The English football season is only a week old but it already feels like were in full swing with goals, goals, goals. Let’s hope we’ll see plenty more on Saturday, not least in League One.
That’s because we’ve picked three games to finish as BTTS winners in a tasty treble that pays out at odds of over 9/2.
Good luck!
Northampton Town v Fleetwood Town
Northampton are still to score their first goal of the season following two 1-0 away defeats in the league and cup. However, their first match of 2017-18 at Sixfields will fill Justin Edinburgh with optimism, even if they do face one of the stronger sides in the division.
The Cobblers aren’t short of attacking experience, with the likes of Alex Revell and Marc Richards ready to convert any chances that come their way. While this is a difficult first home encounter, they should score, especially after hitting 25 home goals last term.
They did ship 29 in those 23 matches, though, and can expect to concede against Fleetwood. The visitors hit 30 on their travels last term while they have scored in both of their matches in the early part of this season.
In truth, Uwe Rosler’s men are the stronger outfit. On Northampton soil, though, we think the smart money is with goals.
Rochdale v Scunthorpe United
Goals were a common theme when Rochdale and Scunthorpe met each other last term, with the two matches producing eight goals and back-to-back BTTS winners. As they renew their rivalry on Saturday, we expect the League One sides to provide plenty more entertainment.
Scunthorpe’s opening two games in the league and cup have both ended in score draws, and it already looks as though Gary Alexander’s men will be involved in a lot of high scoring games. Paddy Madden and Kevin van Veen should be among the goals at this standard, and the visitors should be ready to find the target at Spotland.
Kieth Hill’s men will be quietly confident, though, as they enjoyed a decent home record last term. Despite losing at Portsmouth last weekend, the hosts did pick up a midweek cup win to build some momentum. They’ll be looking to Ian Henderson for inspiration here, and the experienced striker could well deliver.
Even if we don’t see the excitement of last season’s meetings, there should be chances for both sides. Bet against the clean sheets.
Rotherham United v Southend United
Phil Brown’s Southend started the season with a fantastic win against Blackburn, and their second league game sees them take on another of the sides relegated from last year’s Championship. Once again, we think it’ll be a BTTS winner.
Southend boast some decent attacking options with Theo Robinson, Simon Cox, Marc Antoine Fortune. Meanwhile, the midfield qualities of Michael Kightly and Ryan Leonard will always give them a chance at this level. A win here would really set out their stool as they bid to cement their place as one of the promotion favourites.
It won’t be easy at the New York Stadium, though. Rotherham may have lost their opening game of the season, but they kicked off their home campaign with a midweek cup win over Lincoln and will take that confidence into this weekend fixture. Paul Warne’s squad is blessed with decent attacking qualities, even if the defensive weaknesses of last year remain.
A score draw wouldn’t surprise us but, as long as both team do find the target, the final outcome won’t bother us in the slightest.