Tom Lee's EFL Double For Saturday
At Gambling.com, we are always looking to expand the experts on The Panel and the EFL is no different.
Tom Lee is a member of our team and will provide us with his thoughts on the Football League throughout the 2024/25 campaign.
So what does Tom have in store for this weekend?
He's checked out the best betting sites to come up with another double at odds of around 5/2.
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Tom Lee's Panel Tips For Saturday, January 18
- Tom Lee's Panel Tip 1: AFC Wimbledon To Beat Tranmere - 8/13 With William Hill
- Tom Lee's Panel Tip 2: Sheffield United To Beat Norwich - 6/5 With William Hill
AFC Wimbledon Vs Tranmere, Saturday, 3pm
This time a week ago I was busy telling you how AFC Wimbledon were one of the best bets of the weekend, only for the cold snap to claim another victim as that fixture was eventually postponed.
Fast-forward seven days, and similar comments apply. The Dons are preparing to welcome basement boys Tranmere Rovers to their impressive Plough Lane home on Saturday (ko 3pm).
A collapsing pitch earlier in the campaign, combined with the cold weather more recently, means Wimbledon have played one or two games less than the majority of sides in and around them.
Encouragingly, their current points total of 40 and league position of fifth leave them perfectly positioned to launch an assault on those rivals directly above them.
Whisper it quietly, but form team and clear leaders Walsall (currently a hefty 15 points ahead of Wimbledon) aren't completely out of sight, especially not after the blow of losing star striker Nathan Lowe.
The prolific youngster has been recalled from his loan arrangement by his parent club, Stoke.
For those ambitions to be realised, Wimbledon need to regularly rack up three points against modest opposition such as low scorers Tranmere.
The visitors have produced only 18 goals in 24 while conceding 37 in the period. They also contributed to a winner of sorts for this column last time out (the intended double morphing into a single), capitulating to a 5-1 defeat away to Walsall.
In his third season with the club, Dons boss Johnnie Jackson will be hoping they do so again, handing his ambitious and upwardly-mobile side a boost as they look for an eighth home victory of the season.
Jackson was red carded for his protests when Newport were awarded a late penalty in the December 2-2 draw at Plough Lane, but with the derby against MK Dons coming next, he'll want to ensure his troops make no mistake here.
Wimbledon really ought to have more than enough to take care of relegation battlers Tranmere, and are leg one of this weekend's double at 8/13 with William Hill.
A clear theme of the second part of the season will be key players being unavailable, either through loan recalls, injuries or suspensions.
As noted above, League 2 star act Walsall (at home to MK Dons this weekend) could feel the pinch now Lowe is absent.
Stoke City have recalled him, but they could be forgiven for lamenting the departure of the excellent Tom Cannon.
The hitman is now valued at £11m after scoring 11 goals for them, a display that has seen Leicester City haul him back to the East Midlands.
Tom Lee's Panel Tip 1: AFC Wimbledon To Beat Tranmere - 8/13 With William Hill
Sheffield United Vs Norwich, Saturday 3pm
Norwich City are another outfit who could pay the price for their goal supply being switched off.
Not recalled from a loan this time, but perhaps far worse, in fact, their crown jewel is 16-goal forward Borja Sainz.
The Spaniard is now serving the second of a six-game ban after being found guilty of spitting at Sunderland man Chris Mepham during a 2-1 defeat in the north east in December.
Without Sainz, the Canaries crashed to a 0-4 FA Cup defeat at home to an admittedly stronger opponent in Premier League side Brighton last weekend, but next up for them comes a team who themselves could soon be back rubbing shoulders with the top-flight elite.
Sheffield United have firm ambitions of heading straight back up, sitting third, level on points with Burnley and only one behind leaders Leeds.
They absolutely need to win this home game on Saturday afternoon, and with Norwich looking decidedly vulnerable, they should.
The Blades have won nine of 12 home league games so far, and clearly prioritised their title challenge by making a raft of changes when sliding out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle.
That defeat will be readily forgiven if they win here, especially with the irony that neighbours and rivals Wednesday could do them an enormous favour when they face Leeds on Sunday.
Chris Wilder's Blades look cracking value for a home win at 6/5.
Tom Lee's Panel Tip 2: Sheffield United To Beat Norwich - 6/5 With William Hill
Tom's double on AFC Wimbledon and Sheffield United to win pays around 5/2 with William Hill
