Football Betting Tips: Three Saturday selections as Championship returns
Last week saw the new English football season kick off in truncated fashion but seven days on, we truly have lift off as the Championship joins the party.
Our football tipster Matt Hill has three Saturday selections, which also combine to make a 13/2 treble.
It's hard to get too stuck into things in the second tier this weekend, with so many unknowns still lingering – but I'm happy to make a few confident assumptions.
Looking at the opening day's fixture slate, the strongest of those is that Southampton – fresh off a Premier League relegation – will simply have too much class for their newly-promoted visitors Wrexham on Saturday lunchtime.
There's a danger of us all getting swept up in the Hollywood hysteria that surrounds the Welsh outfit. Admit it. You're programmed now to imagine a world where Wrexham rock up and heroically down their prestigious opponents – taking their first bold step towards a miraculous Premier League promotion. Like something out of a movie...
Seriously though, I don't want to discredit Wrexham's impressive achievements of the last few years. It's one thing having plenty of cash at your disposal but you still have to execute with it. Take my club, Carlisle, as a live example of how wrong things can go even when you have a decent budget.
But this step up from League One to the Championship is another kettle of fish. The amounts of money knocking about, both in transfer fees and wage bills, is astronomical and the Dragons have unquestionably now lost that financial advantage they previously held over their competitors with this latest promotion.
Southampton are a Premier League club in many aspects. Infrastructure, finance – but also quality. They may have limped to relegation last term but they've shown time and again they know what it takes to bounce back out of the Championship at first attempt.
I love the appointment of Will Still, a progressive and passionate coach who has flourished abroad and then bided his time to return to his homeland, ensuring he picked the right project. I think he's made a shrewd choice.
Saints could easily win this division for my money and on opening day, I just think they'll have too much class for their visitors. I don't see it being a rout – just a controlled, comfortable victory.
Therefore, back the Saints win with under 4.5 match goals at a very generous EVS.
On paper, this is a promotion hopeful taking on a mid-table outfit, so perhaps putting Luton in at odds-on for an away win isn't that unreasonable.
However, while I do like the Hatters' chances of finishing the year inside the top six – and perhaps even higher – I thought their opening-night win over AFC Wimbledon was an average performance at best.
Luton rarely looked like conceding in their 1-0 win. Then again, that's exactly how it should have looked. Wimbledon weren't prolific scorers in League Two last term, only going up thanks to an exemplary defensive record.
What concerned me, though, was how disjointed Matt Bloomfield's side looked in attacking areas. It felt like a side still working out what everyone's roles are in the final third.
A very fortunate own goal got them the three points in Southwest London but it's fair to say the overall performance left me underwhelmed.
Posh started their campaign on a losing note, going down 2-1 to another recently relegated Championship side in Cardiff. They took the lead in that game and had chances to equalise, though you'd have to say they were second best on the day.
And yet, it confirmed a suspicion that I already had about Peterborough. They remain capable of causing all teams at this level trouble with their pacy forward options – and I'm confident they'll pose more questions to Luton's backline than Wimbledon managed.
This is a bet I may well not fancy taking if this game was being played a few weeks from now. But, in the circumstances, concerns about some potential Luton rustiness means getting 10/11 about any Posh result here merits an investment.
All the clamour this summer has been around MK Dons for the League Two title but I'm once bitten, twice shy where these lads are concerned.
You only have to go back 12 months to remember many punters – including yours truly – making convincing cases for them storming to glory, only for a disastrous campaign to pan out which resulted in a dreadful 19th-placed finish.
Paul Warne's appointment late last term is obviously a key factor behind this second consecutive plunge and I do have a lot of respect for the 52-year-old, who has excelled far above this level.
But to me, if you're looking for a rock-solid alternative to MK in this title race, you only have to look as far as last season's play-off semi-finalists Chesterfield.
They also have a boss with superb pedigree in the form of Paul Cook, while also boasting the underrated trump card of continuity – able to build on an excellent campaign last term and add a little bit of extra quality in weak areas.
Their opening day win over Barrow won't live long in the memory for those in attendance but it's three points in the bank. The Bluebirds are a tricky outfit for anyone to overcome in tier four, so I'm sure Cook will be delighted to take the win and move forward.
Here, they face a Cheltenham side who mustered only seven shots, two on target, against Cambridge on opening day and appear destined for another season of mediocrity at best, with the potential of being dragged into the relegation scrap.
Robins fans may point to a prospective takeover pushing them forward but, while I hope that does prove to be the case, that's all hypothetical. Right now, they look a fair bit short of the division's best sides to my eye.
I think the Spireites can take care of business here and the shade of odds-on for the away win makes plenty of appeal to me.
1pt - Southampton to beat Wrexham and under 4.5 goals - EVS (various)
1pt - Peterborough double chance vs Luton - 10/11 (various)
1pt - Chesterfield to beat Cheltenham - 21/20 (Ladbrokes)
0.5pt treble - 6.57/1 (Ladbrokes)
Matt Hill is Odds Now's Head of Content and leads our digital operation, while also offering his insight as a tipster across darts and football.
Having worked in the industry for the best part of a decade, including extended stints with Betfred and LiveScore, Matt joined the project in May 2024 with the sole aim of making Odds Now a key player in the betting content space.
He has also forged a reputation as a respected darts tipster, landing numerous three-figure outright winners over the years, while his love for lower league football also helps him pick out the odd obscure winner in that space.
When not at the editorial desk, Matt enjoys travelling the country supporting his beloved Carlisle United FC, chucking a few arrows and spending time with his young family.
Matt Hill is Odds Now's Head of Content and leads our digital operation, while also offering his insight as a tipster across darts and football.
Having worked in the industry for the best part of a decade, including extended stints with Betfred and LiveScore, Matt joined the project in May 2024 with the sole aim of making Odds Now a key player in the betting content space.
He has also forged a reputation as a respected darts tipster, landing numerous three-figure outright winners over the years, while his love for lower league football also helps him pick out the odd obscure winner in that space.
When not at the editorial desk, Matt enjoys travelling the country supporting his beloved Carlisle United FC, chucking a few arrows and spending time with his young family.
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