Reading vs Luton
26th December 1500hrs
Football – England – Championship
Pick Reading To Win
Bookmaker William Hill
Odds: 21/20 odds taken 0300 GMT Thursday 24th December
The Royals have been struggling with their home form recently. But they may fancy their chances of getting back on track on the weekend.
They are playing host to Luton who have been having some real problems putting the ball in the bag of the net in their last handful of games.
Can Reading make the most of this opportunity and pick up three points to keep them well in touch with the top-six?
Table of Contents
Reading Preview – A good opportunity for the Royals
It has been a W6 L4 record that Reading have produced on home soil in this season’s Championship.
They have lost their last two at the Madejski however, going down against Birmingham and Norwich.
Both of those losses were by a 2-1 scoreline.
But despite the defeats, Reading continues to hit the back of the net, having scored in each of their last nine league fixtures.
The Royals are running at 21/20 to collect the victory in this one* (odds taken 0300 GMT Thursday 24th December).
They have won three of their last four home games against Luton.
Reading have scored at least three goals in each of those victories over the Hatters.
Before we go deeper into football betting for this one, we do need to examine Reading’s home form in a little more detail.
They have lost four of their last six at the Madejski in the second tier. However, two of their last three have been against teams above them in the table currently.
Five of the six home wins that they have recorded this season have been with a clean sheet.
Reading to win to nil is at 12/5* (odds taken 0300 GMT Thursday 24th December).
Despite some recent wobbles on home turf Reading are in the top six for best home records currently in the Championship.
There are only three teams who have scored more goals than the Royals have done in the league this season also.
Of the 14 goals that they have scored this season on home turf, 10 of them have been in the second half of games.
So they have been consistently a bigger threat in the second half of matches for the campaign at the Madejski.
Luton Preview – Can find Luton find their scoring touch?
The hatters have only lost one of their last four league games, but it has been one win in their last five only.
The last two league wins that Luton have recorded have both been on home soil.
Out on the road, Luton are winless in five league fixtures now. They have lost three of their last four.
So they are having some struggles at the moment. It’s enough to leave them as reasonable 11/4 underdogs in the match outright* (odds taken 0300 GMT Thursday 24th December).
Worryingly for them see the lack of goals that has beset them recently.
Luton have failed to score in five of their last seven league games, home and away.
It is a four-match scoreless streak of matches that they are currently on away from home in the division.
In total from their W3 D2 L5 away record this season, Luton have tallied just four away goals.
So that really is where their challenge at the Madejski on the weekend is most likely to fall down.
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Luton have played five away games at teams currently in the top half of the table.
From that sequence of matches, they have produced just a D1 L4 record, failing to score in any of the defaults in that run.
Luton are actually not that bad in defence, taking a clean sheet in 40% of road games and averaging just over a goal per game against.
But it’s whether or not they can pack enough of a punch going forward to make an impact.
Five of the seven losses that Luton have taken this season in the league have been by a margin of at least two goals.
Reading vs Luton Betting Advice
We think that Reading can shake off some shaky home form to come up with three points in this fixture.
They are hitting the back of the net consistently and that means we think that they find a way past a low-scoring Luton.
The Reading to win to nil option looks a good thing to play for her at 12/5* (odds taken 0300 GMT Thursday 24th December).
Key Facts – Reading vs Luton Betting Tip
- Reading are only one of four teams to hit the 30-goal mark in the Championship this season
- Reading are W6 L4 at home in this campaign
- Luton have failed to score in their last four league away games
There is just good enough odds of 21/20 in the match outright on the home win to really side with* (odds taken 0300 GMT Thursday 24th December).
Luton are just not bringing their scoring boots to the party at the moment and have failed to net in their last four road games.
So that’s why we think that the Hatters are going to leave the Madejski empty-handed.
The best betting odds for Reading vs Luton
Reading to win: 21/20 at Bet365
Draw: 9/4 at Bet365
Luton to win: 11/4 at Bet365
