HUDDERSFIELD TOWN v READING
Monday 29th May 2017 – Kickoff: 1500hrs
Football – England – Championship Betting Tips
Monday afternoon brings us the ‘richest game in football’ in the Championship season finale as Huddersfield town and Reading both look to join already-promoted Newcastle United and Brighton into the Premier League in a match that is reported to be worth around 290 million pounds.
The new TV deals surrounding the English top flight therefore brings even more pressure into this play-off final between two teams that were widely rated as ‘underdogs’ prior to the Championship semi-final play-offs, as Fulham and Sheffield Wednesday were both expected to reach the final.
Indeed, it’s interesting to note that three of the four teams that participated in the play-offs at the end of this Championship season (Reading, Huddersfield Town and Fulham) were in the bottom eight of the division at the end of last season’s campaign, such is the volatility of the Championship!
Taking a look at Huddersfield Town first, and The Terriers confounded their critics by finishing the regular season in fifth position and grabbing a play-off place ahead of their heavily fancied Yorkshire rivals, Leeds United, who tailed off in dramatic fashion, while Huddersfield just kept going.
Huddersfield were roundly criticised for fielding a perceived ‘weaker’ side against relegation threatened Birmingham City in their penultimate game of the season and against Cardiff City on the final day, as they lost both matches 2-0 and 3-0 respectively.
However, The Terriers duly bounced back against another Yorkshire club, Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off semi-finals as they emerged victorious over two legs, but not before having to endure the agony of a penalty shoot-out against The Owls.
Onto Reading, and The Royals enjoyed a fantastic season in the Championship under the guidance of former Manchester United defender, Jaap Stam, who has transformed the Berkshire outfit into a team that is very hard to beat.
Reading finished in third place but eight points behind runners-up Brighton at the end of the regular season, but they come into this ‘winner takes all’ match on the back of a six game unbeaten run which includes seeing off free-scoring Fulham in the play-off semi-finals.
Indeed, with the fact that they were able to contain an attacking, free-scoring Fulham outfit over two legs suggests that Reading stand a very good chance of gaining the ultimate prize here, but I’m expecting a tight and nervous affair this afternoon which could be decided by just a single goal.
Pick: Under 2.5 goals @ 1.62 Unibet
