James Milton: Football predictions & free betting accumulator tips

Best bets

Newcastle to win & over 3.5 goals vs Southampton
3pm Saturday
2pts 6-4 bet365, Betfair, Paddy Power

Mansfield to beat Burton
3pm Saturday
1pt 10-11 Coral, Ladbrokes

Lyon to beat Rennes
7.45pm Sunday
1pt 21-10 general

Best Premier League bet

Newcastle vs Southampton
3pm Saturday

Championship playoff winners Southampton are committed to playing attacking football under Russell Martin but that could be a dangerous approach in Saturday's Premier League opener at Newcastle.

Only Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool scored more goals than the Magpies' 85 last term and Eddie Howe's men kicked off the 2023-24 campaign with a 5-1 rout of Aston Villa at St James' Park.

Villa went on to finish fourth but Southampton's priority is avoiding an immediate return to the second tier.

Saints conceded 63 regular-season goals in the Championship, 20 more than a Leeds side they beat in the playoff final, and Newcastle showed no mercy to last term's promoted clubs.

They scored 23 goals in six matches against Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United, who were thumped 8-0 and 5-1, and the Magpies look an appealing bet to beat Southampton in a game featuring over 3.5 goals.

Best EFL bet

Mansfield vs Burton
3pm Saturday

Mansfield won automatic promotion from a strong League Two in 2023-24 and the early signs are that the Stags should be competitive in the third tier.

They enjoyed the perfect start to the season, scoring twice in the first 18 minutes of a 2-1 victory at Barnsley, who made the playoffs last term.

Mansfield lost on penalties at Bolton in the EFL Cup on Tuesday but experienced manager Nigel Clough was encouraged by his side's 1-1 draw with the ante-post second-favourites for League One.

Clough had two long spells in charge of Saturday's visitors Burton but he will demand a ruthless display from the Stags, who lost only three of their 23 home matches in League Two last term.

Burton finished two points above the relegation zone in 2023-24, taking just one point from 12 games against the top six in the division.

Promoted Mansfield may not quite be in that bracket but they should be too slick for a Brewers side who were beaten 3-2 by Lincoln last weekend before a 4-0 home defeat to Blackpool in the cup.

Best European bet

Rennes vs Lyon
7.45pm Sunday

Lyon endured a shocking start in Ligue 1 last season but they rallied to finish sixth, qualifying for the Europa League.

Manager Pierre Sage, who replaced Fabio Grosso at the end of November, won 19 of his 28 matches in charge in all competitions and has been backed in this summer's transfer market.

Georgia striker Georges Mikautadze and Nottingham Forest pair Orel Mangala and Moussa Niakhate are among Lyon's new arrivals and exciting wingers Said Benrahma and Ernest Nuamah made their loan moves permanent.

Lyon face a testing opening trip to Rennes, where they won 1-0 shortly before Sage's appointment. 

They are a tempting price for victory, however, as they excelled away from home, winning seven of their last eight road fixtures with the exception a 4-1 defeat at champions Paris St-Germain.

Weekend accumulators

Banker
Sheffield United
The Blades have won their first two games of the campaign, scoring six goals, while Championship visitors QPR lost 3-1 at home to West Brom last weekend

Blowout
Manchester City
The Citizens won only two of their ten matches against other top-six clubs last season and will not be at full strength for their trip to Chelsea

Accumulator
Newcastle 7-20, Sheffield United 5-6, Huddersfield 8-11, Milan 7-10. £1 accumulator returns £7.27 with Hills.

Both teams to score
Games at Ipswich 7-10, West Ham 1-2, Villarreal 8-13. £1 accumulator returns £4.13 with bet365.

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