LUTON TOWN vs LEEDS UNITED
Saturday 23rd November 1500hrs
Football – England – Championship
Pick Leeds United Win to Nil
Bookmaker Bet365
Odds: 2.62 (odds taken 15:03 GMT, 21 November )
Luton Town and Leeds United meet in a league clash for the first time since the 2007/8 season, with the two clubs in League One during that campaign and it was Leeds that won by a single goal at Elland Road before there was a 1-1 draw at Kenilworth Road.
A lot has changed since that campaign, with Luton having actually dropped out of the Football League before the Bedfordshire club were able to come roaring back, while Leeds have spent much of the past ten years trying to find the right formula which will see them finally get back into the Premier League.
Championship Betting at Unibet
Luton Town Prediction – Hatters Struggling at Foot of Championship
Luton were dealt a blow before they had even cemented promotion due to the fact that manager Nathan Jones decided to further his ambition by leaving Kenilworth Road and taking the Stoke City job. The Welshman left with the club’s blessing although things have gone awry in Staffordshire and some supporters will now be wanting him back in Bedfordshire.
Since then, Graeme Jones has taken charge of the Hatters and he’s trying to continue his namesake’s ways which includes playing free-flowing football and that was in evidence when the team played out a 3-3 draw against Middlesbrough in their opening game of the season.
There were also consecutive wins over Barnsley and Huddersfield earlier in the season, although eight of the previous eleven matches have seen Luton been defeated and it’s a worrying sign for the squad as they head towards the festive fixtures. Town are propped up just above the drop zone
Since beating Bristol City, there have been four successive defeats against Fulham, Birmingham, Nottingham Forest and Reading, with Jones hoping to improve matters during the international break although this is as tough an assignment as the team could hope to have.
Striker James Collins had six goals on the board by the end of September but has drawn a blank in his previous nine encounters, while there’s a reason why the likes of Callum McManaman and Jacob Butterfield have been allowed to leave other Championship clubs.
Leeds United Prediction – Whites Big Favourites to Win Clash
It remains to be seen whether Leeds United finally land promotion during the 2019/20 Championship season although they continue to be strong favourites on the outright market and are clearly in the mix when it comes to going up to the Premier League this season.
Marcelo Bielsa has decided to remain at Elland Road and the Chilean has steered Leeds to third in the Championship table, with the Yorkshire club level on points with second-placed Preston North End and just two points behind a West Brom side who also have the bit between their teeth.
The Whites are clearly proving hard to beat this season and have tasted defeat in just three of their sixteen encounters. The big issue for them has been a failure to put teams to the sword, with Leeds often letting a lead slip from their fingers and that accounts for the fact that four of their matches have been drawn.
However, 31 points is a pretty healthy return from 16 games played, with Leeds having won 50% of their matches on the road and a more telling stat is the fact that they have only conceded five times in eight away matches.
Leeds have kept two clean sheets in their past three matches and they are currently enjoying an unbeaten run of five games, with Patrick Bamford continuing to be the preferred option in attack and the striker found the net in his most recent game against Blackburn.
Jack Harrison has also found the net in consecutive games, with Luke Ayling, Liam Cooper and Kalvin Phillips among the players who came agonisingly close last season in their quest to land promotion.
Key-Facts – Luton Town v Leeds United
- Luton Town have lost their past four matches
- Striker James Collins has failed to score in nine matches
- Leeds United are unbeaten in five matches
Betting Tips Verdict
Leeds United are arguably the best team in the Championship and you have to argue that Luton Town are probably among the worst. The Hatters were always destined for a season of struggle and this doesn’t appear the best time to be facing a Whites team who will want to keep their foot on the gas in their quest for an automatic promotion spot.
The Hatters might adopt more defensive tactics than normal and that could see Leeds United win the game and also keep a clean sheet. They are robust at the back and won’t want to give the home side any clear openings, with the midfield players expected to dominate the game.
