Cheltenham vs Charlton
Sunday, 12:00pm
The first part of our Bank Holiday EFL Treble begins on Sunday lunchtime, which is when all the league positions will be finalised in League One. It would be fair to say that there are far more important matches than Cheltenham versus Charlton taking place across the league at that time, but it is still a match which could deliver in terms of entertainment.
Cheltenham and Charlton have been positioned in the mid-table portion of the table for a little while now in relation to never seriously being in the play-off race and also being realistically unlikely to be dragged into the relegation picture. Despite that, goals have flown in matches for these two in recent times, and just because it is the last game of the season we shouldn’t necessarily expect that to change. There is always the worry that a pre-season friendly type match could play out, but recent showings suggest it would go against the grain for that to happen.
Cheltenham’s last four games have finished 3-0, 4-0, 3-1 and 2-2, the common theme being goals. Across Charlton’s previous seven matches we can locate scores such as three 3-2s and two 6-0s. Again, the common theme there being goals. Put those together and we surely should expect quite a few goals to flow this weekend. There are reasons for both teams wanting to win, Cheltenham can still jump a few places, and financially that will help out a little bit for their budget towards next season. Charlton will finish in the top-ten with a win, and making the top-ten just sounds better than the top-11 or the top-half.
Harrogate vs Rochdale
Sunday, 12:30pm
Fast forward another 24 hours and the League Two campaign draws to a close before the play-offs begin next week. Harrogate and Rochdale have both been in a similar part of the table for practically the whole season, but it is Harrogate who are the ones who can celebrate avoiding relegation, with Rochdale losing their league status a few weeks back. Dale have been in the EFL for 102 years, so it promises to be a real testing summer for everyone connected with the club. Harrogate are looking to consolidate at this level and securing a third straight season in League Two has to been seen as a success and good building block for this progressive club.
Although Rochdale’s relegation was confirmed when losing 1-0 to rivals Stockport recently, they followed that up with a 4-1 victory over Sutton. That says a lot about this team in terms of their character. For all that they may lack in quality, they proved that they can produce the goods on any given day. This is a proud club and they’ll want to end their 102 year stay with a positive performance and result before beginning their challenge to get back to this level.
There is every reason to still expect goals in this end-of-season dead rubber. This is a top-seven match if we’re to base the table purely on games featuring over 2.5 goals. Harrogate are the top team in that regard. Their matches have produced an average of 2.78 goals across the season, and their last seven straight matches have featured at least three goals. The earlier season meeting defeated this number when Harrogate ran out 4-1 winners, too. 4-2, 4-1, 3-0 and 2-2 are also scores that can be found within Rochdale’s last six, plus players will want to impress ahead of the upcoming season, either to maybe secure a new deal or maybe a move away. Over 2.5 Goals again looks a good bet.
Preston vs Sunderland
Sunday, 3:00pm
There is still some matters to be decided when the Championship wraps up in the early evening part of Bank Holiday Monday. The battle for the play-offs has been keeping football buffs guessing for weeks now as to who will join Luton and Middlesbrough in the end of season lottery. Sunderland are one of those hoping to jump into the top-six and have a crack at earning back-to-back promotions into the Premier League. Preston saw their play-off hopes end a few games ago, but naturally they’ll want to end their season in front of their own supporters in a good way.
Preston’s last match saw them take on Sheffield United, who had already confirmed promotion by this stage, and despite the game effectively meaning nothing for either team, both created an xG (Expected Goals) of over 2.00. There is no point for Preston to effectively try and play party poopers against Sunderland in terms of sitting back and just denying them victory, as the fans won’t except that and they have to go for the jugular themselves. Ryan Lowe’s side are unbeaten in seven at Deepdale, winning seven, so they’ll look to maintain that unbeaten run into next season. Players of course will want to impress etc, and Sunderland’s need for victory should make for an open game.
Sunderland have been the underdogs in this play-off race for a little while now, but it is to their credit that they go into the final game with a top-six spot still a possibility. First things first, they need to win this game, and then hope for a favour elsewhere. Scores from games involving Coventry and Millwall will naturally filter into the Deepdale crowd and the Sunderland crowd will certainly let their team know if they need a goal. Four of their last six games has beaten the 2.5 goal line, including an epic 4-4 thriller with mid-table Hull last month. Sunderland have to win, and they’ll be keen to get an early goal so their scores filters through to the other grounds and cause some tension. If scores are going against them, Sunderland could just swing at this and it’ll make for a very open end to this match.
Tips
Over 2.5 Goals Treble (17/4 10Bet)
