EFL BETTING INSIGHTS: THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS WEEK'S FIXTURES 

Another set of EFL fixtures has come to an end, with several results worth looking at ahead of this weekend's matches.

West Ham recorded a 6-0 win against Lincoln City; Oxford continued their strong away form in League One with a 2-1 away win against Notts County, while Bristol Rovers suffered another defeat in League Two.

Here are three betting trends from the latest EFL fixtures that caught my attention.

ARE CHAMPIONSHIP GOAL MARKETS WORTH BACKING?

There were 45 goals across the 12 Championship matches played on Tuesday and Wednesday, an average of 3.75 per game. Nine fixtures produced Over 2.5 Goals.

West Ham beat Lincoln 6-0, Cardiff secured a 5-1 win against Watford and Birmingham managed to overcome Preston 4-0. QPR also impressed in front of goal, beating Derby 4-1 at Loftus Road.

However, West Ham's result needs some context. Lincoln had two players sent off inside the opening 23 minutes, which made things considerably easier for the visitors.

There were also three games with fewer than three goals, including Swansea's 1-0 win at Millwall and Southampton's 1-0 win against Norwich.

Over 2.5 Goals landed in 75% of the midweek Championship fixtures. That's a strong return, but I wouldn't expect it to continue every week. One round of matches is a small sample, especially with a 6-0 and a 5-1 included.

I'd rather focus on individual teams than back goals across the division. Cardiff and QPR both scored at least four, but their previous quality in attack matters more than just one result.

The defensive form of their next opponents is just as important. There may be value in Over 2.5 Goals when two attacking teams meet, although I'd want a decent price rather than backing it simply because of this week's results.

IS HOME ADVANTAGE BECOMING MORE IMPORTANT IN LEAGUE ONE?

Home advantage hasn't counted for much in League One so far, although Saturday's results were slightly different.

There were six home wins, four away wins and two draws across the 12 fixtures.

Oxford beat Notts County 2-1 away from home, Luton won 4-1 at Wycombe and Reading secured a 5-1 win against MK Dons. Peterborough also won on the road, beating Leicester 3-1.

All four teams which won away from home scored at least twice, but there were good results for home teams too. Stockport beat Barnsley 3-1, while Mansfield defeated Bromley 2-1.

Earlier in the season, home sides won just 35% of the opening 87 League One matches. That figure was 50% on Saturday.

Despite those results, I'm still not convinced home advantage is making much difference across the division. A single weekend doesn't change what we've seen over a larger number of games.

Oxford are one team I'd continue following away from home. They've started well and look capable of causing problems for most sides in League One.

I wouldn't back an away team purely because of the overall statistics. Recent performances and opposition are more important.

Oxford are certainly a team I'd consider backing away from home, although it would depend on the opposition and odds available.

SHOULD PUNTERS CONTINUE TO OPPOSE BRISTOL ROVERS?

I questioned Bristol Rovers in last week's article, and their latest defeat hasn't changed my opinion.

Rovers lost 3-1 at home to Barnet on Saturday despite taking the lead through Ellis Harrison after four minutes. Barnet equalised in the 79th minute before scoring two late on.

That followed a 3-1 defeat away at Crewe, meaning Rovers have conceded six goals in their last two league games.

They won five of their opening nine matches but lost the other four. Saturday's result means they've now lost five of their first ten. Rovers started the season well, but five defeats in ten matches is hardly promotion form.

Both of their last two games finished 3-1, so Over 2.5 Goals and Both Teams to Score landed on each occasion. Two matches aren't enough to establish a reliable trend, but conceding three goals twice in that amount of time is a concern.

I also wonder whether bookmakers are still giving Rovers too much credit for their early wins. They've shown they can score, but their recent defending makes them difficult to back.

Rovers travel to Shrewsbury on Saturday, and I'd be reluctant to back them at short odds. I'd rather look at going against them or backing goals.