The Panel's EFL Tips: Tom Lee's League One Double For The Opening Weekend
At Gambling.com, we are always looking to expand the experts on the Panel and the EFL is no different.
We welcome Tom Lee who gives us his thoughts on the Football League ahead of the new season, which starts this weekend.
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The Panel's Tips For League One's Opening Weekend
- Tom Lee's Panel Tip 1: Stevenage To Beat Shrewsbury - 5/6 With Betfred
- Tom Lee's Panel Tip 2: Lincoln City To Beat Burton Albion - 7/5 With Coral
A summer break softened by both Euro 2024 and the Paris Olympics is over and done with, pre-season campaigns complete, it's time to get back to business in the EFL.
Looking to make a fast start in the life of this new Gambling.com column, here are two sides who combined in a win double on football betting sites can hopefully help us get off to a successful commencement.
Stevenage Vs Shrewsbury Town, Saturday 5.30pm
First up, League One contenders Stevenage have amassed a fascinating group of players ahead of the 2024/25 season and they have persuaded skipper Carl Piergianni to extend his deal.
Other new additions include defender Lewis Freestone who comes in for six figures from Cheltenham, free-scoring midfielder Dan Kemp from MK Dons, forward Louis Appere from Northampton, plus loan goalkeeper Murphy Cooper who has been borrowed from QPR.
Factor in emerging talent in the shape of 15-year-old Ryan Doherty and boss Alex Revell won't be short of options.
The best defence outside the top eight last season, Stevenage finished ninth, just five points off the play-offs and surely would have ranked higher had their goal output been better than a total of 57.
Either way, they start off at home against low-scoring Shrewsbury Town, the Shropshire side registering just 35 goals in 46 games last season - the lowest in the entire third tier.
Encouragingly, Stevenage comfortably beat Shrewsbury at home on the same weekend last year, running out 2-0 winners in Hertfordshire.
The league double was duly registered as Stevenage triumphed 1-0 at Shrewsbury in January.
Depending on where you shop around, odds of 5/6 on the best betting sites look ideal material for leg one of the EFL double.
Tom Lee's Panel Tip 1: Stevenage To Beat Shrewsbury - 5/6 With Betfred
Burton Albion Vs Lincoln City, Saturday 5.30pm
Sticking with the League One theme, there's a strong case to be made for odds against Lincoln City to be included as leg two.
Their League One exploits begin with a visit to Staffordshire and Burton Albion, a side they beat 1-0 away from home in February, this despite playing for more than an hour with only 10 men.
In a largely lacklustre showing, Burton went on to avoid relegation by the width of a coat of paint, while in seventh Lincoln agonisingly missed out on a play-off spot by a similar margin.
Joe Taylor's return to Watford hasn't helped Lincoln, but the signing of 22-year-old Rob Street from Cheltenham could very well turn out to be an astute piece of business based on his form shown in pre-season.
Imps' boss Michael Skubala will be looking to make an emphatic start in his first full campaign at the club and at 11/8 on betting apps the away win gets the vote.
Tom Lee's Panel Tip 2: Lincoln City To Beat Burton Albion - 7/5 With Coral
A Stevenage/Lincoln double can be backed at 100/30.
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