Tom Lee's EFL Double For New Year's Day
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 be giving us his thoughts on the Football League throughout the 2024/25 campaign.
So what does Tom have in store for the fixtures on New Year's Day?
He's checked out the best betting sites to come up with another double at odds of around 4/1.
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Tom Lee's Panel Tips For Wednesday, January 1:
- Tom Lee's Panel Tip 1: Walsall To Win At Notts County - 8/5 With Betfred
- Tom Lee's Panel Tip 2: Bristol City To Win At Plymouth - 10/11 With Ladbrokes
Notts County Vs Walsall, Wednesday, January 1
A 4/1 away day double would be just the ticket to welcome in 2025, setting the tone for what with any luck will be a healthy, successful and prosperous new year.
In a bid to begin on a winning note it's to the top of League Two we start, where the first game of the new year at Meadow Lane sees second-placed Notts County welcoming leaders Walsall.
Clear by 12 points and with an outstanding goal difference of +22, Walsall have been doing almost everything right in recent weeks, including a 3-2 ding-dong encounter with County at the Bescot back on December 3.
Since then, the Saddlers have been enjoying themselves more than most, winning their five subsequent league fixtures by an aggregate score of 8-0.
Key to that has been a settled defence, with keeper Tommy Simkin excelling on loan from Stoke City, while getting quality defensive cover from Ireland youth international David Okagbue, fellow youngster Harry Williams plus local lad Taylor Allen.
The theme of fearless young players has also been continued higher up the pitch, as another Stoke loanee, striker Nathan Lowe, continues to catch the eye with his goal output continuing to flow.
His 12th and 13th of the league campaign were enough to secure Sunday's bloodless 2-0 triumph at home to Newport, a result that came only 72 hours after Doncaster were also tamed by the same scoreline.
Perhaps the one real threat for Walsall fans and backers as the calendar moves into 2025 is the possible disappearance of Lowe several junctions along the M6.
Stoke City, managerless at the time of writing, must surely be considering recalling him from his loan, such has been the strong impression made.
For now though, the goals keep flowing and Lowe will want to add to his burgeoning reputation on this trip to the East Midlands.
Notts County, level on 37 points with Doncaster, Port Vale and Grimsby, but nominally ahead courtesy of superior goal difference, are a fair team and won 5-3 at Cheltenham on Sunday.
Walsall though look the clear pick in this section and can ease even further clear by taking all three points and inflicting a third home defeat of the season on the hosts.
Walsall are priced at 8/5 for the away win on football betting sites.
Tom Lee's Panel Tip 1: Walsall To Win At Notts County - 8/5 With Betfred
Plymouth Vs Bristol City, Wednesday, January 1
Where to look for leg two as we try to kickstart the year with another successful EFL double?
From the top of League Two to the foot of the Championship, things aren't going entirely to plan for Plymouth Argyle, who parted company with Wayne Rooney on New Year's Eve.
The South Devon men are bottom of the table with just 18 points on the board from 23 games.
On current evidence, it's hard to believe this is the same Argyle who in the heady days of autumn got home wins against Sunderland, Luton and Blackburn.
Injuries to key men Ibrahim Cissoko, Joe Edwards, Muhamed Tijani, Lewis Gibson and Morgan Whittaker haven't helped, but even with the latter two back in the side their form has nosedived.
Combine this alarming dip on the pitch with off-field rumours of spats, bust-ups, indiscipline and poor behaviour from various key personnel, and it's reasonable to suggest the side with the Mayflower logo on its badge isn't currently a happy ship.
Travelling supporters jeered boss Wayne Rooney after defeat at Oxford on Sunday, which turned out to be the manager's last game in charge.
The fixture computer has been less than friendly for their first encounter of 2025, serving up their nearest geographical rivals in the division, in-form Bristol City, for what looks on paper an extremely tough assignment.
Combine Argyle's poor recent form, their 3-3 home thriller against Middlesbrough notwithstanding, with Liam Manning's impressive visitors.
Bristol City ran rings around Plymouth when thrashing them 4-0 in late November, since when they've been in reasonable form, sharing the points with Sunderland and QPR, prior to this week's back-to-back home victories over Luton and Portsmouth.
Away from home they're a handful as well, securing road-trip victories already this campaign at the likes of Middlesbrough, Preston and Norwich.
A Bristol City victory is available at 10/11 on betting apps.
Tom Lee's Panel Tip 2: Bristol City To Win At Plymouth - 10/11 With Ladbrokes
Tom's double on Walsall and Bristol City to win pays around 4/1 with William Hill
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