Saturday accumulator: In-form Boro the best bet against travel-sick Blues
- Lee Bassin
- 29 October 2021
Middlesbrough have a great chance to crash the top four when they host Birmingham, with promotion rivals Coventry facing a taxing trip to Hull.
On the day before Halloween there's a fiendishly compelling Championship fixture list to sink our teeth into, along with in-form Celtic's clash with Livingston, and we've put together a list of six bets you can pick from for your Saturday afternoon acca.
And you can still take advantage of our fantastic new ACCA INSURANCE offer to help you out placing your Saturday afternoon wagers. This promotion is available to new and existing Planet Sport Bet customers, and full T&Cs apply.
Middlesbrough vs Birmingham City
Middlesbrough are finally moving in the right direction after three consecutive victories and Neil Warnock's men are up to sixth in the Championship table, their highest position of the season.
Birmingham earned a morale-boosting home win over Swansea last time out which was their first victory in eight games. But away from home it's a sorry tale as Lee Bowyer's side have not won on the road since August and have drawn two and lost three of their last five away matches.
The Blues haven't found the net on their travels for four games and we're fearing the worst against a Boro side who are also in the midst of a three-game winning streak at the Riverside Stadium, conceding zero goals in the process.
Middlesbrough are worthy favourites and at a touch over even money also represent the value bet of the day in our opinion, so they are a confident addition to our Saturday acca.
Hull City vs Coventry City
Coventry fans will be delighted that their side currently occupies fourth place in the Championship table, but the Sky Blues are really struggling to put a decent run of form together.
Mark Robins' side have won, two, drawn two and lost two of their last six games but their recent form makes for grim reading as Coventry have drawn two and lost one of their last three.
And a 1-1 draw at home to struggling Derby last time out would have left a particularly bad taste in the mouth as the hosts were 1-0 up with just over 10 minutes to go but couldn't hold on against the Rams.
Hull fans would love to have those types of problems as their side are third from bottom with just two wins from 14 games, have lost their last three and gained just five points from a possible 21 at home this season.
However there is hope as the one bit of consistency that Coventry have shown is their inability to win away from home, having lost three and drawn two of their last five matches away from the Coventry Building Society Arena.
With two out of sorts sides the draw is always a tempting bet at 23/10, but with Hull having netted just five goals at home and Coventry the same number away, under 2.5 goals is the selection here.
Celtic vs Livingston
The Scottish Premiership table has a much more familiar look about it with Celtic now occupying second place after a 3-1 win at Hibernian last time out, a fourth league win in a row for the Bhoys.
And with Rangers dropping points at home to Aberdeen in midweek, Ange Postecoglou's men have the extra incentive that a win over Livingston will not only avenge a 1-0 defeat from earlier in the season but take them above Steven Gerrard's men and into first place.
At first glance it may look like Celtic may not have it all their own way against a Livi side who have won their last two away from home, but those matches were against bottom side Ross County and third from bottom St Johnstone.
We're more interested in a pair of defeats at Rangers and losses at Hearts and Hibs, by an aggregate score of 10-0, which tells us that away games at the best sides in the division are a nightmare for David Martindale's side.
And that is exactly what they are facing at Celtic Park, which is reflected in super-skinny odds of 2/13 on a home win, so we're happy to boost the price with Celtic -1 our next acca addition.
Preston vs Luton Town
After a shaky start to the season the Hatters have put together a five-match unbeaten streak, winning three and drawing two games since the end of September which has lifted them into the dizzy heights of fifth in the Championship table.
Since losing at West Brom in their first away match-up, only Bournemouth have beaten Luton on the road and Nathan Jones' side will travel north in good spirits after seeing off Hull at home last time out and coming back twice to earn a 2-2 draw at Derby in their previous away game.
As for Preston, given the time of year it seems appropriate to call them a real Jekyll and Hyde team in the league, awful on the road but unbeaten at home since the opening day.
However, three wins and three draws in their last six at Deepdale is a good, not great return and the Lilywhites' away form means that a win here is crucial if they are to avoid being sucked into a relegation battle.
Both sides have in-form strikers, with Luton's Elijah Adebayo having scored in his last two games to take his tally for the season to seven, while Preston's Emil Riis Jakobsen has five for the campaign and scored the winner in Preston's last home match.
Adebayo was forced off at half-time in the win over Hull due to a tight hamstring but is expected to be fit for Saturday.
If this game was at Luton we would be picking the in-form Hatters but Preston are a different kettle of fish at Deepdale, and with both sides having some decent firepower we're going for over 2.5 goals for the next leg of our acca.
Stoke vs Cardiff City
Stoke have lost three league games in a row but a home match against a Cardiff side in even worse form represents a golden opportunity to get back on track.
The Bluebirds' 2-0 loss at home to Middlesbrough last time out was their eighth consecutive defeat, the worst run in the club's history and the final nail in the coffin for boss Mick McCarthy, who left the club shortly afterwards.
Under-23 coaches Steve Morison and Tom Ramasut look set to take caretaker charge for the next few games at least, and they face a mammoth task to get any sort of performance out of the beleaguered Bluebirds.
However, we've seen teams raise their games after a managerial exit a million times before and it would be no surprise if Cardiff put a real shift in at the Bet365 Stadium.
Stoke may be slumping but their home form is still one of the best in the Championship with five wins, one draw and one loss from seven games on their own turf. Their lone defeat was in their last home game but it did come against leaders Bournemouth.
So at a tasty price we're happy to back Stoke to weather any upturn in form from Cardiff and get a crucial win of their own.
Derby vs Blackburn
Wayne Rooney and his Derby side deserve great credit for the way they have responded to the 12-point deduction imposed on them, losing just one of the six games following the announcement.
The Rams are still bottom of the table but by no means marooned as they lie just six points behind fourth from bottom Cardiff.
However, Rooney's side have drawn their last four games and really need to rediscover the winning touch if they are to begin a slow climb up the table.
There are reasons for optimism, including the fact that only Bournemouth have conceded fewer goals than the Rams this season, while Blackburn have lost their last three on the road, averaging just one goal a game away from home all season.
So while we're tempted to side with the Rams at 7/4, under 2.5 goals is the preferred selection to round off our acca.
