Sunday’s EFL predictions and football tips from Aaron Ashley

Best Sunday EFL bets

Matches kick off from midday Sunday

Best bets

Draw in Birmingham vs Coventry
Live on Sky Sports Main Event & Football, midday Sunday
1pt 12-5 general

Norwich
3pm Sunday
2pts 23-20 bet365, Coral, Ladbrokes

Reading
3pm Sunday
1pt 8-5 Coral

Mansfield
3pm Sunday
1pt 6-4 general

Aaron Ashley’s Sunday EFL acca

Norwich 23-20
Ipswich 13-20
Cardiff 7-10
Huddersfield 4-6
£1 acca returns £10.05 with bet365

Best EFL first goalscorer bet

Anis Mehmeti in Bristol City vs Preston
at 5-1 bet365

Having brushed aside Portsmouth 5-0 at Ashton Gate on New Year’s Day, Bristol City will be relishing a clash at home to Championship playoff rivals Preston and Anis Mehmeti could get the Robins on their way with the opening goal. The Algerian has eight goals and six assists in 25 league appearances and he has netted in two of his last three starts.

Aaron Ashley’s EFL predictions

Birmingham vs Coventry

Championship leaders Coventry are having a wobble and may be beginning to look over their shoulder after winning only two of their last seven games.

The Sky Blues remain odds-on for the title courtesy of their eight-point lead over a surging Ipswich but they were held to a 1-1 draw at Charlton on New Year’s Day, their fourth away league game without success.

Next up for Frank Lampard’s table-toppers is a trip to Birmingham, who are winless in seven following Thursday’s 3-0 defeat at Watford but tend to save their best for St Andrew’s. 

The Blues they have picked up 23 points from 12 home games this term and have drawn their last three on their own patch 1-1.

Birmingham may have to settle for a similar scoreline against the league leaders, who have shared the spoils in three successive away matches.

Norwich vs Stoke 

Norwich remain in the Championship relegation zone, but three wins in five should have the Canaries feeling much happier about their survival prospects and they can claim three more precious points at home to Stoke.

Philippe Clement’s side won 2-1 at playoff hopefuls QPR on New Year’s Day and they have won three of their last four at Carrow Road, losing only to in-form Watford.

Stoke also started 2026 with victory, eking out a 1-0 success at Hull, but they had lost four away games on the spin before their trip to the MKM Stadium and have lost on their last four trips to Carrow Road.

Reading vs Stockport 

Stockport manager Dave Challinor was left bemoaning his side’s lack of quality in a goalless draw with Northampton on New Year’s Day and the Hatters may struggle to conjure up a response at Reading.

County, who had only five shots in a below-par display at Sixfields, remain well positioned in fourth place in League One but two wins in five shows that their levels have dropped recently.

Reading have taken ten points from their last four matches to renew hopes of a playoff push and the Royals are tough to beat in Berkshire, where they have suffered only three defeats in 12 league outings.

Rotherham vs Mansfield 

A nine-game winless run featuring six straight defeats has left Rotherham precariously close to the League One relegation zone and the Millers may be bumping into Mansfield at the worst possible time.

The Stags are up to tenth after three straight victories over Barnsley, Bolton and Bradford, the first two of which came on the road, and Rotherham manager Matt Hamshaw insists he is feeling the pressure with a lack of character and spirit undermining his depleted squad. 

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