Charlton vs Shrewsbury Predictions, Betting Tips and Match Previews

Despite taking the lead away at Sunderland in League One’s opening fixture, the Addicks left the Stadium of Light empty handed. After that loss, Lee Bowyer’s men will be hoping to earn their first win of the season when they welcome Shrewsbury, who also lost last weekend, to The Valley on Saturday afternoon.

An opening fixture away at one of the teams relegated from the Championship was never going to be easy, so Charlton may not have been too disappointed last weekend. Then again, considering that they held the lead until well into the second half, coupled with the fact that their opponents scored the winner in the sixth minute of stoppage time, they probably didn’t feel great leaving the pitch at the Stadium of Light.

After the disappointment of losing on the road last weekend, the Addicks will be keen to return to their home ground, where they lost just six of their 23 matches last season. One of those six defeats came against Shrewsbury, though having seen how the Shrews got on last Saturday, Lee Bowyer’s men ought to fancy their chances.

Shrewsbury also lost on the opening day, as they came off second best against a Bradford side who impressed going forward, though the Shrews weren’t without chances. John Askey’s hit the frame of the goal, while they came close on other occasions too. It’s probably fair to say that their performance at New Meadow last Saturday warranted a goal, but they could also have conceded more, such was the level of their defensive play.

Last season, Shrewsbury were one of the hardest teams to break down; they were compact, disciplined and excellent at nullifying their opponents, though there was little evidence of those characteristics when they engaged in something of an open encounter last time out. It’s still early days, but already it seems that the Shrews may struggle to repeat their 17/18 antics, at least defensively, so the approach could well change.

From a betting point of view, it’s easy to fancy the hosts to do well. Shrewsbury didn’t cover themselves in defensive glory last weekend, while Charlton didn’t play badly, considering they were away against the title-favourites. New signing Lyle Taylor, who adds plenty of quality up top, scored his first goal of the season, and if the Addicks can provide the forward with service against a visiting back-line that looked weak last time out, then it shouldn’t be long before he adds to his tally.

Backing both ‘Charlton to Score Over 1.5 Goals’, alongside the Addicks’ new centre-forward to maintain his 100% record, makes plenty of sense at the prices.