EFL Early Bird Acca Tips: + Seeking Value in the Championship and League Two

With the opening weekend of the season behind us, it is time to work out who will be the early EFL pacesetters and strugglers. We’ve got three games featuring teams in one category or another from the EFL Early Bird Acca for this Saturday.

A Championship side who already looks up against it combined with two eye-catchers in League Two, all available at appealing prices to give combined odds of 7.88.

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• Early Bird Cardiff vs QPR: Cardiff to win
• Early Bird Gillingham vs Accrington: Gillingham to win
• Early Bird MK Dons vs Tranmere: MK Dons to win

Acca odds: 7.88

Odds via bet365 as at 00:00, August 8th 2023. Odds may now differ.

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Cardiff vs QPR: If it aint broke don’t fix it

England, Championship, Saturday, August 12th, 15:00 (UK)

I tipped QPR to go down in my Championship 2023/24 ante-post betting preview here on bettingexpert. Nothing that unfolded on the opening weekend gave me cause to want to change that position. In fact, my opinion was only enhanced.

Gareth Ainsworth’s rabble made the worst start imaginable, falling behind after just 30 seconds against Watford. A nightmare start only got worse as they shipped a further three goals before half time. The Hornets declared at four, but the result leaves the R’s already rooted to the foot of the embryonic Championship table.

For their part, Cardiff found themselves in dreamland, taking a 2-0 lead into the interval at Leeds. The Bluebirds came within seconds of recording an impressive win against one of the division’s ante-post favourites. Crysencio Summerville’s 95th-minute equaliser denied Erol Bulut a victory in his first game in charge of the Welsh side.

Josh Bowler opened the scoring at Elland Road to cap an impressive debut, and we know what a menace he can be at this level. Expect the former Blackpool man to run the overworked Rangers rearguard ragged.

Cardiff looks to have plenty going for them in attack, and this represents a much better opportunity to showcase that. But equally, there was enough evidence on Sunday, despite shipping a couple of goals, that the defence will be more than a match for a confidence-stripped QPR side. In particular, the impressive new pairing of Dimitrios Goutas and Mark McGuinness.

• Selection: Cardiff to win
• Best Odds: 2.00
• Bookmaker: bet365

More Cardiff vs QPR Tips

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Gillingham vs Accrington: Gills to continue giving fans thrills

England, League Two, Saturday, August 12th, 15:00 (UK)

Travelling to last season’s losing playoff finalists and coming away with three points and a clean sheet dashed Neil Harris’ hopes of dampening expectations for his side. Stockport are again expected to challenge at the top of the table, but Robbie McKenzie’s late goal clinched an impressive 1-0 win for Gillingham on Saturday.

The Gills had a strong end to the last campaign following a takeover of the club. And coupled with a good summer transfer window, fans are now hoping for a playoff challenge of their own, at least.

At their Priestfield Stadium home, the Kent side have a strong record. Their 11 wins there last term was the 9th best in the division. Matching the number of home wins achieved by Stockport, who only missed out on promotion due to a penalty shootout at Wembley.

Accrington had a comfortable opening-day victory over Newport. But County is a side I am looking to oppose in the early stages of the season so that positive result was expected.

Equally, newly relegated Stanley had one of the worst away records last season, albeit in League One. They won their previous two road trips but, prior to that, had only been successful on three other occasions. A return of 13 goals from 23 away games was the worst in the league and a clear indication of where their troubles lay.

Although John Coleman remains in charge, this looks like a season of consolidation at best, and the upwardly mobile Gills are taken to have too much for the visitors here.

• Selection: Gillingham to win
• Best Odds: 2.20
• Bookmaker: Ladbrokes

More Gillingham vs Accrington Tips

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MK Dons vs Tranmere: + Keen to get the Dons onside again

England, League Two, Saturday, August 12th, 15:00 (UK)

For those of you who have read my Top Five Outright Best Bets of 2023-24, you will recall my selection of the MK Dons in the League Two Outright Winner market. In the preview, I mentioned they couldn’t have had a more challenging start to the campaign—a trip to ante-post favourites Wrexham.

However, they couldn’t have wished for a better result, racing into a two-goal lead early on before running out emphatic 5-3 winners.

Graham Alexander, in his first league game in charge, saw his side perform better than their opponents in every department, especially the front pairing of Mo Eisa and Jonathan Leko, who terrorised the hosts all afternoon. They notched three goals and registered two assists between them.

It was a performance that certainly rubber-stamped the thought process that the Dons are well equipped in every aspect to bounce back to the third tier at the first attempt.
Tranmere opened their campaign with a disappointing home defeat to Barrow. The result will ring alarm bells around the Rovers fanbase.

Ian Dawes oversaw a disappointing end to the campaign after taking caretaker charge following the dismissal of Micky Mellon in March. Pre-season saw little signs of improvement with defeats to non-league sides Rochdale and Southport.

In total, the men from Merseyside lost seven of their last 11 away games last season, winning just once. MK look great value to ensure the Super White Army starts this campaign in the manner they ended the previous one.

• Selection: MK Dons to win
• Best Odds: 1.91
• Bookmaker: Betfair

More MK Dons vs Tranmere Tips

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