The busy Christmas period in Sky Bet League 1 gets underway on Saturday afternoon as the 24 teams prepare for four matches in 10 days over the festive season and for some that could be as much as seven in 21 depending on cup games in the New Year.
With two of the top three doing battle on Saturday this is one of the biggest days of the season so far but there is plenty going on in the league around that big match. Each side will be out for a Christmas boost wherever they are playing.
Saturday’s fixtures are as follows:
Blackpool v Barnsley
Bradford City v Scunthorpe United
Bristol Rovers v Fleetwood Town
Charlton Athletic v Gillingham
Doncaster Rovers v Oxford United
Luton Town v Burton Albion
Peterborough United v Walsall
Plymouth Argyle v Accrington Stanley
Portsmouth v Sunderland
Shrewsbury Town v Coventry City
Southend United v Rochdale
Wycombe Wanderers v AFC Wimbledon
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Big Matches
It is plainly obvious which the big match of the day is. It comes from Fratton Park where Portsmouth will be looking to move eight points clear of Sunderland while the Mackems will be out to cut their deficit to just two points and have two matches in hand of the leaders. Luton in second will be wanting to jump all over that result when they host Carabao Cup semi-finalists Burton Albion. The two sides immediately outside the play-off places do battle at Bloomfield Road as Blackpool take on Barnsley.
Best of the Rest
Peterborough United in fourth will be looking to end their barren run at home when they host Walsall while Charlton Athletic in fifth host lowly Gillingham. Doncaster Rovers are the other team in the play-offs places ahead of kick off and they take on Oxford United at the Keepmoat. At the other end of the table Bradford host Scunthorpe in a clash between two sides in the bottom five. AFC Wimbledon make the trip to Wycombe Wanderers looking to get off the bottom of the table for Christmas.
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Betting
I’m loading up the bet slip on the final Saturday before Christmas and going with three bets. There were two others I can close to taking but three is enough. I don’t think it is going to be too much of a surprise that my own team Luton Town are one of them. They are unbeaten at home this season and are well rested ahead of taking on Burton Albion who may well fade late in the match on a heavy pitch after putting in a massive effort on Tuesday night. The emotional high of that win is probably only setting up a struggle mentally in this one and if Nigel Clough is to be believed Burton are down to 18 fit players. Nathan Jones can make 6-7 changes without weakening his team. I don’t actually see him making any though but I do expect Luton to win and to cover what isn’t the biggest 0.75AH line considering their last five home matches have been wins by two, four, four, three and two goals.
Wycombe Wanderers are absolutely flying at home at the minute and I expect them to have too much for a very poor AFC Wimbledon side who will be missing one of their better players through suspension. Wally Downes hasn’t really had much impact with the Dons yet and he might not find life easy at Adams Park where Wycombe have won their last six matches. They have seen off some fair challenges in that time with Barnsley and Peterborough both going well and Burton showing in midweek what they can do. I have Wimbledon as the worst side in the league. That can be highlighted on Saturday.
Accrington Stanley went to Luton two months ago four in the table but they were given a right good seeing to and haven’t won since and I’m not convinced that is going to change when they head to Plymouth Argyle on Saturday. Burton are the only side outside the top eight who have won at Home Park this season and Accrington don’t strike me as likely to change that. With four wins on the road Accrington sit mid-table in the away league but those wins have come at Bristol Rovers and Oxford who are having poor seasons, and Walsall and Peterborough who couldn’t and still can’t buy normal wins at home. Accrington are winless in seven and that looked like being eight if the Sunderland match wasn’t abandoned. It can be eight here.
Tips
WON – Back Luton Town (-0.75AH) to beat Burton Albion for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with Betfred
Back them here:
Back Wycombe Wanderers (-0.25AH) to beat AFC Wimbledon for a 4/10 stake at 1.85 with BetVictor
Back Plymouth Argyle (0AH) to beat Accrington Stanley for a 4/10 stake at 2.00 with BetVictor
Back them here:
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