Mark O'Haire best bets

Mark O'Haire's football tips, best bets and nap: December 14



Football betting tips: Weekend best bets

Saturday (15:00)

3pts Sheffield United win to nil vs Plymouth at 10/11 (William Hill)

2.5pts Wrexham win to nil vs Cambridge at 6/4 (General)

2.5pts MK Dons to beat Gillingham at 5/6 (Coral)

Sky Bet odds | Paddy Power | Betfair

https://m.skybet.com/lp/acq-bet-10-get-40-acca-affiliate?sba_promo=ACQ10G40FBACCA&aff=688&dcmp=SL_ED_FOOTBALL

Sheffield United vs Plymouth

SHEFFIELD UNITED (W13-D5-L2) top the Championship table following their 1-0 victory at Millwall in midweek.

The Blades are unbeaten since late October, winning seven of nine matches, and the league’s strongest home side now welcome the division’s weakest travellers to Bramall Lane. It’s difficult to see anything other than a comfortable home win.

Wilder
Chris Wilder's side have kept eight clean sheets in nine at home

The Blades have been formidable in front of their own fans (W8-D1-L0) keeping a staggering eight clean sheets along the way.

Chris Wilder’s men are allowing only 0.56 non-penalty expected goals (npxG) per game and are facing an Argyle outfit that’s posted W0-D2-L8 on their travels, facing 17+ shots in eight of those 10 road trips and 23+ shots in 5/10.

wayne rooney
Wayne Rooney's Plymouth are atrocious on the road

Plymouth have generated less than 0.25 xG in half of those 10 fixtures and conjured up a maximum of seven shots in seven of 10.

Wayne Rooney’s terrible traveller's have managed just three goals in that same sample with their last six showdowns away from Home Park ending in 0-5, 0-1, 0-3, 1-1, 1-6 and 0-4 score-lines.


Wrexham vs Cambridge

Wrexham's Elliot Lee
Wrexham's Elliot Lee celebrates

WREXHAM are right in the hunt for automatic promotion in League One with Phil Parkinson’s side near flawless at the Racecourse Ground.

FC Hollywood have won nine of their 10 home league outings since promotion (W9-D1-L0) conceding only four goals in front of their own fans.

They come into this clash with Cambridge having won five of their last six across all venues, conceding just once and therefore hold plenty of appeal around the 3/5 (1.60) mark but the inclusion of a clean sheet sees that price jump to a hugely appealing 6/4 generally.

Cambridge have improved since a desperately bad start, suffering just two defeats in their last nine.

But both were heavy away losses at Reading and Peterborough, and the U’s have taken just two points from eight games against top-half teams this term (W0-D2-L6) scoring four goals.

The visitors have also managed just five goals on the road all season.


MK Dons vs Gillingham

Scott Lindsey
Scott Lindsey has had a huge impact at MK Dons

MK DONS are the form team in League Two and look well worth backing TO WIN at 17/20 (1.85) quotes when they welcome Gillingham on Saturday.

They have been transformed under Scott Lindsey, winning six of eight matches – scoring 3+ goals in five of those – to propel themselves into top-three contention.

Last weekend’s trip to Barrow was postponed too, so the Dons should come into this clash reasonably fresh.

Gillingham’s positive start to the campaign has taken a nosedive of late.

They topped the table as recently as October, but have dropped to 10th having returned W2-D1-L8 in their most recent league dates.

Gillingham have picked up just two victories on their travels this term (scoring a league-low five away goals) and have generated an expected goals (xG) tally of 0.50 xG or lower in four of their last five.

Only Tranmere have created fewer big chances (xG > 0.30) on their travels with the Gills losing three of four games against top-six opposition.


Odds correct at 0830 GMT (12/12/24)

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