Saturday League 1 & 2 Tips: Birmingham feature in a 25/1 weekend treble | OneFootball

Betfair Saturday Football Superboost

The FA Cup quarter-finals begin with a London derby at Craven Cottage where Fulham host Crystal Palace and it's a visiting player who takes centre stage in the Betfair Saturday Football Superboost.

Jean-Philippe Mateta has registered 12 shots on target in his last 10 games and Betfair have boosted the price on him having one or more here from 1/2 to 1/1.

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League One

Leg 1: Stockport County v Burton Albion, Saturday 12:30: Back Stockport and Under 2.5 Goals @ 12/5

Burton have won three of their last four away league games (L1), as many as across their prior 21 matches combined (D9 L9), so there are not quite the back number on form, but their key asset has been there set-pieces and the work of John Brayford in that area will present a threat to Stockport.

However, the hosts will find this easier from the tough run of games of late as they have faced Bolton, Charlton and Wrexham and completely dominated the ball against Phil Parkinson's side last weekend, and this could come down to the hosts nicking it by the odd goal.

Stockport won this fixture 3-0 earlier in the season, but they had Louie Barry then who has since departed for higher riches, but the Hatter remain a point off Charlton and Burton will be easier to break down here than Wrexham last weekend.

KEY OPTA STAT: After winning their first Football League meeting with Stockport County 2-1 in October 2010, Burton Albion have failed to win, or score, in their last two league encounters (D1 L1).

Leg 2: Birmingham City v Shrewsbury, Saturday 15:00: Back Kieran Dowell Anytime Scorer @ 7/2

Dramatic goings on in Cadfael country this week as Gareth Ainsworth left for Gillingham, and Michael Appleton has taken over as head coach until the end of the season - and no one saw Ainsworth's exit at all. Indeed, harsh words were levelled at Wild Thing who was labelled as a manager who promised the world and delivered nothing.

Shrewsbury look dead and buried I am afraid and you couldn't get a bigger mis-match than top against bottom here with Brum, rich in players and money on course for a record 103 points this season with no defeats at St Andrews and just eight conceded at home all season.

The win to nil markets, HT/FT and Over 2.5 Goals are all possibles, but the angle of attack here is going with midfielder Kieran Dowell to get on the scoresheet.

His move from Ibrox along with fellow Rangers man Ben Davies has added to an already excellent team. Davies has slotted in superbly as a left-sided centre-back while Dowell has added some creativity and goals to the middle, and his price at 7/2 is a lot bigger than the usual suspect Jay Stansfield.

Expect Brum to have nearly all the ball here as they enjoyed 80% possession in the game at Shrewsbury earlier this season (and lost 3-2) and the pressure might tell on a Shrewbury team who have struggled against set-pieces. Dowell has three goals this term and two in his last three - both from the spot on penalty duties.

KEY OPTA STAT: Shrewsbury are winless across their last eight league games (D2 L6), with only Morecambe (19) and Harrogate Town (18) failing to score in more league games in the top four tiers this season than the Shrews (17).

Leg 3: Wigan Athletic v Barnsley, Saturday 15:00: Back Under 2.5 Goals @ 8/11

This would have been a nightmare to price up on the Sportsbook initially. Barnsley have won 10 away and lost eight, Wigan have won six and lost eight at home and both have new managers in place.

Ryan Lowe could be a good appointment for Wigan, but I doubt he would have enjoyed watching his team in his first match in charge against Charlton recently as they were so poor in possession and the midfield looks a soft touch and easy to play through.

The Tykes' recent form is DLLL and were frustrated recently by Cambridge in a 1-1 which saw them equalise late on and had 542 accurate passes against Cambridge's 119. Barnsley cannot break teams down and have scored just twice in four, and with neither having anything to play for, could peter out into a dull affair and the Under 2.5 Goals looks a sensible play as neither can be backed with any confidence.

KEY OPTA STAT: Barnsley have won just three of their last 13 league games (D2 L8), scoring just two goals across their last four outings combined.

League Two

Leg 1: Harrogate Town v Gillingham, Saturday 15:00: Back The Draw @ 21/10

It's all been rather swift at the Priestfield this week - a word that hasn't been used with their play this season, with John Coleman's departure confirmed on Tuesday and Gareth Ainsworth charged with their preserving their league status.

Coleman had improved a poor team who looked bereft of ideas and the Gills had scrapped two draws and a win from their last three, but with those two draws and low-scoring games, I cannot separate the two for this weekend.

Only two points is the gap between Harrogate and the Gills, and while a cliche, it's a game neither dare lose which lends to nervousness and Gillingham have failed to win any of their last nine away league games (D5 L4), since a 1-0 success against MK Dons in December last year. Ainsworth will certainly make them hard to beat even without any sort of quality at his disposal.

Harrogate have scored just once in their last four and just 16 all season at home - and have a poor 1.19xG at home. We can back the draw at 12/5 here which can boost the treble.

KEY OPTA STAT: Gillingham have lost eight of their last 10 league games against sides from Yorkshire (W1 D1), though their only victory in that time came in their last meeting with a side form the county - a 1-0 success over Bradford City in March.

Leg 2: Bromley v Salford City, Saturday 15:00: Back Bromley @ 29/20

Salford have won just two of their last 13 league games (D5 L6), though did win their last outing 1-0 against Grimsby Town. That was their first win since early February and the wheels have come off in spectacular fashion as they were in touch at the top of the table at the turn of the year.

Bromley have outperformed expectations to sit 12th in the league and earned a superb point against Walsall earlier this month in a 2-2, a game in which boss Andy Woodmann said: "We limited them to not much and I think we should pinch ourselves as a football club.

"We're disappointed we've drawn with the league leaders."

For a side with the smallest budget, they've punched well above their weight, while Salford continue to flatter and underperform.

Bromley have lost just one of their last five home league games (W3 D1), keeping a clean sheet in each of those wins and Salford are poor travellers with just one win in their last six league games against sides from London (D2 L3), losing on their last visit to the capital (1-0 vs AFC Wimbledon in February).

KEY OPTA STAT: This will be just the second Football League meeting between Bromley and Salford City, with the pair drawing 3-3 in February earlier this year.

Leg 3: Barrow v Chesterfield, Saturday 15:00: Back The Draw @ 11/5

We're going draw heavy for this Saturday, and any draw boosts the treble so we're playing with a near 23/1 multiple at Holker Street, and Barrow have shown improved form of late with an unbeaten run of five.

They've claimed a couple of big scalps recently with away successes against Port Vale and Notts County, but Chesterfield also have picked up with three wins from four and thumped Salford on the road recently 0-4.

I am more interested in last week's 0-0 with Harrogate, a game with zero big chances created for either team despite Paul Cook's men enjoying the bulk of possession.

Chesterfield have won just one of their last 16 away Football League games against Barrow (D3 L12), a 2-1 victory in March 1965 and the earlier 1-0 result in the season should lend to a tight game again and while the Under 2.5 Goals was under consideration, the draw might be worth a punt here.