Weekend EFL League 1 Predictions: Chris Martin to deliver Hymn for the Weekend

League One returns this weekend with a full fixture list, starting off on Friday night as Cheltenham Town look to continue their resurgence. There’s a whole lot of action to look forward to and we’ve taken a look at the best value in the third tier of English football. Here’s what we’ve come up with.

Derby to beat Barnsley @ 6/4

Rams set sights on top spot. 

Let’s start with a straightforward one, but one I feel offers good value. I’ve been fairly confident in Derby County the whole season, even when Paul Warne was under some pressure before Christmas. However, now the League One master, who has already secured two promotions from this level with Rotherham United, is working his magic in the East Midlands. 

Interestingly, and importantly given this game is being played at Oakwell, Derby boast the best away record in the league. They’ve won 11 of their 17 trips on the road and now sit just ahead of Bolton Wanderers on goal difference in second spot. They are still only six points behind Portsmouth with a game in hand, so the title isn’t out of the question, especially with the way they have been playing. 

They’ve won four and drawn one of their last five, and their defence has been exceptional, conceding just 29 times during this campaign - the lowest total in the league. Despite Barnsley’s obvious qualities, they haven’t kept a clean sheet in their last five, and I just feel the Rams will have too much for them this time around. 

Portsmouth to beat Charlton and Colby Bishop to score @ 2/1

TLDR - Portsmouth are good, Charlton are not. 

One defeat and two draws has not marked the start to life at Charlton that Nathan Jones would have wanted, but there were some positive signs to take from that 3-3 humdinger with high-flying Bolton. Unfortunately they couldn’t hold on for all three points, and the fixture list has presented them with the toughest test of the lot, a home game against Portsmouth. 

The league leaders have won six of their last seven games, drawing the other, and have got themselves back on track after a slightly shaky start to 2024. John Mousinho is proving himself to be an excellent manager and he has one of the most potent strikers in the league at his disposal. 

Colby Bishop has already notched 16 league goals this season and although he has ‘only’ hit three goals in his last six games, he did find the net against Reading last time out. Portsmouth are one of the finest attacking outfits in the division, and I believe they will have what it takes to beat Charlton, with Bishop likely to score again. 

Chris Martin to score two or more vs Carlisle United @ 8/1

Look at the goals, look how they shine for you. 

Chris Martin only joined Bristol Rovers in late September having been without a club since leaving QPR in the summer. However, the experienced striker has made a giant impact at the Memorial Stadium. He’s scored 13 goals in just 23 matches, two in his last two matches, and has the best minutes per goal rate in the entire division (124).

Up next, Bristol Rovers host the worst team in the league, Carlisle United. Carlisle have managed to amass just 20 points this term, and have lost their last seven matches on the bounce. They conceded four goals at home to Cambridge last time out and relegation now seems to be an inevitability. 

Martin will fancy his chances against this miserable defence, who have conceded 55 goals so far this season. Backing him to get two or more at 8/1 feels like a huge price. 

Check out our other Football Betting Tips here.