Jimmy’s Punt 25/26: Staked 175.5pts | Returned 186.17pts | P/L +10.67pts | ROI 6%
Football betting tips: Championship
QPR vs Coventry (Saturday 15:00)
3pts Over 2.5 goals at 4/5 (General)
Middlesbrough vs Norwich (Saturday 15:00)
1pt Ali Ahmed to score anytime at 7/1 (Sky Bet, Betfair, Paddy Power)
0.25pt Ali Ahmed to score 2+ goals at 90/1 (Sky Bet, Betfair, Paddy Power)
1pt Anis Ben Slimane to score anytime at 13/2 (bet365)
0.25pt Anis Ben Slimane to score 2+ goals at 80/1 (bet365)
Card Trixie (kicks off Saturday 15:00)
1pt (Total stake) Darnell Furlong, Seung-Ho Paik & Todd Cantwell card Trixie at 224/1 (Coral, Ladbrokes)
I got some of last weekend’s angles from Thursday and Friday’s EFL games and wrapped them into a treble and a couple of Trixies.
It might just be hindsight talking but it felt like a risk at the time.
It’s straight from the muggy punters mantra. You put your left hand on a betting slip, hold a little blue pen close to your heart with the right hand and pledge to never bet in the early kick-off in front of a picture of whoever the punting equivalent of Ghandi is.
That’s what they made me do at my local bookies anyway.
I broke that pledge last weekend and the bets were all but beat by Saturday morning. The over 2.5 goals treble was down and the remainder of the two Trixies needed to go perfectly.
As it happened, the other two legs of the goals treble clicked meaning it only lost by a goal. One of the three players scored in the goalscorer Trixie and in the card Trixie one player was booked, one wasn’t and the other one was an unused substitute.
So, there was marginal profit on the cards Trixie but the column ended up down overall.
This weekend I’ve gone for goals, a couple of goalscorers and a trio of player cards.
QPR vs Coventry
- Kick-off: Saturday, 15:00 GMT
- Live odds, form and stats
At 4/5 generally, backing OVER 2.5 GOALS at Loftus Road feels relatively straightforward.
QPR were part of last weekend's overs treble and obliged by playing their part in a five-goal thriller with Wrexham - that clash was the 12th time an R's home game in the Championship has seen at least three goals this season.
For no particular reason - other then the beauty and the context of the strike - here is Wrexham's winner.
The moment you have all been waiting for 🍿
— Wrexham AFC (@Wrexham_AFC) January 24, 2026
🔴⚪️ #WxmAFC pic.twitter.com/r7uAlDmQG6
They have played 14 games there this term and one of the games that went unders was against Oxford - managed by Gary Rowett at the time - with the other against Stoke, who have the division's best defence.
Saturday’s visitors Coventry are pretty obliging on the goals front.
They’ve scored 14 more than any other second tier side (62) and conceded over one a game.
In the league, 62% of their games have hit the overs threshold, Coventry have covered the line on their own on 10 occasions which includes the reverse which ended 7-1.
Middlesbrough vs Norwich
- Kick-off: Saturday, 15:00 GMT
- Live odds, form and stats
This clash is one of the shortest on this weekend’s EFL slate for goals and with good reason.
Since Philippe Clement took charge at Norwich, only Middlesbrough (27) and Sheffield United (28) have scored more goals than the Canaries (23).
Two players have really impressed recently.
Limbs for our winner ⚡️🔊 pic.twitter.com/gzOnIRFCfK
— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) January 27, 2026
ANIS BEN SLIMANE for one. He has netted three in his last three appearances and set another up. The other is ALI AHMED and he has had a hand in four goals in three appearances.
The pair are both big prices TO SCORE ANYTIME on Saturday and at least 80/1 TO SCORE 2+ GOALS which appeals against a Boro side that has only kept three clean sheets in 13 games under Kim Hellberg.
Player Card Trixie
- Ipswich vs Preston: Darnell Furlong (Saturday, 15:00)
- Oxford vs Birmingham: Seung-Ho Paik (Saturday, 15:00)
- Blackburn vs Hull: Todd Cantwell (Saturday, 15:00)
John Busby has the whistle for Ipswich against Preston and he has dished out 4.70 cards per game in the Championship this season with his matches ranging anywhere from two yellows in a game to nine across his last eight appearances.
These sides have 113 cards between them this term so cards should be expected at Portman Road where one of the hosts defenders' price stands out.
DARNELL FURLONG is 11/2 TO BE CARDED.
He has been booked in each of his last two league appearances, has picked up six cards in 22 appearances for Ipswich, was sent off in one of three starts for the Baggies before his transfer and has a career cards per 90 average of 0.23.
This price is simply too big.
Birmingham’s clash with Oxford is the next stop.
Stephen Martin, one of the Championship’s finest for cards, takes charge of this clash. He has dished out 63 cards in 14 appearances.
Birmingham are top half for cards and their midfielder SEUNG-HO PAIK is the standout price at 8/1 with bet365. I'd take the 7/1 available with Coral and Ladbrokes as well. His cards per 90 career average suggests he is a point too short but with six cards this season I think he is worth taking with a card happy referee in charge.
The final leg of the Trixie comes at Ewood Park.
Hull, the most booked side in the league, take on Blackburn, the seventh-most carded side, under the supervision of Leigh Doughty, who's averaged 4.18 cards a game this season.
What could possibly go wrong?
TODD CANTWELL it the bet at 10/3.
He’s picked up seven cards this season, trumping last season's tally of six and putting his cards per 90 average to 0.39 in the Championship for Rovers.
He takes the Trixie to 224/1.
Odds correct at 12:15 GMT (29/01/26)
More from Sporting Life
Safer gambling
We are committed in our support of safer gambling. Recommended bets are advised to over-18s and we strongly encourage readers to wager only what they can afford to lose.
If you are concerned about your gambling, please call the National Gambling Helpline / GamCare on 0808 8020 133.
Further support and information can be found at begambleaware.org and gamblingtherapy.org.
