Championship Predictions > Jul 10th - 12th

[StevieDay1983]

[StevieDay1983]

Check out the odds and ratings for this weekend's Championship games. Apologies they're only just going up now. Experienced some internet issues and only just had OpenReach fix them! Let's hear your predictions for this action then! 

[StevieDay1983]

Fulham vs Cardiff

The brutal schedule of the Championship continues tonight when promotion-chasing Fulham entertain play-off hopefuls Cardiff in an 8:15pm BST kick-off from Craven Cottage. Both sides are in the thick of the action at the right end of the table but after contrasting results during their midweek fixtures will either team be brave enough to come away with all 3 points?

Fulham had appeared to be running out of steam when they returned from the suspension for covid-19. Scott Parker's men lost their two league games after returning but it's been 3 league wins on the bounce since. This has seen the Cottagers move up to 4th in the table and just 7 points off the automatic promotion spots with only 4 league games remaining including this fixture. Just 1 goal conceded in their last 3 matches has been key to the team's recent results. This game will also see the club's top scorer Aleksandr Mitrovic return from suspension and looking to add to his 23 league goals scored this campaign.

Cardiff had been in impeccable form since returning to action. The Bluebirds had gone unbeaten before the midweek 3-2 loss at home to Blackburn but that defeat was a reminder that this is the Championship where anyone can beat anyone. Neil Harris will be disappointed with the sloppy goals his team conceded having previously conceded just 1 goal in their last 5 league games. Disconcertingly, Cardiff have a poor away record against teams in the top half of the table having won only 2 of their away games against sides in the top 11.

I know I say this every week but I'm not optimistic about this one. I'm not going to read into our away form against the top half sides too much because that form has greatly improved under Harris. However, it's an awful record and I feel this is a Fulham side that are starting to believe in themselves again. Cardiff will bounce back because one thing Harris has shown is that he addresses problems quickly. The only issue is that in doing that he can sometimes unintentionally create other issues. If I'm being brutally honest, I think we'll do well to get a point but I can see us losing by a single goal.

Fulham to Win @ 2.07 with VBet

BTTS @ 1.92 with VBet

 

[malabgd]

Derby County vs Brentford FC

 

 

Derby County

Doubtful: Duane Holmes (33/2 m)

Out (injuries/other): Andre Wisdom (18/0 d), Jack Marriott (29/2 f), Krystian Bielik (20/0 m)

Suspended: Martyn Waghorn (41/12 f, top scorer)

(Louie Sibley (7/4 m) is available after successful appeal against red card.)

 

Brentford FC

Doubtful: Shandon Baptiste (10/0 m)

Out (injuries/other): Sergi Canos (11/0 m), Nikos Karelis (4/0 f)

Suspended: -

 

Daily updated injuries and suspensions information from more then 100 football leagues and competitions worldwide at: www.injuriesandsuspensions.com

 

Over/Under Goals
Derby County 21 home games	Brentford FC 21 away games

76%	Over 1.5 goals	67%
33%	Over 2.5 goals	48%
10%	Over 3.5 goals	24%
5%	Over 4.5 goals	5%
0%	Over 5.5 goals	5%
24%	Under 1.5 goals	33%
67%	Under 2.5 goals	52%
76%	Over 0.5 goals at half-time	76%
29%	Over 1.5 goals at half-time	38%
0%	Over 2.5 goals at half-time	10%

[StevieDay1983]

Derby vs Brentford

The Championship play-off race will see a massive clash on Saturday lunch-time when Derby play Brentford in a 12:30pm BST kick-off at Pride Park. The home side are one of the in-form sides in the league right now but they face a stern challenge against a visiting team that have their eyes firmly set on catching the top two and making a late push for automatic promotion.

Derby are currently in 9th place but only 3 points off the play-off spots with a game in hand. Phillip Cocu's men have hit form at the right time with 5 wins, 1 draw, and 1 loss from their last 7 league games. However, it is now two league games without a win so questions are being asked about whether the team have hit a wall at the worst time? It should be noted that those two winless games were still a creditable 1-1 draw at home to fellow play-off hopefuls and local rivals Nottingham Forest and then a spirited 2-0 loss away to an impressive West Brom. Derby's home record is one they can be proud of. This is particularly the case with their defensive unit having conceded just 15 goals in their 21 home league games. Only Leeds have conceded less with 14 goals let in.

Brentford remain a side that are fearless in their attacking three. Every game I preview for them I point out the attacking trio of Ollie Watkins, Said Benrahma, and Bryan Mbeumo. It's a front three that's ready-made for the Premier League. The Bees are really steaming ahead to try and steal one of those two automatic promotion having now won 6 league games on the bounce. It's left Thomas Frank's side 5 points off 2nd placed West Brom with 4 league games remaining. Just like Derby have the second best home defensive unit in the league, Brentford have the second best defensive record away from home with just 18 goals conceded in 21 games. Only West Brom have a better record with 15 goals conceded.

Everything here points towards a low-scoring game. 14 of Derby's 21 home league games so far have seen less than 2.5 goals and with both teams boasting such impressive defensive displays at home and away respectively it feels like this will end in either the odd goal deciding it or both teams cancelling each other out. I can't call it in terms of the form book so feel a draw seems like the best option although I was tempted to back Brentford to sneak it.

Draw @ 4.15 with Unibet

Total Goals Scored Under 2.5 @ 1.95 with 888Sport

[Marek76]

Following up on the previous Championship thread, I'll continue to support Wigan today. Winning 3 out of 4 away is a good enough factor to back them to win, especially as they should be desperate to collect as many points as possible. There's a reason why Barnsley are at the very end of the table and Wigan should be able to win.

Edited July 11, 2020 by Marek76