Cardiff V Reading – Pick 1 – 2 January 2012

Imperious Reading look value, but hosts Cardiff get the nod

Championship Tips

 

Cardiff V Reading

Monday, 2 January 2012 – 15:00 GMT

English Championship

Fourth meets fifth in the Championship at the Cardiff City Stadium as Cardiff host Reading, with the former hoping to complete a league double over The Royals, whom they beat 2-1 at the Madjeski in November.

Saturday’s hard-fought 1-0 victory at Nottingham Forest ended a frustrating run of three without a win for Cardiff, who return home to Wales keen to make amends for their 3-2 reverse to Middlesbrough in their last league fixture there. The latterly mentioned result ended a run of four consecutive wins for the Bluebirds, three of which were without conceding a goal.

The second half of the season is usually when Reading find their stride, so we shouldn’t be at all surprised with their current vein of form. Just the one goal was required to see off out of sorts Ipswich at the weekend, with The Royals having now won their previous four league matches without conceding a single goal.

Away from home however, Reading remain very inconsistent (W5 D2 L4) – and largely unreliable, hence why bookmakers have them as 5/2 underdogs, despite their glistening form. They don’t score many goals either, just 11, which doesn’t bode well ahead of their visit to Cardiff, whom boast one of the stronger defensive records on their own patch.

I am not convinced with Reading in this fixture; their form is outstanding but they remain a bit of an enigma on their travels.

Cardiff are formidable in their own backyard (W7 D2 L2), averaging almost two a game in Wales where top scorer Kenny Miller has netted five of his seven league goals for the term, and with that winning feeling back in their system should notch their eighth home win of the season at in-form Reading’s expense.

Betting Tip: Cardiff to WIN @ 5/4 VictorChandler

Final Score: 3:1