurprising given this is so often a feisty all-Midlands affair. Over 3.5 cards is a definite consideration. As too is backing the draw at 5/2 what with Brum's propensity to share the points this term. Chris Davies' men have drawn five of their eight to date.

As for the hosts, they will be pleased with how they're faring to this juncture, unbeaten at the Hawthorns and competitive away, but they need to cut out the slow starts. The Baggies have taken on a league-low of 28 first-half shots which equates to just a third of their overall shot tally.

This has resulted in them scoring a meagre four goals before the break, with only Charlton and Lincoln converting fewer.

12:30 L1 - Notts County v Oxford: Back the Draw in 23/1 treble

Alan Dudman: Notts County have lost their last two league games, both without scoring. That will place some apprehension in them ahead of a tricky game against ball-playing Oxford.

The hosts haven't lost three in a row since a run of five in February and March 2024, while they haven't lost three on the trot without finding the net in the EFL since November 2016. The two defeats, however, were tricky games against Bradford (0-1) and Reading (0-2).

With four draws this term already and a trio of 1-1s, I can see that sort of game playing out here and the draw at 5/2 comes strongly into my reckoning. Against the better teams this term - ie Leicester, Luton and Huddersfield - County have basically surrendered possession. A similar scenario is forecast.

Now read Alan Shearer: Defeat for Carrick or De Zerbi could result in sack