5 things to watch for in the EFL – Matchday 44

It’s all coming to a head in the Football League, with just a few games left for teams to secure glory… or avoid disaster. Burnley will win the Championship title with victory on Saturday against QPR, while Forest Green Rovers became the first EFL team to be relegated last week. In League Two, Leyton Orient have clinched a fantastic promotion back to the third tier.

There’s still plenty up for grabs in all three leagues. Coventry keeper Ben Wilson scored an incredible late equaliser at Blackburn in midweek to keep the Championship play-off race wide open, with just three points separating fifth and 11th place.

In League One, the top three all picked up vital wins in the week. And down in League Two, Northampton and Stevenage are on the verge of joining the O’s in promotion to the league above.

Here are five key things to watch for in the EFL this weekend.

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Cannon firing Preston’s play-off push

Preston currently sit just inside the top half of the Championship table, but incredibly could leapfrog their Lancashire rivals Blackburn Rovers into a play-off place with a win. What’s sure to be a charged derby atmosphere kicks off at 17:30 on Saturday, with North End going for a first league double over Rovers since 2018/19.

Preston have won their last three home matches and are 6/4 to get three points to boost their play-off charge. Thomas Cannon has been in brilliant form for the home side with eight goals, and the on-loan Everton striker is 14/1 to record more than three shots on target.

Blackburn have struggled on the road of late, winning just one of their last nine away league games. Jon Dahl Tomasson’s men are 9/5 to win at Deepdale for the third straight season. Rovers’ Ben Brereton Diaz tends to relish these occasions, with two goals and four assists in his last five Championship appearances against Preston – he is 13/5 to score anytime in this one.

Baggies’ rock-solid defence underpinning home form

Two other teams with play-off aspirations meet at the Hawthorns on Sunday at noon, with a big crowd expected to witness seventh-place West Brom take on ninth-place Sunderland. A win could see either team climb as high as fifth in the table.

The Baggies are in excellent form, particularly on their own patch. Carlos Corberan’s team are unbeaten in 12 league matches at home (W9 D3), with a remarkable 10 clean sheets. West Brom are 19/20 to win and 13/8 to keep another clean sheet against a Sunderland side who have lost on seven of their last eight visits to the Hawthorns.

Black Cats’ boss Tony Mowbray was in charge of 118 league matches at West Brom between 2006 and 2009, but he’s won only once against them since leaving. Sunderland are 14/5 to pick up a priceless away win.

A play-off preview on Monday night?

Could we be witnessing a dress rehearsal for the Championship play-off final on Monday night at Kenilworth Road? High-flying Luton are holding firm in third place and now face a Middlesbrough side who are the top-scorers in the division.

The Hatters have not lost at home to Boro in the league since 1974 (W3 D3). And Rob Edwards’ side are unbeaten in their last 11 games. The Hatters are 13/10 to win, and 9/5 to put the clamps on Boro’s attack with a clean sheet.

Michael Carrick’s side are 21/10 to get the away win, with Chuba Akpom looking to add to his haul of 28 goals – the Boro hitman is 5/1 to open the scoring, and 14/1 to score at least two – he’s bagged nine in his last nine.

Tractor Boys mowing down the opposition

There’s a lot at stake at London Road as Peterborough seek to hold onto their play-off place, with Bolton, Derby and Wycombe all breathing down their necks. Posh will have their work cut out against in-form Ipswich, although the home side have lost just one of their last seven at London Road and are 11/4 to stun the Tractor Boys with a win.

Ipswich scraped past Port Vale 2-1 in midweek, but are the league’s top-scorers with 87 goals from their 42 games. They are unbeaten in their last six on the road (W3 D3) and are 19/20 to win on Saturday, and 9/2 to win with four or more goals in the match.

Pools bid to keep Football League status

Hartlepool welcome Crawley to Victoria Park in a huge game in the League Two relegation battle. Just three points separates the sides ahead of kick-off, but an away win would see the Red Devils move to within a point of safety and relegate Rochdale in the process.

But Crawley have only won once on their travels this season, picking up just nine points along the way. A significant three points for Scott Lindsey’s side is priced up at 11/5, while a draw would keep their heads above water is available at 9/4.

John Askey has revitalised Hartlepool and given them hope of avoiding the drop – they’re unbeaten in their last five at home since he took over (W1 D4). And Pools have a decent record against Crawley, winning their last three of their League Two clashes, keeping clean sheets in each one. It’s 6/5 they record an important win and climb above their opponents.

With Football League status at stake and two of Crawley’s last four games ending goalless, could a 0-0 stalemate be in the offing? We’ve got that priced up at 9/1.

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