STAR FOOTBALL PREVIEW: EFL Weekend Betting Tips – 23–24 October

The EFL gets underway on Friday night with a fixture under the lights between Bolton and Middlesbrough. Louie Truman picks out his best bets across all three divisions, including a standout 4/1 fancy at Turf Moor.

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CHAMPIONSHIP

Bolton Wanderers welcome Middlesbrough to the Toughsheet Community Stadium on Friday night, and I think both teams to score looks like a good option.

Steven Schumacher’s side have settled back into the Championship fairly well, sitting 15th after 11 matches. Bolton have lost just once in their last five league games, with wins over Wolves and Norwich.

The Wanderers have shown they can cause problems going forward, scoring nine goals in their previous four matches before last weekend’s goalless draw against Southampton. However, keeping goals out has been an issue, with Bolton already conceding 18 times in the league this season.

Middlesbrough have made an excellent start to the season. Kim Hellberg’s side sit third in the table, just a point behind league leaders Swansea City, and have suffered only one league defeat.

Boro have found the back of the net in all 11 Championship matches, with Will Lankshear enjoying an excellent start to the season. The striker has already scored nine league goals and he will fancy his chances against a Bolton defence that has struggled for clean sheets.

However, Middlesbrough have not exactly been convincing defensively themselves. They have conceded in six of their last seven league games, while both teams have scored in nine of their 11 Championship games.

I can see Bolton causing the visitors problems, particularly with home advantage, but Middlesbrough have enough attacking quality to get on the scoresheet themselves. Star Sports are currently offering 4/7 on both teams to score, which is a short price, but I think it’s a solid selection to include in your doubles and trebles.

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LEAGUE ONE

Huddersfield welcome Wigan to the John Smith’s Stadium on Saturday, with the hosts looking to build on their recent momentum.

Huddersfield are sitting second with 22 points from 11 matches. Martin Drury’s side have won three of their last five, and remain unbeaten at home this season, with three wins and two draws.

The Terriers have also been excellent in front of goal, scoring 22 times in their opening 11 matches. They have conceded just 10 goals during that run, giving them one of the strongest defensive records in the league.

Wigan have had a difficult start to the campaign. The Latics currently sit bottom of the table with just seven points. Going forward has been a problem for Gary Caldwell’s side, with Wigan finding the back of the net just seven times.

Huddersfield have enough quality to cause Wigan plenty of problems, particularly given their impressive home record. The visitors have struggled at both ends of the pitch, and I can’t see them getting much from this one. Huddersfield to win to nil is the bet for me. Star Sports are offering this selection at 11/8.

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LEAGUE TWO

Northampton Town will be hoping to move out of the relegation zone when they host Colchester United. It’s been a disappointing start to the season for Northampton, who currently sit 23rd in the table with just 10 points.

The Cobblers have struggled in front of goal, scoring just six times in the league this season. They secured an impressive 2-0 win away at Grimsby Town last weekend, but followed that up with a 1-0 defeat against Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday night.

Colchester have not enjoyed the best start themselves, with the U’s currently sitting 19th in League Two. They’ve won just two of their opening 11 matches and are without a win in their previous seven league fixtures.

However, Colchester have proved difficult to beat in recent weeks, drawing five of those seven matches. Their latest result was a 1-1 draw against Chesterfield on Tuesday night.

Northampton’s lack of goals is a concern heading into this fixture. The Cobblers have scored just six times in 10 league matches, while nine of those games have finished with under 2.5 goals.

Colchester have not been particularly convincing away from home, but I think they have a decent chance of picking up all three points against a Northampton side struggling for confidence.

I would not be surprised to see this decided by a single goal, and given Northampton’s poor attacking record, I’m happy to take a chance on the visitors keeping a clean sheet.

Star Sports are currently offering 19/4 on Colchester to win to nil, and I think there’s enough value to make it worth backing.

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RECOMMENDED BETS
BACK Bolton & Middlesbrough BTTS 1pt at 4/7 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

BACK Huddersfield win to nil 1pt at 11/8 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

BACK Colchester win to nil 1pt at 19/4 (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

BACK Weekend Accumulator: Bolton & Middlesbrough BTTS, Huddersfield win to nil, Colchester win to nil 0.5pt at 25/1 [boosted from 20/1] (⭐ ? CLICK TO BET NOW)

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PROFIT/LOSS (OCTOBER 2026): -20.67 points

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