ASTON VILLA v DERBY COUNTY
Championship
Saturday 2nd March 2019
Kickoff: 1500hrs
Pick: Both teams to score
Bookmaker: Marathonbet
Odds: 1.69 (odds taken at 04:21 GMT, 02 Mar 2019)
We drop down into the Championship for our next two picks, starting with Aston Villa playing host to Derby County as the betting tips continue in the Championship with both teams needing all three points in order to kick-start their respective seasons.
Championship Betting at Marathonbet
Aston Villa Prediction
Starting with Aston Villa first, and Dean Smith’s side dropped down to 13th place in the Championship following a fifth match on the trot without a win for the west midlands club after they drew 1-1 away at Stoke City last weekend.
Villa are now five points behind fierce rivals, Birmingham City and eight points adrift of the play-off pack as a top six finish is starting to look beyond the hosts ahead of this important clash against Derby County at Villa Park, with their last win being a 2-1 home win over bottom club Ipswich Town back at the end of January.
Indeed, Aston Villa have managed just one win from their last 10 matches overall in the second tier, and manager Smith may well be sweating on the outcome of today’s encounter with Derby as managers have been sacked for less in this game.
Although Villa have always been hard to beat at Villa Park, the hosts lost last time out in the west midlands clash against West Brom in a recent 2-0 loss which has edged Smith nearer to the chopping block. Failure to win today could see the end of Smith’s reign at Villa Park.
- Aston Villa have won just 1 of their last 10 league matches in the Championship
- Derby County have won just 1 of their last 6 away matches
- Derby County have not won any of their last 4 away matches
Derby County Prediction
Derby County are another side whose season seems to have ground to a halt as the Rams have suffered back-to-back defeats to Millwall and most hurtful of all, a 1-0 loss away at Nottingham Forest in the east midlands derby on Monday night.
Frank Lampard’s side still continue to hover on the fringes of the play-off pack but just can’t seem to break into the top six as they’ve now won just once out of their last five matches in the second tier.
Derby’s sole win during this recent five-match period was a 2-0 home win over Hull City, but draws at Preston North End and Ipswich Town have slowed down the visitors’ progress as well as the recent losses too.
Derby have also lost at Pride Park on just three occasions, but it’s been their inconsistent results away from home that have cost them ground in their bid to claim a play-off spot; just one win from their last six matches on their travels emphasises the problems they’ve had, but Lampard will be scratching his head and wondering how his side can record a 4-3 win at Norwich City and then promptly lose at Leeds United and Nottingham Forest.
Betting Tips Verdict
Both teams are in scratchy form right now, so both teams to score looks the best option here.
