Championship Tips & Odds – 8th December 2018
There is no early kick-off in the Championship on Saturday, but the day will round off with an interesting game at the Madejski. Reading v Sheffield United is the final match of the day and it will see the Royals trying to earn points to drag themselves away from the drop zone. Before all of that, there is a host of mid-afternoon kickoffs.
Here are our Championship prediction and tips for Saturday, December 8th and these are all 3.00 pm kickoffs.
Leeds v QPR
Leeds are sitting in second place in the Championship heading into the weekend. That’s thanks to a three-match winning streak that they have put together, including a great road victory out at Sheffield United last weekend. They seem to have gotten their groove back. That’s three straight clean-sheet wins and five wins in their last seven games. It’s W3 D1 in their last four at Elland Road. QPR have just seen their strong form slip away a little bit. They have just the one win in their last five outings now but they are still scoring well with at least two goals in each of their last five. They are D2 L1 in their last three road games
QPR haven’t been as hot on the road lately as they have been at Loftus Road. There are no issues with Leeds’ form at Elland Road and they have blanked QPR in their last two home games against them. Leeds to win to nil is at 2/1 odds* (betting odd taken on December 7th, 2018 at 5:23 pm)
Middlesbrough v Blackburn
Boro had a long unbeaten streak of Championship form snapped last weekend when they lost heavily at home against Aston Villa. Given how strong Middlesbrough have been defensively this term, that was a pretty big upset. Boro are W5 D3 L2 at home this season in the Championship but surprisingly have won just one of their last six at the Riverside. Blackburn snapped a three-match winless streak with a victory over Sheffield Wednesday last week. Overall this season they are W3 D3 L4 on their travels and are winless in four away games. They have put together a six-match scoring streak on their travels though.
The draw in the match outright looks the right fit at 13/5 odds* (betting odd taken on December 7th, 2018 at 5:23 pm). Boro haven’t been winning at home while Blackburn haven’t been winning away, but Rovers have been scoring well.
Norwich v Bolton
Sometimes it is hard to stay at the top of the table after a good run of form has put you there. There have been no such problems for Norwich who are going strong still. A win over Rotherham at Carrow Road last weekend leaves them at W7 D1 in their last eight games. They have scored at least three goals in four of their last five games. The Canaries have won six of their last seven league home games and it could all be too much for Bolton. The Trotters head into the weekend second from bottom in the league. Bolton are winless in eight away games and have only produced seven road goals all season (two goals in their last seven away games). Bolton have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last ten league games.
Norwich look to be a Championship banker at Carrow Road this weekend. Looking at the lack of scoring from Bolton then a Norwich To Win To Nil option at 21/20 seems right* (betting odd taken on December 7th, 2018 at 5:23 pm).
Stoke v Ipswich
The Potters are stuck around midtable in the Championship but they have put together a seven-match unbeaten streak of form (W2 D5). Stoke are W4 D3 L3 on home soil this season in the league and are unbeaten in three there. Given that they have drawn five of their last seven games it is kind of hard to trust them to come up with a league victory on the weekend. But then they are facing Ipswich. The Tractor Boys are rooted to the foot of the table currently and have produced only two points in their last eight league outings. Their overall form for the season is W1 D8 L11 and pretty much that sums up everything about them.
Surely Stoke can’t miss this golden opportunity of maximum points on home soil. The threat of the Tractor Boys is pretty much non-existent so Stoke to win to nil at 11/10 ticks our boxes* (betting odd taken on December 7th, 2018 at 5:23 pm).
Wigan v Derby
Wigan have the joint-best home record in this season’s Championship, matched only by the current top two in the league of Norwich and Leeds. That’s something. Their away form is absolutely in the gutter but that can be looked over as they are on home soil on the weekend when they host Derby. This is a big home test for them again, but the Latics have beaten West Brom and held Notts Forest to draw at home this term, two current top-five sides. Derby starts the weekend in seventh and have alternated between a win and a loss in their last five games (W3 L2). They have won each of their last three visits to Wigan and the Rams have shown that they can hold their own away at the top sides. They won at West Brom and took a draw at Middlesbrough.
It is a tough call on this one really because Wigan have been so good at home, but the Rams are the favourites to bag the win. The draw seems to be the best fit at 12/5 odds* (betting odd taken on December 7th, 2018 at 5:23 pm).
