There are only two matchdays left of what has been another highly-competitive and entertaining EFL Championship season. Norwich City and Watford are battling it out for the title, while the scrap for survival is heating up.
As usual, we check out the top four Championship fixtures of the weekend, including the tasty tussle at the Brentford Community Stadium between Brentford and Watford. Keep reading for the best odds and tips.
EFL Championship Matchday 45: Best Betting Football Tips
Sheffield Wednesday vs. Nottingham Forest: EFL Betting Tip
Darren Moore’s Sheffield Wednesday and Chris Hughton’s Nottingham Forest meet at Hillsborough in Saturday’s early kick off in the Championship. The Owls start the weekend four points away from safety.
From start to finish, Sheffield Wednesday have had a miserable season in the Championship. With two games to play, the Owls find themselves four points behind 21st-place Derby County in the battle for safety. Realistically, they need to win their last two and need favours elsewhere to stand any chance of survival.
Nottingham Forest have made a big improvement since Chris Hughton took over from the sacked Sabri Lamouchi at the start of the season. The experienced Hughton has made the Reds tough to beat, though they are without a win in four.
For a team in the bottom three and on the brink of relegation, Sheffield Wednesday’s home form has not been that bad. The Owls have won seven of their last 13 at Hillsborough, and Moore’s men are available at 6/5 to pick up what could be a precious three points on Saturday.
Sheffield Wednesday 6/5
Draw 49/20
Nottingham Forest 12/5
* Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 6/5 odds taken 0925 GMT, Friday 30 April
Swansea City vs. Derby County: Best Football League Betting Predictions
Steve Cooper’s Swansea City entertain Wayne Rooney’s Derby County at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Swans are gearing up for the play-offs, while the Rams are fighting for their Championship life.
Swansea made sure of their play-off berth with a 2-2 draw at Reading last weekend. Despite losing five of their past nine, the Welsh side have qualified for the play-offs for the second season running. Can they warm up for the end-of-season lottery with wins over Derby and Watford?
Derby are four points above Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham United in the fight for survival. The Millers still have a game in hand, but the Rams should be safe with victory in Wales on Saturday. If they win and the Millers lose, County will be a Championship club next term.
This is a massive fixture for Rooney & Co., but we can see Swansea securing a routine home win. Check out the decent odds of 11/4 for the hosts to be winning at half time and full time on Saturday.
Swansea City 13/10
Draw 47/20
Derby County 9/4
* Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 11/4 odds taken 0933 GMT, Friday 30 April
Brentford vs. Watford: EFL Betting Odds & Predictions
Brentford and Watford meet in a mouth-watering Championship matchup at the Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday. With the Hornets already promoted and the Bees in the play-offs, this could very well be a Premier League fixture next season.
Brentford have missed out on automatic promotion for the second season running, but the Londoners will fancy their chances in the play-offs. They are currently in third spot, four points clear of fourth-place Bournemouth. The Bees will want to finish in third.
Watford secured an instant return to the Premier League with a 1-0 home win over Millwall last weekend. The Hornets still have eyes for the title, though they need to win their remaining two and hope that Norwich drop points. Nevertheless, promotion was the main aim before a ball was kicked.
This high-quality fixture could go either way in the capital, but we fancy the duo to cancel each other out. Back the draw and both teams to score at the Brentford Community Stadium at 7/2.
Brentford 27/20
Draw 23/10
Watford 11/5
* Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 7/2 odds taken 0942 GMT, Friday 30 April
Norwich City vs. Reading: Best EFL Betting Tips on Matchday 45
Norwich will claim the Championship title with victory over Reading this Saturday. As you would expect, the champions elect are the clear favourites with the bookies, but can the disappointed Royals cause an upset at Carrow Road?
Daniel Farke’s Canaries, who finished rock bottom of last season’s Premier League, have been the real deal in the Championship this term. Having lost back-to-back games after promotion was confirmed, City returned to winning ways last weekend, beating Queens Park Rangers 3-1 at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.
Despite spending a large chunk of the season in the top six, Reading have missed out on the play-offs in the end. Their destiny was confirmed after a 2-2 home draw with Swansea last time out. Nonetheless, Veljko Paunovic has had a fine first season at the Madejski Stadium.
Norwich should get the job done on their own patch this weekend. We like the look of the Canaries to win -1 at the tempting price of 7/4.
Norwich City 13/20
Draw 29/10
Reading 9/2
* Bookmaker Unibet
Odds: 7/4 odds taken 0954 GMT, Friday 30 April
