After another midweek without matches League 2 returns again with another full set of fixtures on Saturday. We are now seven matches into the season so the table is starting to take shape and already the cream looks to be rising to the top with many of the pre-season title favourites taking their place towards the summit of the table.
That said only 12pts separates top from bottom and just six points are between first and 14th in what is another congested table once again. Saturday might widen a few gaps though.
Saturday’s fixtures are as follows: (3pm unless stated)
Exeter v Plymouth 13:00
Accrington v Portsmouth
Barnet v Colchester
Blackpool v Carlisle
Cambridge v Morecambe
Cheltenham v Notts County
Crawley v Luton
Doncaster v Newport
Grimsby v Crewe
Hartlepool v Mansfield
Leyton Orient v Yeovil
Wycombe v Stevenage
Big Matches
It is a big start to the day for the leaders Plymouth who head to their local rivals Exeter knowing that a win would open up a four point gap at the top of the table for a couple of hours at least but four sides will be able to take advantage of any slip ups.
Portsmouth head into the weekend in second place and they head to Accrington while Luton make the trip to Sussex to face a stuttering Crawley side. Doncaster might be the best placed of all to feast on any scraps they are given by Plymouth. They host a Newport side who are awful but remain tough to beat. Colchester could also go top with a win at Barnet.
Best of the Rest
In terms of club size Carlisle’s trip to Blackpool is a big one while there is a pretty important Bucks/Herts derby at Adams Park where Wycombe host Stevenage. Bottom of the pile Cambridge host stumbling Morecambe while second from bottom Yeovil head to a Leyton Orient side that remain as hit and miss as ever. Grimsby vs Crewe should be the entertaining match of the day.
Betting
I’m going with three bets this week. They start with Portsmouth who I like the look of for a few reasons. Firstly they are away from home which I much prefer with them, secondly they head to Accrington in wonderful form off the back of four wins on the bounce in the league and thirdly because it would only be natural for Accrington’s players to have more than half an eye on their trip to the Olympic Stadium to face West Ham in midweek.
It looks like this is a season which is going to be dominated by the bigger clubs who have the resources to rest and rotate and more importantly change games off the bench and those who don’t have that could struggle in light of the changed loan regulations. On this occasion Portsmouth are the haves, Accrington are the have nots and I’m with the bigger side there.
I saw Grimsby first hand last week and having been worried about them before a ball was kicked this season I was really impressed by them. Few teams go to Kenilworth Road, open the game up and have a real go these days but they did and fair play to them they got the result they deserved off the back of that.
Whether that style will win every week I’m not sure but it sure is going to deliver plenty of goals and I’m expecting more on Saturday against a Crewe side who aren’t shy at finding the back of the net themselves and who have notched twice in each of their last three matches. Styles make great contests and the style of these two should blend lovely to deliver more than 2.5 goals.
Finally I can’t resist a little piece of a Stevenage side who will be much better this year than they were last year. They have much more fight about them and going forward they have a bit of quality too. They head to a Wycombe side who can’t keep the back door shut which is unlike them and is very much a result of a bad injury crisis.
Wycombe have shipped eight goals in two weeks and were lucky not to ship that in one go at Kenilworth Road a couple of weeks ago. Stevenage have a bit of mite in defence to stand up to the physical threat that Wycombe provide when they go forward and with the quality that the likes of Tyler Walker, Ben Kennedy and Matt Godden have they can have too much for the home side there.
Tips
Back Portsmouth to beat Accrington for a 4/10 stake at 2.00 with Betfred
Back them here:
Back Grimsby vs Crewe – Over 2.5 goals for a 4/10 stake at 1.83 with 888sport
Back it here:
Back Stevenage (+0.25AH) to beat Wycombe for a 4/10 stake at 1.80 with 12bet
Back them here:
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