AFC Wimbledon v Walsall

The Dons meet The Sadlers on Bank Holiday Monday to find out which team will be plying their trade in League One next season.

We have the teams that finished 4th and 5th in the regular season facing off, so the two best of the rest sides, with Walsall being the leaders of the pack for the majority of the campaign.

⭐ AFC Wimbledon v Walsall Best Bets

Draw & Under 2.5 Goals @ 3.25 with bet365

Play-Off finals are usually low-scoring affairs, with six of the last 10 seeing three goals or less scored. 

Over the course of the regular season, Walsall won 1-0 away at Wimbledon, whilst the most recent meeting ended 1-1 after a late Taylor Allen equaliser.

The way these sides play, neither team particularly has much desire to dominate possession, with both sides preferring to send the ball forward quickly. We’re not expecting pretty patterns of play in this one, with both sides likely to stick rather than twist.

👕 AFC Wimbledon v Walsall Predicted Lineups

🔍 AFC Wimbledon v Walsall Players to Watch

🔵 James Tilley

➡️ James Tilley - Over 1.5 Fouls @ 2.62 with bet365 ↔️

James Tilley, perhaps better known to EFL observers as an attacking winger, has been used at right wing back in recent weeks by Johnnie Jackson, which means he has to get through plenty of defensive work. He committed two or more fouls in both legs of the play-off semi-final, and in one of the regular season games against Walsall.

Liam Gordon is likely to be his direct opponent, who was fouled twice in the most recent meetings between the two sides. He is a player who likes to maraud forward down the left.

🔴 Ryan Stirk

➡️ Ryan Stirk - Over 1.5 Fouls @ 6.0 with bet365 ↔️

I really like the look of this at 5/1, with Ryan Stirk now operating as one of two deeper midfielders for Walsall, but the more defensively minded of the two.

The price is probably the way it is because this bet has only landed in seven of Stirk’s 45 starts this season. However, this bet landed in the first leg of Walsall’s semi final against Chesterfield, and also in one of the regular season games against Wimbledon.

If the Dons' Marcus Browne picks up the ball between the lines, Stirk will be one of the players tasked with stopping him.

📂 AFC Wimbledon v Walsall Cheat Sheet

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.

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💻 AFC Wimbledon v Walsall Form and Tactics

AFC Wimbledon will stick with their 3-5-2 formation, with inverted attacking wing backs in Josh Neufville and Tilley, and a flat three in central midfield with two strikers. 

They’re a threat from set pieces, with Riley Harbottle an aerial threat from corners and free kicks, and also possessing a long throw. Marcus Browne is the danger man, able to get in behind defences when there is space, and Matty Stevens is an experienced poacher type at this level.

Walsall seemed to find an effective way to play against Chesterfield despite their poor form to end the season. They played with a box midfield and a lone striker in Jamille Matt, with George Hall a bundle of energy in behind him, buzzing around trying to latch on to the knockdowns. Left centre back Taylor Allen is a dead ball specialist.

🏁 AFC Wimbledon v Walsall Ref Watch

• Referee: Will Finnie

• Stats are on a per game basis and are taken from 2024/25 games in all competitions (34 total)

Football Predictions at Andy's Bet Club

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

* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.