Andrew Hughes of Preston is predicted to be a very naughty boy – again!
Another hectic midweek in the Championship saw a few mad ones unfold, and with no respite on the horizon, Matthew O’Regan has a tantalising treble for the early kick-offs at 12.30pm on Saturday.
EFL early kick-off Treble tips
Blackburn vs Derby
Double Chance: Derby / Draw
Hull vs Portsmouth
Hull (Draw No Bet)
Millwall vs Preston
Andrew Hughes to be Booked
A treble on these bets pays at approximately 14/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
WHERE: Ewood Park
TV: Sky Sports Football
Double Chance: Derby / Draw
A whole 104 miles separate Blackburn and Derby geographically, but Saturday’s early fixture has a rivalry aspect to it. John Eustace left Rovers in the middle of a play-off race to join relegation-threatened Derby, and five players have followed suit since then, adding extra narrative to this fixture.
The Rams started the season in poor form, failing to win any of their opening four games, before a smash and grab victory at West Brom. In the next nine fixtures, Eustace’s side have lost just twice – via 0-1 losses to Preston (Home) and Oxford (Away).
Derby have also conceded just seven goals in this run of games, and will be confident of restricting a Blackburn side who have scored just 13 goals.
Frustration with the Blackburn hierarchy continues to grow as a result of the 1995 English champions’ slim returns, with the Rovers faithful voicing their discontent. And indeed, Eustace himself cited the disconnect as a major reason why he swapped Ewood Park for Pride Park.
Just two wins from the opening 11 games dragged Blackburn into a relegation battle, before successes against Southampton, Leicester and Bristol City dragged them up to 18th. Still, the home form has been a worry, with the Lancashire side taking just four points in front of their own fans.
In what should be a low-margin, low-scoring game, the value lies with the in-form visitors getting at least a point, despite their underdog status in the 1X2 market.
WHERE: MKM Stadium
TV: Sky Sports+
Hull (Draw No Bet)
After six games unbeaten, Hull were defeated late on against Derby County in midweek, leaving them one point outside the playoffs.
The Tigers can perhaps feel hard done by the referee decision for one of The Rams’ goals, and will be determined to bounce back at home to Portsmouth. At the MKM, Sergej Jakirovic’s side have been impressive, losing just once – a 0-3 loss to Blackburn in August.
Pompey, on the other hand, are in real danger of relegation, with their only win in the last ten coming in a smash and grab 1-0 over Middlesbrough.
Goal scoring has also been an issue, scoring just one goal in the last six hours of Championship football. On top of this, no team in the EFL has scored fewer goals than John Mousinho’s side.
Away from home their struggles are apparent. Since the opening day 0-1 victory over Oxford, Portsmouth are yet to win on hostile turf.
WHERE: The Den, Bermondsey
TV: Sky Sports+
Andrew Hughes to be booked
Both Millwall and Preston are surprising many with their performances this season. With both sides sat in a playoff spot, a feisty encounter is expected at The Den – an idea also reflected in the high promise of goals predicted in our Championship Best Bets.
In what should be a raucous atmosphere, there should be plenty of cards too, especially with Stephen Martin – who is distributing an average of five cards a game – overseeing the encounter.
After 40 appearances last season, Andrew Hughes has started 13/14 of Preston’s games this season, missing just one game through yellow card accumulation, and he’s our pick to find his name in the referee’s notebook once again
The Welshman has been booked six times in these 13 starts, averaging 1.49 fouls and 0.47 yellow cards per 90, so we feel the current odds for this selection are rather generous.
EFL early kick-off Treble tips
Blackburn vs Derby
Double Chance: Derby / Draw
Hull vs Portsmouth
Hull (Draw No Bet)
Millwall vs Preston
Andrew Hughes to be Booked
A treble on these bets pays at approximately 14/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD IT TO YOUR BETSLIP.
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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