Jimmy's Punt 25/26: Staked 198.75pts | Returned 203.57pts | P/L +4.82pts | ROI 2.4%
Football betting tips: EFL
Derby vs Blackburn (Saturday 12:30)
1pt Sammie Szmodics to score anytime at 16/5 (BetVictor)
Leyton Orient vs Barnsley (Saturday 12:30)
1pt Dominic Ballard to score anytime at 6/4 (Sky Bet)
Rotherham vs Plymouth (Saturday 15:00)
1pt Aribim Pepple to score anytime at 21/10 (bet365)
Anytime Goalscorer Trixie
1pt (Total stake) Szmodics, Ballard and Pepple anytime Trixie at 25/1 (Sky Bet)
Sometimes the docket is rife with potential and other times the bets don’t come as easily. This weekend felt like the latter.
Nothing really gripped me during the usual peruse down the traditional markets. By that I mean, goals in the Barnsley game is a little short this weekend. Swansea at Ipswich and Blackpool at Lincoln were considered at big prices but a little bit of digging quickly highlighted how silly those two picks were.
The juices didn’t get flowing until I started looking into the goalscorers.
I had a look and since I came back from a bit of time off at the start of the New Year, I’ve touted five anytime goalscorer Trixies in the column and they’ve won +15pts. Two have returned a profit and six of the 15 picks have scored.
Naturally, I’ve gone with a goalscorer Trixie this weekend.
Derby vs Blackburn
- Kick-off: Saturday, 12:30 GMT
- TV: Sky Sports+
- Live odds, form and stats
As ANYTIME GOALSCORERS go this one ticks all the boxes.
Big price, player in form and against a former employer.
Sam opens his Derby County account. 🔓 pic.twitter.com/ryQ656eoB2
— Derby County (@dcfcofficial) February 25, 2026
SAMMIE SZMODICS is 16/5 to score with BetVictor.
He opened his Derby account in midweek, finished as Ipswich’s second top goalscorer in their Premier League season and netted 27 times in his last full Championship campaign with Blackburn.
He has a career goals per 90 average of 0.37, which explains why he is as short as 2/1 in places.
Szmodics' former club Blackburn have definitely improved under Michael O'Neill but Rovers have not kept a clean sheet on the road in the league since their trip to Hillsborough at the end of December.
Leyton Orient vs Barnsley
- Kick-off: Saturday, 12:30 GMT
- TV: Sky Sports+
- Live odds, form and stats
Leyton Orient have conceded the most goals in League One (53) but in terms of goals conceded per game, opponents Barnsley top the charts (1.73).
Away from home in the league the Reds have only kept one clean sheet and that was back in August. In 15 trips on the road, nine opponents have scored two or more goals.
There’s probably a smidge of value in backing overs and both teams to score at 10/11 but I think there’s some much better value in the ANYTIME GOALSCORER market.
DOMINIC BALLARD is 6/4 to score. He’s got 16 this season, putting him within one of the league's top goalscorer, and ended a five-game dry spell in the league with a goal and assist against Northampton last weekend.
Rotherham vs Plymouth
- Kick-off: Saturday, 15:00 GMT
- Live odds, form and stats
Derek Adams returned to Plymouth as director of football on November 11.
That evening Argyle lost 1-0 to League Two’s Bristol Rovers in the EFL Trophy. It was their sixth defeat on the spin and their seventh game without a win.
Upon Adams' arrival, Plymouth were rock bottom of League One after 15 games with 13 points (W4 D1 L10). The cynical among us (me) knew what was happening, or I thought it did.
Former manager comes in upstairs, the poor form continues, Tom Cleverley is sacked and Adams then steps into the dugout to take temporary charge. Plymouth’s form improves and hey presto, he has the job on a permanent basis.
I could not have been more wrong.
It looks like Adams really did come in to help out a young, inexperienced manager and the club's patience with Cleverley has paid dividends.
If the league started when Adams arrived, Plymouth would be third. Obviously the season didn’t start in mid-November but as it stands, Saturday’s visitors to Rotherham are into the top half and begin the weekend six points off the top six.
Although their price to win is tempting, once again I think the value lies in the ANYTIME GOALSCORER market.
Plymouth’s top scorer Lorent Tolaj returned from injury to score twice last weekend, but he is now set for a further month on the sidelines.
Fortunately for the Pilgrims in his recent absence - and during a slight drop in form - ARIBIM PEPPLE has stepped up to the goalscoring mantle, scoring seven in his last eight league appearances.
Even if both strikers were fit to start together, this would be a bet. Without Tolaj, it's a real runner at 2/1.
Anytime Goalscorer Trixie
- Derby vs Blackburn: Sammie Szmodics at 5/2 (Saturday, 12:30)
- Leyton Orient vs Barnsley: Dom Ballard at 6/4 (Saturday, 12:30)
- Rotherham vs Plymouth: Aribim Pepple at 2/1 (Saturday, 15:00)
Here’s the three together paying out at exactly 25.15/1 as a Trixie with Sky Bet.
For the sake of tracking the Trixie, the price listed alongside the players just above is the price with Sky Bet. The prices on the staking plan at the top of the article are the best prices available.
Odds correct at 14:20 GMT (26/02/26)
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