Expert football betting tips for Saturday, January 24th 2026

The winter grind has well and truly set in for clubs up and down the country as we head into another weekend of thrilling football action. It's time, once again, to browse through the fixtures coming away across the Premier League, Football League, non-league, and beyond to see where we can find value.

We've lit the beacons to grab the attention of the Odds Now Punters Panel. Expert football tipsters with the knowledge and experience to provide the best football betting tips for the upcoming weekend's action.

Before we start this week's panel, let's take a look and see who is giving their thoughts this week.

Introducing the Odds Now Punters Panel

Matt Hill - As well as being Odds Now’s Head of Content, Matt is a vastly experienced tipster specialising in football and darts. His betting on the beautiful game has a strong lean towards the lower leagues.

Steve Day - Experienced punter and football tipster. Steve has 15 years of experience writing football betting previews covering competitions both domestically and abroad.

Adam Drury - A seasoned football journalist who has worked for various national outlets and has tipped successfully as part of Odds Now's football team for two seasons.

Felix Morson-Pate - Odds Now's resident football data expert who also contributes a weekly global football picks column, World Of Wagers.

Now, let's get into the good stuff!

What is your NAP of the football weekend?

MH: Salford seem to be really going for it in League Two judging by the money being thrown around and you have to say they are in great nick currently. They've not lost since November in the league – away at leaders Bromley – so I think they'll have too much for a steadily improving but still hugely mediocre Bristol Rovers at 4/5.

SD: I have to back Salford City to beat Bristol Rovers at home in League Two. The Ammies are in fourth place and unbeaten in eight league games, including six victories. Karl Robinson's men are also undefeated in their last 6 home league matches. The Gas are down in 21st position and just three points above the relegation zone. Steve Evans was appointed manager back on 16th December, but he's been unable to drastically turn results around, with a run of 13 losses from their previous 15 league games.

AD - My eyes were drawn to the south coast derby on Sunday lunchtime, where Portsmouth are outsiders at home to Southampton. This is a huge grudge match – and, right now, I'd fancy Pompey the more of the two to deliver. I watched them in the flesh at Watford on Wednesday and they were good, playing on the front foot and only a goalkeeping error away from victory. Southampton were winless in seven prior to Wednesday's 1-0 victory over Sheffield United and I'd be surprised if they get over the line away from home. I'll take the hosts in the draw no bet market at 13/10 across numerous firms.

FMP - Rennes 4/5 at home to Lorient feels quite solid. They’re well in the mix for European football this season and it’s their form on their own turf that’s propelling that momentum, including impressive recent wins over Monaco and Strasbourg.

Which favourite would you advise punters against backing?

MH: Don't rush to back Forest Green, who are 11/10 favourites away at Scunthorpe in a top-end National League clash. Robbie Savage's side flew out of the traps this term but head to Scunny having only won one of their last five in the league. Meanwhile, the hosts are arguably the league's form side with 13 points from a possible 15 and would leap into at least fourth place with a victory here. They make appeal at 2/1, actually.

SD: I've been a big fan of Middlesbrough this season, but I have to warn against them this week. Kim Hellberg's side appear to have put their dodgy festive period behind them, but they welcome to the Riverside a Preston team that has only lost three of their 13 away league games this season. 11/20 for a Middlesbrough win with Bet365 is awful value.

AD - Bristol City will probably beat Sheffield Wednesday but I don't see much justification behind backing them in an acca at 3/10. Things are not rosy at Ashton Gate, with manager Gerhard Struber irritated by the club's transfer business this month and Anis Mehmeti linked with a move away. They are without a goal in three league games. Wednesday are in awful nick, clearly, but I'd stay away from this one.

FMP - I’ll be honest and say there’s no odds on shots this weekend that I’m wading in to get heavily against. Maybe you could swerve Chesterfield if you are building an EFL acca but otherwise, it doesn’t feel like a weekend filled with traps!

Give us a game that screams goals, please!

MH: Flipping the question on its head this week for me, I want to back under 2.5 goals in Middlesbrough vs Preston at even money. North End's fantastic start to the campaign is in danger of petering out after two disappointing home defeats. Boss Paul Heckingbottom is the type to go back to basics when a crisis lurks and I think they'll look to frustrate high-flying Boro here. Expect a low-key affair – a 1-1 or 1-0 either way feels most plausible.

SD: I'm going down into League Two for my pick this week. Barrow versus Crawley. For the simple reason that this is a game between the top two sides in the League Two total goals scored over 2.5 table for the season so far. The Bluebirds have seen over 2.5 goals in 64% of their league games this season, and the Red Devils have witnessed over 2.5 goals scored in 62% of their league matches this season, including 69% of their away league games.

AD - I'm staying in the Championship for Hull v Swansea. Goals have dried up slightly in the Tigers' games recently, but they have still notched in all but one of their last 10 Championship outings. The Swans are much improved, also scoring in each of their last five, with BTTS landing in the last three. I'll take BTTS & over 2.5 goals at 7/5 with Ladbrokes.

FMP - I’ll stick with my shout on this week’s World of Wagers column of Marseille-Lens, as both sides know the huge value that a win could provide them and therefore must be going in hard to come away with the three points – should make for an exciting clash!

Any goalscorer or prop bets taking your eye this weekend?

MH: Blackpool might be struggling at the moment but they do have one of the country's most in-form centre forwards in Ashley Fletcher. The 30-year-old marksman now has 15 goals in his last 18 games across all competitions – so to see him a 2/1 poke to find the net at home to fellow strugglers Northampton feels well worth backing.

SD: As much as it pains me to say this as a Cardiff fan, Swansea striker Zan Vipotnik is the in-form striker in the Championship right now. The Slovenian international has bagged 13 league goals this season, and has scored six goals in the club's last eight league games, including a brace against Blackburn in midweek.

AD - With my yellow-tinted specs on, I'm going to back Mamadou Doumbia to score for Watford at Blackburn at 33/10 with BetMGM. Firstly, Rovers aren't in a good way, winless in seven and conceding at least twice in four of their last five games – with a fan boycott also planned here as a protest against the ownership. Doumbia has three goals in his last six matches, including one as a second-half sub on Wednesday in his first appearance back from AFCON. I expect him to start and have opportunities.

FMP - I quite fancy Raul Jimenez to net first against Brighton (6/1). Fulham have defied my expectations in recent weeks and Brighton are still a good side but leaky and inconsistent. Whilst Harry Wilson feels the danger man for most of Fulham’s attacks, I think Brighton can still gift simple chances to opposition strikers a bit too often.

At this stage, which division do you think could still throw up a bit of a surprise winner this season?

MH: I think Hearts have got a real chance of holding on over in Scotland. Martin O'Neill's (second) return has had a strong impact again at Celtic and Rangers are improving steadily, but the sheer amount of late winners and momentum the underdogs are piling up at Tynecastle makes me think it might just be their year. I'd rather be with Hearts at 21/10 than Celtic at 13/10 right now, though it's probably not quite a bet.

SD: I think you've always got to look at the Championship. Coventry have led the way from the early stages of the season, but Frank Lampard's side have had some weaknesses exposed over the past couple of months. You wouldn't want to rule out both Middlesbrough and Ipswich, who are just behind in second and third, with both teams in fine form. Ipswich priced at 9/4 with Paddy Power to win the Championship title is good value! Kieran McKenna's side know what it takes to win this division, and they're only eight points off the pace of the leaders with a game in hand.

AD - It's worth keeping an eye on Ligue 1, where Metz lead PSG at the top of the table beyond the halfway stage and are 10/1 to hold on. A more realistic shout is probably the Championship though, where you can back in-form Middlesbrough at 15/2. I expect Arsenal and Cardiff to wrap up the Premier League and League One, while I'm not sure anything that happens in League Two counts as much of a surprise.

FMP - I will say the Championship, purely because I do think it would be considered a surprise if Coventry didn’t win it from here. However, Ipswich can only keep improving for my money and Middlesbrough just keep finding a way to win games you don’t necessarily expect them to, so should Lampard's side slip up, those two should be poised to take advantage over the current 4/6 favs.