The Panel's EFL Tips: Tom Lee's Championship & League Two Double For Game Week 2

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The Panel's EFL Tips: Tom Lee's Championship & League Two Double For Game Week 2

At Gambling.com, we are always looking to expand the experts on the Panel and the EFL is no different. 

We welcome Tom Lee who will be giving us his thoughts on the Football League throughout the 2024/25 campaign.

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The Panel's Tips For This Weekend

Flush with funds after last Saturday's opening weekend double delight, we'll dive straight back in to find more of the same on game week two of the EFL season with football betting sites.

Looking back to the opening day, Paudie O'Connor was the man to thank for putting cash in our pockets after his captain's performance yielded a brace of goals for the defender, including an 87th minute header to seal victory for Lincoln City in a see-saw game at Burton.

Next up, the Imps face Barnsley at Sincil Bank this weekend and although tempted to put them in the double at odds of 11/10, I sense there are two stronger candidates to keep the ball rolling and maintain this column's 100% strike-rate.

Burnley, Swansea City, Mansfield Town and Doncaster Rovers all nearly made the cut, but the two sides I'll be rooting for look like this:

Sheffield United Vs QPR, Saturday 3.00pm

Relegated from the Premier League in May, Sheffield United are fancied to make an immediate return to the top flight this season.

They did their credentials no harm whatsoever with a slick opening 2-0 win at Preston on Friday night.

It was a performance which within less than 72 hours contributed to PNE boss Ryan Lowe leaving his role by supposed 'mutual consent'.

Moreover, the way the Blades have gone about their transfer dealings this summer has been impressive, fetching big money for departing Cam Archer and Jayden Bogle, while simultaneously assembling a group of players who look ideally suited to the demands of the second tier.

Already trimmed to 12/1 from 16/1 to win the league this season, they can take another step in the right direction by sending QPR packing empty handed from Bramall Lane on Saturday afternoon.

Rangers went 1-0 ahead against West Brom in their opener, but had no answer as the Baggies' Josh Maja thumped a hat-trick to leave them pointless and already displaying a negative goal difference.

It could be another tricky day at the office for the Hoops, who lest we forget scored fewer goals than only Rotherham, Sheffield Wednesday and Millwall last season.

Depending on where you shop around, odds of 4/5 with the betting sites make Chris Wilder's Blades a confident pick for leg one of the EFL weekend double.

Tom Lee's Panel Tip 1: Sheffield United To Beat QPR - 4/5 With Betfred

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Bradford City Vs Salford City, Saturday 3.00pm 

For leg two we'll drop two levels into League Two, where turbulence doesn't seem to be in short supply at struggling Salford City.

No more investment from businessman Peter Lim, key figure and top scorer Matt Smith allowed to leave, issues with training facilities, plus a feeble 2-0 opening day defeat at home to Port Vale mean it promises to be a tough season ahead.

A miserable 20th place finish to show for last season, Salford at least scored 66 times, but 25 of those came from veteran Smith, who has been allowed to go and is currently without a club.

With all that in mind, a trip to buoyant Bradford City perhaps isn't the game they'd have wished for, but that's what's coming headlong down the tracks at 3pm on Saturday.

Ninth and only two points adrift of the play-offs in May, the Bantams finished with a flourish (five wins on the bounce) and picked up where they left off in game week one of the new season with a 2-1 away victory against MK Dons.

Just like Sheffield United, they'll want to make their first home league fixture a winning one, and at identical odds of 4/5 with betting apps they're the second selection for the double.

Tom Lee's Panel Tip 2: Bradford City To Beat Salford City - 4/5 With Coral

Summary: the Sheffield United/Bradford win double is in the region of 9/4.

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