Punters Panel: Expert football betting tips ahead of the weekend
Fri, 12 Sep 2025
Fri, 12 Sep 2025
OK, and relax! The international break is over, and we can return to the lovely world of club football once again. It undoubtedly depends on how well or poorly your team has started the season as to whether you see that as a good thing or not!
We've gathered up the usual suspects for the Odds Now Punters Panel to discuss this weekend's matches. Four expert football tipsters with the knowledge and understanding to offer the best football betting tips for the upcoming games.
Before we begin this week's questions and answers, let's take a look and see who is providing their thoughts this week.
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.
Adam Drury - A regular football tipster for Odds Now, Adam enjoyed a hugely successful campaign in 2024-25, including landing three 50/1+ winners on his weekly EFL accumulator column alongside countless other top tips.
Gab Sutton - Widely renowned as one of the best football journalists around, Gab’s encyclopedic knowledge of the EFL makes him well-equipped to offer up unique betting angles for punters.
Steve Day - Experienced punter and football tipster. Steve has 15 years of experience writing football betting previews covering competitions both domestically and abroad.
MH: It’s got to be anything around even money on Wrexham vs QPR over 2.5 goals. Wrexham’s four games at Championship level have produced a combined xG of over four goals per game, while this line has also landed in the away side’s last four in all competitions – sometimes spectacularly.
GS: Stevenage 2/1 at Mansfield with Betfred. I don't think it's often you'll get 2/1 on a team that's won five of their first six, against a midtable side that's likelier to be closer to the bottom than the top. All over that.
AD: Bristol City to beat Sheffield Wednesday at 21/20 with Coral. I think things are only going to get harder for the Owls, and I doubt we'll see odds-against for them to be beaten too many times this season.
SD: I like the look of Bradford vs Huddersfield and the over 2.5 goals scored option at 21/20 with Bet365. The Bantams are flying this season, and their home league games this season have seen an average of 3.67 goals scored per game. Huddersfield have looked erratic with the potential to be brilliant under Lee Grant, so I think they'll be going for the win here.
MH: Forest Green are unbeaten, but I’m not sure about taking 1/2 on them to beat Scunthorpe is prudent. Robbie Savage’s side are going well, no doubt, but their toughest test to date last weekend could easily have finished level if Hartlepool had taken late chances, and Scunny have also enjoyed a strong start back in the National League.
GS: I'm very surprised Coventry are as short as 3/4 against Norwich, because I think you could lump those two teams into similar categories this season. Yes, the Sky Blues have scored 14 goals in four games, but they've also conceded six and have issues in central defence. They might have a marginally better XI than Norwich, but Norwich have a stronger squad.
AD: They've been much shorter in this fixture in the past, but I still don't fancy Manchester City at comfortably odds-on at home to Manchester United in Sunday's derby. Pep Guardiola's side looks so weak defensively, and United have avoided defeat in five of their last nine games at the Etihad. I have a theory that Guardiola is coming to the end of the road at City, and expect a few more dodgy results.
SD: I'm surprised to see Birmingham are priced as 7/5 favourites away to Stoke, who are valued at 2/1. This is a Potters team that have won 3 of their 4 league matches so far, and their only defeat was a narrow 1-0 loss to an in-form West Brom. The Blues have also lost their last two competitive games without even scoring a goal.
MH: West Brom defender Nat Phillips is looking a real threat from set-pieces and got the winner against Stoke before the international break. Yet you can still get 14/1 anytime on him on Saturday against a Derby side giving up plenty of opportunities. I’m happy to chance him going in again.
GS: Michael Mellon to score anytime against Bromley at 5/2 with SkyBet. I think that's a game-changer signing for Oldham.
AD: I finally got Amario Cozier-Duberry of Bolton up at the third time of asking at 4/1 last week – and am rewarded with an increase to 5/1 for him to score at Leyton Orient with BetMGM. He's taken the second-most shots in League One, so that's too big. In the quest for some variety, I'll also flag Scott Twine of Bristol City at 3/1 with Sky Bet. He sits fifth in the Championship for goals per game, and I expect him to have plenty of chances at Hillsborough, for reasons outlined above.
SD: I have no doubt that Adam has gone for Cozier-Duberry again, so that rules out the Bolton striker (although, I will be getting on that with Adam this week!). I did see some footage of Watford's Nestory Irankuda tearing it up during the international break for Australia, so I'm going to have a little bet on him scoring anytime against Blackburn at 13/5... even though he's definitely going to be jet-lagged to death!
MH: Harborough Town are a club on the up, having raked in plenty of cash during a run to the FA Cup second round last season. They sit top of the Southern Premier Division Central after seven games this term. A 13/8 chance to beat middling National League North side Worksop at home, I’m happy to get them on side for more Cup magic.
GS: Ipswich v Sheffield United 0-0 correct score. I feel convinced it'll be goalless tonight. You have a Town team yet to click going forward, and a Blades side that have had some time to regroup, plus a couple of additions from the end of the transfer window, and will go there hell-bent on avoiding defeat. 11/1 AK Bets.
AD: Jack Grealish is back in the kind of form where you want to be backing his opposite number to be carded. The plan worked in Everton's last home game – Mats Wieffer of Brighton the victim – and this time I'm going for Matty Cash at 16/5 with Betway.
SD: In my Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest preview, I've flagged Morgan Gibbs-White as a yellow card option at 47/20 with 10Bet. The attacking midfielder is unlikely to see much of the ball in this game, and he does have a tendency to get frustrated and pick up bookings if things aren't going his way. I also think Ange Postecoglou will be encouraging his players to get stuck in as he looks to make an impression in his first game in charge of the Tricky Trees.
MH: Of the big guns, I’d probably be with Argentina at 9/1 right now. They have looked impressive in qualifying, are the current holders and look a bit undervalued as fifth favourites. For dark horse backers, Ecuador are a team on the rise and only lost two qualifiers from 18 – away to Argentina and Brazil. They are 11 unbeaten and have some world-class operators. 200/1 may be worth some each-way pennies for ambitious types.
GS: I'm gonna go bold with Mexico at 80/1! I'm led to believe there's a good pipeline of talent over there, and they have Hirving Lozano at his peak, plus home advantage. England and France rightly faves, but they'd be my value play.
AD: There's little doubt Spain are the best team. They are electric in attack and best-placed to manage the conditions with their ability to keep hold of the ball. I don't think the 9/2 is too far wrong. Of the outsiders, I've had a small punt on Morocco at 100/1. They reached the semi-finals in Qatar in 2022, have stormed through qualifying, and have some serious players in their squad. Achraf Hakimi is one of my favourites to watch in world football at the moment, and Real Madrid's Brahim Diaz declared for them last year, too.
SD: I've been really impressed with Ecuador during these qualifiers. Their defensive record is obscene, conceding just 1 goal in their last 11 matches. However, when you see that as brilliant as they've been, Argentina are still 9 points clear ahead of them in the CONMEBOL qualification table. I think it's hard to look past Argentina or Spain winning it on the American continent. Ecuador would be my dark horse bet at 100/1.
The Odds Now Editorial team are the people who make OddsNow.com tick, publishing all the crucial content that helps you become a better bettor.
The Odds Now Editorial team are the people who make OddsNow.com tick, publishing all the crucial content that helps you become a better bettor.
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