With the Emirates FA Cup taking centre stage this weekend, there are only four EFL Championship fixtures taking place. The action begins when Stoke City and Watford clash at the bet365 Stadium on Friday night.
Queens Park Rangers host Derby County at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this Saturday afternoon. Preston North End take on Reading, and Middlesbrough and Blackburn Rovers lock horns at the Riverside Stadium, with both games taking place on Sunday.
EFL Championship Predictions: Best Betting Football Tips
Stoke City vs. Watford: EFL Betting Tip
On Friday night in the Championship, Michael O’Neill’s Stoke City and Xisco Munoz’s Watford meet at the bet365 Stadium. The Potters have struggled for wins of late, picking up just one league victory since early December. As for the Hornets, they have won back-to-back games in the Championship.
Stoke have won only one of their previous nine in Championship encounters. However, six of those have ended all square. Only Millwall have drawn more games (11) than the Potters (10) up until now. O’Neill’s boys are in eighth spot, five points away from the play-offs.
Munoz, who took over from the sacked Vladimir Ivic last month, has made a solid start to life in Hertfordshire. After four games in charge, the Spaniard has guided to Watford to wins over Norwich City, Huddersfield Town and Barnsley. The Hornets hover just three points away from second place.
Stoke could really do with maximum points from this one, but we can see Watford securing a fourth victory in five Championship matches. Take a punt on the away win and both teams to score at 9/2.
Stoke City 23/10
Draw 11/5
Watford 27/10
* Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 9/2 odds taken 1222 GMT, Thursday 21 January
Queens Park Rangers vs. Derby County: Best Football League Betting Predictions
Saturday’s Championship match sees QPR and Derby meet at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium. Will Mark Warburton’s Rangers make it three wins in a row, or can Wayne Rooney’s Rams leave London with a positive result?
Having gone ten league and cup games without a win, the R’s picked up a massive three points at Kenilworth Road on January 12th. The Londoners followed that up with a hard-fought victory over Cardiff City in South Wales on Wednesday, with Chris Willock scoring the only goal of the game.
Derby secured a vital victory over Bournemouth on Tuesday night, as Krystian Bielik netted in a 1-0 win at Pride Park. That was just what the doctor ordered for Derby, who had lost three league and cup matches in a row prior to that. County are now two points above 22nd-place Rotherham United.
In truth, this one could go either way at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium. We are having a tough time splitting the two, so take a punt on the draw at 9/4.
Queens Park Rangers 6/4
Draw 9/4
Derby County 2/1
* Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 9/4 odds taken 1237 GMT, Thursday 21 January
Preston North End vs. Reading: EFL Betting Odds & Predictions
Alex Neil’s Preston and Veljko Paunovic’s Reading square off at Deepdale in Championship action on Sunday. North End beat Birmingham City 1-0 at St Andrew’s Trillion Trophy Stadium in midweek, while the Royals eased to a 3-0 home win over Coventry City. Who will come out on top in Lancashire this weekend?
Preston have blown hot and cold of late, but the win in Birmingham was their fourth victory in six Championship fixtures. Neil’s boys find themselves in tenth place in the second-tier table at present, seven points adrift of sixth.
Reading are flying high in fifth position, collecting an impressive 43 points from 24 games. Since back-to-back losses to Norwich and Brentford in mid-December, the Royals have taken ten points from the last 12 on offer.
Preston have improved in recent weeks, but we fancy in-form Reading to leave Deepdale with all three points. The away victory is priced at 19/10.
Preston North End 33/20
Draw 43/20
Reading 19/10
* Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 19/10 odds taken 1245 GMT, Thursday 21 January
Middlesbrough vs. Blackburn Rovers: Best EFL Betting Tips
The final Championship fixture of the week takes place at the Riverside Stadium on Sunday afternoon, as Neil Warnock’s Middlesbrough entertain Tony Mowbray’s Blackburn. The home team are the favourites with the bookies.
Middlesbrough are in good form, winning five of their previous seven in the Championship. After a surprise 1-0 home loss to Birmingham, Boro bounced back with a crucial win at Nottingham Forest in midweek, with Britt Assombalonga and George Saville scoring in a 2-1 victory at the City Ground.
Blackburn head to the Riverside having won just two of their previous ten in all competitions. However, they did pick up a 2-0 win at Birmingham in their last away game. Rovers are in mid-table, taking 33 points from 24 league affairs.
Middlesbrough will be eyeing up maximum points from this one. Blackburn will be no pushovers, though, so we like the look of Boro to win by just the one goal at 3/1.
Middlesbrough 31/20
Draw 11/5
Blackburn Rovers 2/1
* Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 3/1 odds taken 1255 GMT, Thursday 21 January
