Football Bet of the Day: Donny can secure big win by the seaside

We’ve got a rare midweek round of Premier League fixtures coming our way on Wednesday night, while we’ve also got some key games in League 1 and League 2 to look forward to. Elsewhere, Aberdeen host Celtic in a belting game north of the border, while Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are in action for Real Madrid as they travel to Bilbao. 

But for our Football Bet of the Day for Wednesday, we are heading down to England’s fourth tier in search of some value, and I think we might have found it…

This isn’t the sexiest game that Wednesday night has to offer, but it is going to have major implications on the promotion race in League 2. Now Doncaster Rovers are a fine footballing outfit at this level and let’s not forget the remarkable run they went on last term under the guidance of Grant McCann. 

From 18th in the league in February, they embarked on a run of 10 victories in a row that fired them into the play-offs, but they shockingly threw away a two-goal lead from the first leg to lose on penalties to Crewe Alexandra. 

Anyway, after a summer of positivity, many pundits thought they would once again be challengers for promotion, if they could put together a slightly more consistent start than they managed in 2023/24. So far so good then, as they currently sit fourth in League 2, having picked up 29 points from their 17 outings so far. 

There’s so much to like about this Rovers squad, and I’m a massive fan of McCann. Having registered a win percentage of 45 per cent during his first spell, he’s now sitting at a ridiculously high 48 per cent. He gets the best out of what he has, but he’s also built a top League 2 squad. His striker options are quality, with Billy Sharp and Joe Ironside two experienced options that can guide Ephraim Yeboah to improve. 

Donny have ‘only’ scored 22 goals in 17 league games so far, but they are underperforming their underlying statistics. Rovers have created the second-highest xG per 90 in the league this season (1.41), only behind Notts County, and they should start to contest those three automatic promotion places if they keep up that level of chance creation. 

Their next test comes away at Fleetwood Town, who currently sit 12th. They are tracking true to their underlying stats, but their home form is iffy, as they have won two, drawn five and lost one at Highbury in 2024/25. A lot of draws has been their issue this term, but to put it bluntly, I just think Doncaster are the far stronger team on paper and should be able to come away with three points. 

I’ll also push the boat out and back them to keep a clean sheet. Rovers have only conceded an average of 1.01 xG per 90 this season and I think they can limit the home side to only a couple of chances during this one. The Cod Army drew their last game 0-0 against Colchester United and that’s the only game they’ve played since November 12 due to postponements. 

It wouldn’t surprise me to see another disjointed attacking display from the home side and as a result, we’re getting massive odds on an away success on the Fylde Coast, as McCann hopes to improve that win percentage even further. 

Acca Flex: Place a pre-match 5+ leg Football accumulator and get a CASH bonus up to 100% if all of your selections win or your money back as CASH if one leg lets you down.

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