Tag Archives: Championship

Wednesday’s Championship

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There are four Championship games on Wednesday with four sides that have perfect records involved. Something has got to give and we will take a look at who might still be smiling at the final whistle.

Cardiff City v Brighton

Cardiff have shown no ill effects from missing out on promotion last term to beat both West Ham and Bristol City in their two matches to date and they are favourites to make it three out of three against the Seagulls.

However, the south-coast club can also boast a 100 per cent record and will head to the Welsh capital full of confidence after taking care of Doncaster and Portsmouth.

Bluebirds boss Malky Mackay has been trying to instil an ethos of hard work among his players and he admitted after the 3-1 victory over Bristol City that he was pleased with the attitude of his men.

Aron Gunnarsson is a doubt for the visit of Brighton after rolling his ankle at the weekend but, with a talented squad to pick from, Mackay will be confident of taking all three points.

But Craig Mackail-Smith will have to be watched throughout the 90 minutes if Cardiff are to prevail.

Odds: Cardiff Evens, Brighton 11/4, draw 12/5

Leicester v Bristol City

Leicester’s promising start hit the buffers at the weekend as they were beaten 2-0 at home by Reading, but what better way to get back on track than welcoming the league’s bottom club to the King Power Stadium?

Sven-Goran Eriksson is still looking to bring new faces to the club before the transfer window shuts but he lost out on the race to sign Robbie Keane, with the Spurs man moving stateside to join LA Galaxy.

But after a frenetic summer of recruitment, the former England boss appears to have a decent squad for a tilt at promotion and they should be far too good for a Bristol side that has shipped six goals in two games to date.

City boss Keith Millen has already conceded that he needs more skilful players at the club but has struggled to bring them in as he cannot move on some of his existing squad and there appear to be problems at Ashton Gate.

This is a match-up of two clubs with differing ambitions and there can surely only be one winner.

Odds: Leicester 8/15, Bristol City 6/1, draw 11/4

Millwall v Peterborough

The Lions are still unbeaten after two games with a creditable draw at Reading followed by a 2-0 victory over Nottingham Forest at the Den.

Darius Henderson has scored two from two to date and it looked as though the Londoners would take the Royals’ scalp on the opening day of the season only for Mathieu Manset to net twice in the last four minutes to snatch a point.

But the early signs are good for Kenny Jackett’s side and they will need to be at their best against a Posh outfit with Darren Ferguson back in charge.

Peterborough took care of Crystal Palace to win their opener but fell to a decent-looking Blackpool side last time out and these two sides could well be battling it out for play-off places come the business end of the campaign.

This is a tough one to call and it would be no surprise to see the spoils shared.

Odds: Millwall 5/6, Peterborough 100/30, draw 5/2

Blackpool v Derby

The final match sees two sides with perfect records come face to face at Bloomfield Road.

Any thoughts that Ian Holloway might wallow in self pity after relegation are now a thing of the past and he looks hell bent on getting the Tangerines back into the big time.

Veteran hit-man Kevin Phillips scored twice at the weekend and he will be a key figure for the Seasiders if they are to bounce back at the first attempt.

The former Sunderland man has had his injury problems over the years and keeping him fit will be vital for the gruelling Championship season.

Nigel Clough’s outfit have beaten Birmingham and Watford to date but will find this a whole new ball game.

But they do have a head of steam and it was evident last season what they could achieve with the wind in their sails, with a purple patch of seven wins from nine matches propelling them from also-rans to play-off contenders.

Home advantage will be key here, however, and Holloway’s men are tipped for glory.

Odds: Blackpool 5/6, Derby100/30, draw 5/2

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Championship preview – Sunday

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There are two matches in the Championship on Sunday with Blackpool hosting Peterborough and Bristol City travelling to Cardiff. Three of the four sides won their opening game and so we will take a look at what might happen this weekend.

Blackpool v Peterborough

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway has cut a disconsolate figure since failing to keep the club in the Premier League and his pre-season comments about lacking motivation will have hardly inspired the Bloomfield Road faithful.

But a 1-0 win at Hull on the opening day of the season will certainly have cheered him up a little and he will welcome Posh to the north west looking to make it six points out of six.

The midweek Carling Cup penalty shoot-out defeat to Sheffield Wednesday will have already been forgotten as the main task this term is to get back to the Premier League.

Holloway has lost a number of his stars over the summer but should have Matt Phillips and Matt Gilks back for the clash, while most of the side that missed the midweek reverse will come back into the starting XI.

Phillips has been on England duty at the Under-20s World Cup in Colombia but may well net a starting berth, while namesake Kevin Phillips looks set to start up front, but Ashley Eastham is out following his straight red card at Hillsborough.

Darren Ferguson’s men kicked off their campaign with a 2-1 success over Crystal Palace and were then involved in a seven-goal Carling Cup thriller with Stevenage.

But the son of Sir Alex would doubtless swap that midweek win for three points against the Tangerines and he will have Grant McCann back in the squad, who has now returned from international duty with Northern Ireland.

New loan signing Josh Thompson has now received international clearance and may well feature after making the move form Celtic.

Both sides are ambitious and a draw seems the likely result here.

Odds: Blackpool 5/6, Peterborough 3/1, draw 11/4

Cardiff v Bristol City

The new Cardiff era got underway in decent fashion with a 1-0 victory over West Ham United and they were also victorious in a midweek Carling Cup clash with Oxford United.

New boss Malky Mackay will welcome a Bristol City side that lost 3-0 at home to Ipswich in their first match and sit at the foot of the table.

The Scot will be looking to double his points tally and welcomes back eight players from international duty, while Stephen McPhail is available after recovering from a virus.

City’s Carling Cup tie with Swindon was postponed due to the riots and they should have Marvin Elliott and Liam Fontaine back for Sunday’s encounter in Wales as they look for their first points of the season, while Kalifa Cisse, Albert Adomah and Neil Kilkenny all return from international duty.

Cardiff narrowly missed out on promotion once again last term but, with a new manager and a few new faces, it appears as though they are ready for another tilt at reaching the big time and they are tipped to take all three points from this one.

Odds: Cardiff 4/6, Bristol City 4/1, draw 11/4

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5 Championship players to watch

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Bet on the ChampionshipAfter the opening weekend of the Championship season, punters will already have made notes on which teams look like promotion and relegation candidates. We’ve decided to take a look at some of the players who could have a big season in the English second tier.

1) Michael Chopra (Ipswich)

A brace on his debut for Ipswich (12/1 Championship Outright) showed once again that the former Newcastle frontman is one of the best finishers in the division. The 27-year-old has been a prolific goalscorer at this level, consistently finding his name at the top of the scoring charts.

A transfer fee of £1.5million looks a good deal for a proven goal poacher and the Tractorboys indicated that they could be a threat this season with an impressive 3-0 success at Bristol City on the opening day. Paul Jewell’s men now have back-to-back home league fixtures and will have their sights set on an unbeaten August.

2) Matt Mills (Leicester)

The Foxes have spent big this summer with a number of new faces arriving at the club, but Matt Mills looks the best of the arrivals. The former Reading centre-back made an instant impact in the opening day win at Coventry, with Leicester (7/2f for promotion) keeping an impressive clean sheet and limiting the Sky Blues to half chances.

With many Championship teams looking leaky at the back, a solid defensive foundation could prove vital in Leicester’s push for the Premier League.

3) Luke Varney (Portsmouth)

A goal on his debut highlighted Varney’s likely importance to Pompey this season, with the forward salvaging a late draw at Middlesbrough. The ex-Crewe man showed his quality in the top flight whilst on loan at Blackpool last term and he will surely cause defences problems this season.

Steve Cotterill was delighted with the £750,000 capture of Varney and the 28-year-old could prove a crucial addition to a squad that may challenge for a play-off spot.

4) Adam Lallana (Southampton)

The England Under-21 international is looking to take the next step in his career and the way he tore into Leeds on the opening day suggests he will be a star of the Championship this term.

Lallana scored the second goal in a 3-1 success and with fears that Alex Chamberlain may leave in the summer transfer window, he could have a major role to play for the Saints.

5) Anthony Gerrard (Cardiff)

The Liverpudlian has been given a second chance at Cardiff (14/1 Championship Outright) following the arrival of Malky Mackay and he has the desire to play at the top level. The cousin of Liverpool star Steven spent much of last season on loan at Hull City, after falling out of favour under Dave Jones.

The 25-year-old showed in his time with the Tigers that he is commanding at this level and should be key for Cardiff this season. Gerrard and co started solidly as well with a 0-1 win at West Ham on Sunday.

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Championship trio stand out

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The new football season is set to get underway in just over a week’s time as the Football League sides start a week earlier than the top flight and in the Championship it will see another intriguing nine months of battling to reach the cash-rich promised land that is the Premier League.

The three teams that drop out of the Premier League – West Ham, Blackpool and Birmingham – are usually billed as favourites to make an instant return, but on this occasion I can’t see that being the case as only Sam Allardyce’s Hammers look like having the capabilities of winning the title.

In addition to the east Londoners, it is former England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Leicester City and Nottingham Forest, managed by the Swede’s one-time assistant and Three Lions successor Steve McClaren, who are the three clubs standing out, while there are two dark horses in Derby and newly-promoted Brighton as potential winners in the race for Championship glory.

West Ham

The Hammers appear the most likely to charge back to the top table of English football (9/2 Championship Outright).

Big Sam has already made a great acquisition in persuading Kevin Nolan to drop down from playing in the Premier League with Newcastle to help the promotion push, while he has so far retained most of his top players, including Scott Parker, Carlton Cole and Rob Green.

It seems unlikely all three will still be at Upton Park come the closure of the transfer window, but if Allardyce can make a few more additions and keep players such as Frederic Piquionne (12/1 Top Goalscorer), who is capable of scoring 20 Championship goals, it would be hard to back against them.

Leicester

While West Ham have a squad littered with quality Premier League-standard players, Foxes boss Eriksson has assembled a squad of players full of top Championship players with vast experience of playing in second tier of English football – just like Neil Warnock did at QPR last year – and that could give them the edge.

Republic of Ireland defender Sean St Ledger, one-time England striker David Nugent and highly-rated Reading centre-back Matt Mills have joined other new faces such as Lee Peltier, Kasper Schmeichel and Neil Danns at the Walkers Stadium and there could be more in the door before September 1.

Following the spending spree, Eriksson has made no secret of the club’s ultimate aim this coming season.

He said: “Our ambition to reach the Premier League (6/4 Promotion) is being underlined each day and the owners’ vision and commitment is first class.”

Nottingham Forest

McClaren’s arrival at the City Ground has breathed a new lease of life into Forest (3/1 Promotion) – a side that flirted with promotion for several years under Billy Davies but failed to ever negotiate their way through the lottery of the play-offs.

McClaren has no experience at Championship level which works against him – as it did for Gordon Strachan at his former club Middlesbrough when they were the favourites for the title a year ago only to struggle badly and the Scot jumped ship by the end of October.

However, while Strachan’s gamble on Scottish Premier League players being able to cut the mustard in the Championship backfired to an extent, McClaren has been wiser in bringing in players with experience of second-tier football such former Forest man Andy Reid, Fulham midfielder Jonathan Greening and 35-year-old ex-Holland international George Boateng.

The latter two plied their trade under McClaren a the Riverside during his stint as Boro boss so he will know exactly what he is bringing to the club and I fancy Forest to do well under his leadership.

Dark Horses

Brighton romped to the League One title last term and made an immediate statement by beating off some bigger guns to the signing of striker Craig Mackail-Smith (14/1 Top Goalscorer).

They arrive in the Championship at the same time as moving into their brand-new stadium with a good young manager in Gus Poyet at the helm and a side buzzing from last season’s impressive run.

You only have to take a look at how well Norwich did by securing two successive promotions to know that, while it is a rare a feat, it can be achieved, and the Seagulls definitely have the potential (6/1 Promotion).

Nigel Clough has also been a busy man at Derby this summer with virtually a new team of players moving to Pride Park as the club’s owners show ambition and their confidence in the manager to get things right after several uneventful seasons at the East Midlands outfit.

Providing the new faces can all gel quickly then I could quite easily see the Rams, who are 14/1 shots, making a charge for a promotion spot.

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Top 5 Championship Game Changers

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With the new Championship season less than a month away a lot of clubs have already made some key signings in the fight for survival or promotion. We take a look at the top five players who could prove to be difference makers when the campaign gets underway.

1. Kevin Phillips (Blackpool)

Blackpool boss Ian Holloway pulled off a couple of shrewd buys before the start of last season, and Phillips could prove to be a player in a similar mould.

He might be 37 now but still knows the way to goal and has his fair share of experience when it comes to getting teams promoted.

Phillips played a key role in getting Sunderland and West Brom promoted and despite having not featured much for Birmingham, his strike rate still stands at just less than a goal every other game.

With Luke Varney gone and DJ Campbell set to leave Bloomfield Road, Phillips could find himself the star of the show again, as long as he can stay fit.

Blackpool are 6/1 to be promoted this season but those odds could shorten if Phillips can hit the goal trail.

2. Kevin Nolan (West Ham)

Nolan might have been around for what seems like forever but he is only 29 and, based on what he did for Newcastle last season, still looks to have a lot of life left in him.

Having turned down the chance to stay at St James’ Park the former Bolton ace opted to link up with old Trotters boss Sam Allardyce in east London.

While the Hammers are in big financial trouble they are still likely to be a force to be reckoned with under Alladryce, with totesport making them 4/1 to win the Championship.

Nolan should play a big part in their inevitable promotion push and don’t be surprised to hear Newcastle fans bemoaning his departure if their season goes wrong.

3. Will Hoskins/Craig Mackail-Smith (Brighton)

Brighton’s main strikers for next season might not have much experience between them at Championship level but they are proven goalscorers, Hoskins having already found the net in pre-season.

The 25-year-old scored 20 goals in 44 appearance for Bristol Rovers last season, while Mackail-Smith scored 35 goals in 57 games for Peterborough.

Brighton’s signing of Mackail-Smith represents a coup for the Seagulls and while they are unlikely to push for promotion, expect these two to score enough to make secure they finish mid-table.

4. Matt Mills (Leicester)

The big centre-half had a storming season for Reading last year and was one of the main reasons they came within 90 minutes of promotion.

While Sven Goran Eriksson is likely to sign bigger names than Mills before the transfer window shuts, he looks like the kind of player who will become a fans’ favourite, as he did at the Madejski.

The Foxes are 13/8 to be promoted and the way they are spending cash it looks to be just a matter of time before they return to the Premier League.

5. Jack Cork (Southampton)

The Saints may have been a bit quieter than most were expecting on the transfer front but in Cork they have at least made one good signing.

The 22-year-old has spent plenty of time out on loan in the Championship and has shown that bit of quality needed in the middle of the park.

If Nigel Adkins can recruit a few more quality players than there is no reason why the Saints can’t do a Norwich and secure back-to-back promotions, especially with Rickie Lambert up front.

Southampton are 11/2 to be promoted.

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Weekend Championship preview

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Bet on the ChampionshipThe Championship season is drawing to its conclusion and there are still plenty of sides in with a chance of reaching the promised land of the Premier League next term. With automatic promotion places and play-off spots still up for grabs it is time to have a look at who might make a move this weekend.

Norwich City v Nottingham Forest (Friday)

Norwich are one of four sides left fighting it out for the second automatic promotion place but, although they are still third in the standings, they have dropped valuable points in recent weeks with just one win in their last four outings. That was a 6-0 thrashing of Scunthorpe but two draws and defeat to Swansea has seen the chasing pack close.

Canaries striker Grant Holt is rated as just 50-50 while midfielder Wes Hoolahan may return from injury against a Forest side’s whose recent form is more akin to a relegation-threatened side that to one chasing promotion. One win in ten has left them outside the play-off picture at present but they did beat Burnley in mid week to stop the rot. That will have given them belief that they can turn things around but, with Norwich still very much looking for automatic promotion, they might find this one a different proposition.

Odds: Norwich 10/11 to win
Value bet: Norwich to win 2-0 (7/1)

Cardiff v Portsmouth

The Bluebirds have their destiny in their own hands – win all their remaining games and they will be in the top flight next season. It sounds a long shot but they have won their last three matches and are a point clear of Norwich in second place and 10 behind league-leading QPR. Teams that peak at the business end of the season usually do well and they will look to keep up the momentum against a Pompey side who are comfortably in mid-table and have little to play for. Loan signing Jay Emmanuel-Thomas bagged his second goal for the club as they beat Sheffield United in mid-week and Craig Bellamy was also on target and they will surely have too much for a Portsmouth side on cruise control.

Odds: Cardiff 4/6 to win
Value bet: Cardiff to lead at half-time and win match (13/8)

Burnley v Swansea

Swansea lost ground on their Welsh rivals when drawing in mid-week but they will look to bounce back to winning ways with another game against a side nestled in mid-division. The Swans enjoyed an excellent February but have hit the buffers of late and will want to get back on track with just five games to go. Boss Brendan Rodgers believes his charges are still playing decent football but are wasting too many chances and they were guilty of that again earlier this week.

With games running out Swansea must take all three points from this one. The Clarets have not won in six matches and have lost their last four and, despite having home advantage, look set to extend that unwelcome record this weekend.

Odds: Swansea 17/10 to win
Value bet: Swansea to win 2-1 (9/1)

Reading v Leicester

Reading are nine points better off than the Foxes but both clubs have a lot to play for over the remainder of the season with the Royals still very much in the hunt for automatic promotion and Leicester just four places off a play-off berth. But Brian McDermott’s men are sweeping all before them in the league at present with seven straight wins and they are the in-form team in the division.

Leicester have taken eight points from a possible 15 and have blown hot and cold of late but manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has made it clear that he believes the play-offs are still achievable and they are tipped to get a point and halt to Reading juggernaut on Saturday.

Odds: Draw 12/5
Value bet 1-1 11/2

Leeds v Watford

Leeds’ form has dipped at just the wrong time and they are hanging on to the last play-off place by their skin of their teeth. Just one win in five has left the Yorkshire outfit looking over their shoulders and they have lost their last two. But they are a solid unit at home and face a Watford side whose play-off hopes are all but over. They are not in great form and Leeds’ eagerness to return to the Premier league will surely see them through this one.

Odds: Leeds 3/4 to win
Value bet: Leeds to win 3-0 12/1.

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Championship promotion race reaching boiling point

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Bet on the ChampionshipWith most teams in the Championship having just 10 games to go before the end of the season, who will win the race for promotion and be playing Premier League football next season?

Queens Park Rangers (1/12 to win promotion) are still leading the way as they have done for much of the season. Neil Warnock’s men are seven points clear of the playoffs and have the best goal difference in the league by some way.

It’s hard to see them throwing their position away and they should go on to lift the Championship trophy come the end of the season.

The race for the second automatic spot, however, appears less clear-cut as all the top clubs vying for it have slipped up recently.

Swansea (6/5 to win promotion) dropped two points on Tuesday night as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Watford at the Liberty Stadium as the Welsh side missed a chance to consolidate their position in the top two but they are still ahead of Norwich City on goal difference.

Norwich (9/4 to win promotion) managed to secure all three points in their tough away trip to the Walkers Stadium in a 3-2 victory over Leicester, who look like they are going to struggle to make the play-offs despite investment in the side and a fine recent record under Sven Goran Eriksson.

With striker Grant Holt continuing to find the back of the net for the Canaries and their never-say-die attitude, it looks like Norwich will push the Swans all the way for that second automatic spot.

Cardiff City (5/4 to win promotion) have hit a blip at a bad time in the season as the Bluebirds suffered their third consecutive defeat on Tuesday at the hands of struggling Crystal Palace.

After being comfortably clear of the play-off places just a couple of months ago, Cardiff will have to be careful that they don’t fall completely out of the top six before the end of the season.

Leeds United (7/2 to win promotion) suffered a setback to their promotion hopes when they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Swansea last month but the Whites bounced back and produced successive victories over Doncaster Rovers and Preston.

Leeds will be desperate to avoid the drama of the play-offs if they can, due to their poor record in them in previous attempts in the Championship and League One.

With the likes of Max Gradel, Robert Snodgrass and Luciano Becchio in good form, though, they remain lively outsiders to bag automatic promotion.

Nottingham Forest (2/1 to win promotion) will be kicking themselves they did not make a goal lead count against Sheffield United, as they lost 2-1 at Bramall Lane and Billy Davies’ side are now on the verge of dropping out of the top six with Burnley in a strong position with two games in hand.

Forest and Burnley will be battling out for that final play-off place with Reading, Hull and Leicester, at this stage anyway, off the pace in the race for that crucial sixth spot.

It is still not clear who will be playing against the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool next season but what is is that there will be plenty more drama, considering what is at stake, before the season is over.

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The Championship promotion race

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QPR currently have a seven point lead at the top of the Championship and look as if they’re heading towards the promise land of the Premier League but the other promotion spots are very much up for grabs, with just 10 points separating second placed Nottingham Forest and Hull City, who are currently 12th (QPR 4/6 – Championship outright).

Forest (11/10 to be promoted) have been on a fantastic run and have not tasted defeat in the league since way back on November 29, when they slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Leicester.  Boss Billy Davies has a good pedigree in the division, having led Derby, Preston and Forest into the play-offs in recent years and the Scottish manager will be desperate to go one better than last season, where Forest were knocked out in the semi-finals by Blackpool.

Cardiff (6/4 promotion) have the considerable talents of Craig Bellamy, Michael Chopra and Peter Whittingham to call upon and at the start of the season many were tipping the beaten play-off finalists to mount a challenge for the title.  The Bluebirds started the campaign well, despite the disappointment of missing out on promotion, but have stuttered of late.  However, Cardiff did manage to secure a 1-0 win at the home of bitter rivals Swansea last time out and if they can rediscover their best form the Welsh side could well challenge for the title, they trail QPR by eight points at the moment but they have a game in hand (Cardiff 6/1 – Championship outright).

Swansea (3/1 promotion) occupy a play-off spot at present and have produced some impressive displays over the course of the season to date.  The Swans play an exciting, attacking brand of football and despite their derby disappointment last weekend should be able to secure a top six finish.  The Liberty Stadium side do not have the same financial backing as the likes of Cardiff and QPR but Swansea seem to have a great team spirit and work well as a unit, all the ingredients are there for the South Wales side to be this season’s Blackpool.

Leeds (10/3 promotion) and Norwich (5/2) were both playing in League One last season but the duo have settled into life in the Championship quickly and are both in the top six at this stage of the season.  In Grant Holt Norwich have a top class striker but he has struggled of late and if they are to continue their push for the second automatic spot the frontman will have to get back amongst the goals sooner rather than later, although he did grab his first goal in six games in the loss at Burnley last time out.

Leeds also have some decent players and could well hang onto their spot in the top six, but the Yorkshire side have a woeful record in the play-offs in recent seasons, both in the Championship and League One, and will probably have to finish second if they’re to go up this season.

Millwall (12/1 promotion), Leicester (4/1), Watford (9/1), Burnley (4/1), Reading (6/1) and Hull (12/1) are also involved in the battle to secure a play-off spot and they will all be confident they can pick up enough points between now and the end of the season to secure a top six spot.  Reading have been in fine form of late and were unlucky not to take all three points in their recent draw with Cardiff, while QPR inflicted a narrow 1-0 defeat on the Royals at the Madjeski Stadium last time out.  Hull have also been on an impressive run of late and of the chasing pack I would suggest Reading are the most likely side to break into the play-off spots, while at 12/1 the Tigers look good value considering they have lost just once in their last 15 league games.

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Five Championship Selections

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As everyone knows, the Championship always throws up plenty of thrills and spills and this weekend will be no different as sides jockey for position up and down the table.

Just ten points separate the teams currently occupying the crucial top-six places and the ball gets rolling at the Madejski Stadium with current leaders Queens Park Rangers making the trip to Reading.

READING v QPR (Friday)
Rangers have a five-point gap over Norwich in second spot although their humongous goal difference could well be worth another point on the day of reckoning in the second tier of English football.
Neil Warnock’s side have conceded fewer goals on their travels than at home this season but the Royals have lost just twice on their own patch so far and will be a tough nut to crack for the west Londoners.
Reading’s last home league defeat was back in October and they are bidding to avenge November’s 3-1 defeat at Loftus Road.
Prediction: Both Teams To Score @ 8/11

BURNLEY v NORWICH
Any QPR slip-up will allow Norwich to reel them in and while Burnley’s unbeaten run on home soil has now ground to something of a halt, the Clarets need something from the game to stay in the play-off place hunt.
The Canaries are one of only three sides to beat QPR this season, but that was at Carrow Road and they will need to be on their mettle to take all three points at Turf Moor.
Prediction: Draw @ 23/10

NOTTINGHAM FOREST v WATFORD
Forest are coming on strong after five straight wins in the Championship and if they win their games in hand would storm into the automatic promotion places.
The division’s form team entertain a Watford side who, like Norwich, have also beaten QPR – this time at Loftus Road – so a trip up the M1 is unlikely to faze the Hornets who have not won in three matches.
Prediction: Forest Half-time/Full-time @ 2/1

LEEDS v COVENTRY
Leeds occupy the final play-off place going into the weekend and one thing is guaranteed at Elland Road – goals, with 14 games producing 53 so far this term.
The Sky Blues’ form has been patchy at best over recent weeks while Leeds have drawn their last two league games 2-2 but this is a game Simon Grayson will know his men need to win.
Prediction: Leeds 2-1 @ 7/1

SWANSEA v CARDIFF (Sunday)
Cardiff briefly topped the table earlier in the season but after 28 games they find themselves in fifth spot and trailing arch-rivals Swansea, who are third, by two points.
The Swans were 1-0 winners at Cardiff City Stadium earlier in the season and are unbeaten in the last five on home soil against the Bluebirds.
Prediction: Swansea @ 6/5

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Championship selections

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There is a full Championship programme on Tuesday evening with all the top sides in action. Can Premier League-hopefuls QPR extend their lead or will the chasing pack close on the top spot (Championship outright and match  betting)?

Queens Park Rangers v Portsmouth

Neil Warnock has revitalised the former Premier League club and they look destined to return to the top flight for the first time since 1996. But they have stumbled in recent times with just one win and six points from their past five games. Goals have been hard to come but they are still top of the standings by five points and take on Pompey outfit fighting for survival at the wrong end of the table. The south coast club have lost four of their last five and will surely return from Loftus Road empty handed on Tuesday evening.

Odds: QPR to win 8/13

Value bet: QPR to win 2-0 11/2

Norwich v Millwall

The Canaries sit in second place in the table having taken eight points from a possible 15 in recent times with a tricky clash against the Lions on the horizon. The south Londoners have taken 10 points from a possible 15 and are in decent nick at present, as they battle it out for a place in the play-offs. Norwich are looking to close the gap on leaders QPR but a draw is tipped for this one, with both clubs unlikely to give too much away at Carrow Road.

Odds: Draw 12/5

Value bet: 1-1 11/2

Cardiff v Reading

Cardiff are just one point behind Norwich with a game in hand and so every match is vital as they look to avoid having to go through the lottery of the play-offs. The Bluebirds’ form has been mixed of late and they have lost two of their past five encounters while winning two and drawing the other match. The Royals’ form has been similar but they also have the FA Cup to contend with having advanced to round five with victory over Stevenage at the weekend. This is a difficult match to call but, with home advantage, the Welshmen are tipped to shade a tight encounter at  Cardiff City Stadium.

Odds: Cardiff 21/20 to win

Value bet: Cardiff to win 2-1 7/1

Bristol City v Swansea

The Swans will need to bounce back from their FA Cup defeat to League One Leyton Orient but the loss may be a blessing in disguise with promotion to the Premier League the real goal this season. And they have shown decent form of late in the Championship with three wins,a draw and just one defeat from their previous five encounters. City are just five points above the drop zone and have one just one from five, with a disappointing 4-0 defeat at home to Middlesbrough just a couple of weeks ago. The west country outfit do have home advantage but Swansea should have enough ammunition to take the spoils here.

Odds: Swansea 6/5 to win

Value bet: Swansea to win 1-0 13/2

Coventry City v Nottingham Forest

Fifth-place Forest have been boosted by the loan signing of Liverpool defender Paul Konchesky and were already full of confidence having taken 13 points from a possible 15. Coventry have not won in eight games and, despite home advantage, will struggle to contain a Forest side who believe they can regain their Premier League status this term. Coventry are safely in mid-table at present and Billy Davies’ men have much more to play for in this fixture – and that could be crucial.

Odds: Forest 11/8 to win

Value bet: Forest to be winning at half and full time 3/1

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