The Football League is back! No more sitting in an endless line of high street shops waiting for the other half to try on another outfit; no more watching shockingly poor Saturday night TV; and no more afternoons without Jeff and the boys. Come on.
We’re looking to start the new domestic season in style with this 4/1 opening weekend treble on the BTTS coupon. After securing plenty of winners in 2015-16, let’s hope 2016-17 can start in similar fashion.
Good luck!
Huddersfield Town v Brentford
After ending last season with a 5-1 away win at Huddersfield, Championship side Brentford return to the John Smith’s Stadium this weekend for their 2016-17 opener. And we’re expecting a similarly exciting contest between the Terriers and Bees.
Nobody scored more Championship away goals than Dean Smith’s visitors last term, and the firepower of Lasse Vibe and Philipp Hofmann should give them a fantastic chance of more here. Pre-season probably doesn’t count for much, but Brentford’s three away games in England have all ended in BTTS winners too, which is another reason to think there could be goals.
While there have been some changes at Griffin Park over the summer, a defensive unit that leaked 37 on the road last term has only really been improved by the arrival of new goalkeeper Daniel Bentley. Home side Huddersfield, particularly star man Nahki Wells, are more than capable of capitalising.
Do we see it being a repeat of last May’s result? No. But there should be enough chances for both teams to score.
BTTS Yes @ 13/20 with BetVictor
Rochdale v Peterborough United
League One side Peterborough have been a favourite on the BTTS coupons for a number of years now, and Posh are likely to be a regular feature this season too. That’s definitely the case for their opening trip to Rochdale, as Keith Hill’s men have also become a frequent choice over the past couple of years.
Last season, Dale notched 41 goals at Spotland, conceding 25 in the process. When added to Peterborough’s away record of 40 scored and 36 against, it makes for very positive reading indeed, especially when last year’s corresponding fixture ended in a 2-1 win for the visitors.
The sale of Conor Washington in January didn’t stop Peterborough from scoring goals last term, and the likes of Marcus Maddison and Jon Taylor can hope for productive seasons from attacking midfield.
However, the attacking force of Ian Henderson and co should give Rochdale a fantastic chance of starting their season in a positive manner. A score draw wouldn’t surprise us at all.
BTTS Yes @ 7/10 with BetVictor
Portsmouth v Carlisle United
Portsmouth will naturally be most people’s pick for the League Two crown, but Paul Cook’s men shouldn’t expect things all their own way against a Carlisle side that have recruited extremely well over the summer.
If new addition Shaun Miller can link up with Jabo Ibehre, the Cumbrians could quite feasibly surpass last year’s tally of 67 goals. But while Keith Curle has added some defensive stability too, the visitors seem unlikely to keep out the pre-season title favourites.
Michael Smith and Milan Lalkovic look particularly impressive signings, and their goals could be vital to Portsmouth’s promotion charge. From our perspective, we’re hoping they can start in style in this opener at Fratton Park.
Let’s just hope Carlisle find the target too.
BTTS Yes @ 9/10 with BetVictor
A £10 treble returns £53.30 with BetVictor