Chesterfield v Walsall

The second of two League Two play-off semi-finals in the East Midlands this weekend will see Chesterfield hosting Walsall.

Walsall squandered a 15-point gap to 4th place when league leaders in January, while a late surge from Chesterfield saw them sneak into 7th on the final day.

⭐ Chesterfield v Walsall Best Bet

➡️ Chesterfield to Win with bet365 @ 2.10

The Spireites come into the game in fantastic form, the best side in the league over the last 12 games, with just one defeat in that time period. 

The Saddlers must arrive with their confidence on the floor having ended up in the play-offs from such a strong position. That was compounded on final day, when they won for the first time in 14 games, but still missed out on automatic promotion thanks to 97th minute winning goal for Bradford City. They had started to celebrate on the pitch at Crewe. 

But they still won the game, so that may have given them a boost? Possibly, but that win came against one of the three teams in worse form than them over that 14-game period. Chesterfield have beaten Doncaster, Notts County, Salford and Bromley, and drawn with Port Vale, Bradford, AFC Wimbledon and Grimsby. They should be odds-on for this game in our opinion.

👕 Chesterfield v Walsall Predicted XI

🔍 Chesterfield v Walsall Players to Watch

🔵 Tom Naylor

Tom Naylor will likely start this game in midfield for Chesterfield, where he is given license to get into the opposition box and get on the end of crosses. He has taken two or more shots in 11 of 37 starts this season, but quite a lot of those starts in the first half of the season were when Naylor was operating as a centre back due to injuries.

As a midfielder, Naylor has had a shot in 12 of 20 starts, and two or more in 8 of those 12. The odds on offer are 3/1, which suggests a 25% chance, so we think there is value in that price when this has happened 40% of the time.

bet365 are best price on the market for this selection, while we benefit from Sub On Play On and will get a void if, as a surprise, Naylor doesn't start.

➡️ Tom Naylor - Over 1.5 Shots with bet365 @ 4.0 ↔️

🔴 George Hall

Birmingham City loanee George Hall has only recently broken into the Walsall first team, but he staked his claim for a play-off place with the winning goal at Crewe on the final day of the season.

Hall played in a role behind the two strikers, and registered five shots, three of which were on target. He has only started seven games, but has taken a shot in five of those, with shots on target in two of tthem. This new advanced role means he is likely to get more chances to hit the target, and the price of 3.25 for an attacking midfielder appeals.

➡️ George Hall - Over 0.5 Shots on Target with bet365 @ 3.25 ↔️

📂 Chesterfield v Walsall Cheat Sheet

The next few weeks we'll be all over the EFL play-offs, with our expert Football Betting Predictions diving into all the action. Make sure to check out our EFL Betting Tips so you don’t miss any of our coverage.

Across Sunday's footballing action, we'll be offering European Football Accumulator Tips and a Match Result + BTTS Acca, as well as our Quick Tip coverage of Man United v West Ham, Tottenham v Crystal Palace, and Bayer Leverkusen v Dortmund.

Be sure to check out our Bet Builder Stats tool too, the best freely available data source for punting on football, plus our collection of the best Free Bet Offers.

💻 Chesterfield v Walsall Form and Tactics

Paul Cook is one of the most experienced managers in the EFL, so it may be a surprise to learn that this is just the second play-off campaign he has taken part in, in the Football League, the first being with Chesterfield in his first spell 10 years ago. They lost in the semi-finals then, and lost the National League play-off final to Notts County two seasons ago.

Cook likes to play a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 formation, with freedom given to the full backs to get forward, and the wide players to roam from their flank. Will Grigg will be the most recognisable name, still on fire in the EFL at the age of 33, with 12 goals this season. They are a patient side who will probe for openings.

Walsall coach Mat Sadler, after performing excellently in the first half of the campaign, is now under heavy pressure to arrest the collapse his side have suffered in 2025, which coincided with the loan recall of Nathan Lowe, who had scored 15 goals in 22 league games before returning to Stoke.

They have chopped and changed their set up trying to find a way to win, but more often than not they operate with a back three and wing backs, with either two attacking midfielders behind a lone striker, or one number 10 in behind a couple of front men. They are happy for the opposition to dominate the ball, and like to get it forward quickly when they win possession.

🏁 Chesterfield v Walsall Ref Watch

• Referee: Martin Coy

• Stats are on a per 90 basis and are taken from 2024/25 League Two games (11 total)

Football Predictions at Andy's Bet Club

Check out the best Chesterfield v Walsall Betting Stats ahead of kick-off.

We recommend the Best Betting Sites For Accumulators, Top Bet Builder Sites, and Weekly Free Bet Clubs, all to ensure you bet smarter when backing our tips with the Best UK Sports Betting Sites. There's a list of the best New Bookmaker Offers here.

Expert guides, such as this one, on xG In Football, are also available to help you up your punting game. To back the bets in this preview, it's worth taking advantage of this bet365 Sign Up Offer.

* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.

* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.