Championship Tips: Back goals for both sides in Friday night encounter | OneFootball

EFL Championship

Championship tips for this weekend's fixtures

It's the third match of a gruelling week for Championship clubs, and Jack Critchley has picked out a best bet in each of the 12 games taking place this weekend...

Bristol City vs Watford  - BTTS at Ashton Gate

Friday, 20:00, Live on Sky Sports Football

Gerhard Struber described himself as 'really, really happy' with Bristol City's victory at Blackburn on Tuesday night, and spoke about how important this week will be for the club's play-off aspirations. Unfortunately, the Robins' injury list is starting to grow once more, with Rob Atkinson and Scott Twine both being forced off in midweek and Joe Williams missing out completely with a hamstring issue. Struber also confirmed that Rob Dickie is ruled out for the remainder of the campaign, and that leaves them short at the back.

Bristol City gave up plenty of chances in the second half of Tuesday's game at Ewood Park, and they could be vulnerable on Friday.

Watford improved in the second half, missing a penalty, yet they were unable to take anything from Tuesday's home game with Ipswich. Ed Still's side made a slow start, but the new gaffer changed the setup in the second period, and they looked far sharper. Injuries and suspensions are also impacting the squad, with Othmane Maamma added to the list of absentees alongside Kwadwo Baah and Hector Kyprianou.

Prior to Tuesday, the hosts had won six times on the road, yet when immediately followed by a home game, they've managed to pick up maximum points just once. Inconsistencies have become part and parcel of the season.

The Hornets have improved and still have plenty of threats going forward. Backing BTTS seems like the best option for this unpredictable fixture under the lights.

Derby vs Blackburn - Plenty of goals in the John Eustace derby

Saturday, 12:30, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Derby racked up an xG of 3.38 on Tuesday night, yet they somehow lost 4-2 at the MKM. The Rams wasted several presentable chances with Patrick Agyemang, Bobby Clark and Matt Clarke having ten efforts between them. John Eustace's side tend to be better on the road, but they're fairly reliable when it comes to finding the back of the net at home, scoring in each of their last 14 at Pride Park.

If there is time between games, Eustace will surely demand some shooting practice and if his team can produce the same level of performance, they should get plenty of joy against this Blackburn defence.

Rovers rallied in the second half against Bristol City, yet they were unable to find a way back into the game. Michael O'Neill's side have looked dangerous in the final third, and scythed their way through the QPR defence in their previous away game. Yuki Ohashi appears to have had his confidence restored, and some squad members will be fired up for this showdown with their former boss.

Leicester vs Norwich - Foxes to take advantage of injury-hit visitors

Saturday, 12:30, Live on Sky Sports Football

Leicester looked far sharper, far more organised and far more determined under Gary Rowett. With the exception of Stephy Mavididi, the body language of the players has improved considerably since the dugout switch and they have taken points off both Stoke and Middlesbrough in the last seven days.

Harry Winks has been restored to the XI and Patson Daka has actually looked like scoring. Ben Nelson has caught the eye at the back and Divine Mukasa is a special talent, who is expected to go far in the professional game.

Rowett's task is turning draws into wins, with the club sitting precariously inside the relegation zone. Based on Tuesday's performance, a victory may not be too far away.

Norwich have had 24 hours less to prepare for this lunchtime game, and it's a quick turnaround for the Canaries' injury-hit squad. They lost Mo Toure after just seven minutes on Wednesday night, and he will be expected to be out for at least a few weeks. They are lacking depth on the flanks, and Jose Cordoba also missed out in midweek.

The Canaries are in good form, but this is a tough task and with the increasing lack of options from the bench, they may just drop points at the KP.

Portsmouth vs Hull - Entertaining 90 minutes expected at Fratton Park

Saturday, 12:30, Live on Sky Sports+ App

John Mousinho has become accustomed to making sweeping changes to his XI for midweek fixtures, yet he opted to retain the same starting line-up on Tuesday night and this arguably backfired. Pompey looked tired in the second half of their 2-1 loss to Wrexham, yet they still managed to find a way past the hosts. On a positive note, Adrian Segecic is back from injury and should play a part, with Conor Chaplin, Hayden Matthews and Harvey Blair also able to step in.

The hosts are far from safe, and they still need to collect points. They are far stronger at home, although having taken six points from a possible nine amidst a tough run of away games, they will be confident of getting something from this game.

Hull continue to defy the xG count. The Tigers give up countless chances, yet they are still riding high in the Championship table. They produced an xG of just 0.58 on Tuesday night, yet still managed to notch four times. Sergej Jakirovic opted for an attacking XI in midweek, and with Joe Gelhardt and Oli McBurnie both fit and available, they have plenty of options going forward.

At the other end of the field, Ryan Giles' latest injury setback leaves them short of left-sided operators. They could be vulnerable once again.

Charlton vs Wrexham - In-form visitors to strike again

Saturday, 15:00

Charlton picked up back-to-back draws against Southampton and WBA in the last seven days. The Addicks barely threatened going forward, yet they managed to take their chances and are slowly inching towards safety, one step at a time. As you'd expect from a Nathan Jones side, the players gave 100% and they are likely to battle their way through this contest on Saturday afternoon.

Unfortunately for the hosts, Lloyd Jones left the field after 35 minutes and that is a seismic blow for the Londoners. The defender has been one of the standout performers this season, bringing a sense of calm and organisation to the backline. He's featured in every league game this season and has been integral to the hosts keeping so many clean sheets.

Wrexham's march up the table continued in midweek with a narrow victory over Portsmouth. Phil Parkinson's side are a little short in the centre of the park with Ben Sheaf out for the season and Matty James absent for the next few weeks. Nevertheless, they have ample firepower and that may be enough to mask their lack of control at the base of midfield.

They have won four of their last five away games and have netted 2+ goals in each of those contests. Charlton are a tough nut to crack, but without Jones, they may be vulnerable.

Coventry vs Stoke - Sky Blues to extend their remarkable run of form

Saturday, 15:00

Coventry have put their mid-season blip firmly behind them and are now three points clear at the top of the table. Frank Lampard deserves credit for riding out the storm and restoring his side's confidence. The addition of Frank Onyeka has steadied the ship in the centre of the park, and the return of Ephron Mason-Clark has given them far more dynamism on the left. Haji Wright looks confident and Jack Rudoni appears to be rediscovering his form at the perfect time.

Although they were always expected to beat struggling West Brom, victories against Middlesbrough and Sheffield United have caught the eye, and they have been priced up at 1/2 to make it four victories on the spin.

Stoke picked up their first home win since December 13th on Wednesday evening. Mark Robins will be hoping that his side can give a good account of themselves on his return to the CBS, and they should be competitive throughout the 90 minutes.

Unfortunately, his side have struggled on the road recently, scoring just once in their last three outings. They have shown more adventure in the final third recently, with Million Manhoef dictating play from a central role, and Jeserun Rak-Sakyi adding an element of unpredictability to their attack. They should test the Cov defence.

Ipswich vs Swansea - Tractor Boys to enjoy home comforts

Saturday, 15:00

Ipswich navigated three consecutive away games, culminating in an impressive 2-0 victory at Vicarage Road on Tuesday night. Kieran McKenna's side now have three consecutive home matches on the agenda, and they will be expected to pick up maximum points from this set of fixtures.

Marcelino Nunez makes a big difference to the fluidity of the side going forward, and the former Norwich man was restored to the XI on Tuesday night. Fans will also be pleased to see big-money signing Sindre Walle Egeli get on the scoresheet too. McKenna will likely rotate for this game, but there are plenty of high-quality options waiting in the wings.

The hosts haven't slipped up here since October 21st and they've dropped points in just three matches since.

Swansea left it late to snatch a point from Preston on Tuesday night. The club made headlines with minority shareholder Snoop Dogg in attendance, yet it was an underwhelming performance from Vitor Matos' side. They've lost eight of their last ten on the road and have been beaten in each of their four trips to the current top five.

Oxford vs West Brom - Baggies to nick the points at the Kassam

Saturday, 15:00

Oxford's safety prospects took a significant dent on Wednesday night with a 2-1 loss to Stoke. The Yellows have been competitive under Matt Bloomfield, but they have been on the wrong end of fine margins with Will Lankshear's header clipping the bar on Wednesday night. Bloomfield has very little time to prepare his side for this clash, and they must pick themselves up quickly. They have lost their last two games here, drawing a blank in each of those encounters. The absence of Brian de Keersmaecker has impacted them, and the Belgian has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign.

West Brom dispensed with Eric Ramsay on Tuesday night despite putting in a much-needed performance against Charlton. WBA have been in freefall and they are searching for their third manager of the campaign already. James Morrison is in temporary charge once again and he was unbeaten when taking charge at the end of the 2024-25 season.

WBA's squad required surgery, but the players clearly respond to Morrison, and this could be the perfect fixture for them to collect their first victory of 2026.

Preston vs Millwall - Plenty of goals at Deepdale

Saturday, 15:00

PNE were denied all three points by Swansea in the dying embers of their trip to South Wales on Tuesday night. Preston are muddling their way through 2026, with a 3-3-4 record since New Year's Day. They have been a little unpredictable, yet they tend to be competitive at Deepdale. They still look a little suspect defensively, especially when Liam Lindsay is starting games, but they have plenty of energy and tenacity in the final third and should be able to test the Millwall defence, which will probably be without Caleb Taylor once again.

Despite Taylor's absence, the Lions swept Birmingham aside on Wednesday night. Billy Mitchell was fantastic, Josh Coburn was a nuisance, Tristan Crama was a colossus and Femi Azeez added a sprinkling of class to proceedings. Alex Neil's side have won three of their last four on the road and the Scot will be keen to extend that sequence at one of his former stomping grounds. He got his tactics spot on against Brum and was delighted with the way his team executed the gameplan.

They should be able to press the hosts, and put plenty of pressure on their vulnerable defence.

QPR vs Sheffield United - Entertaining fare in West London

Saturday, 15:00

QPR still have an outside chance of making the play-offs, yet their current form is troubling. Julian Stephan's side have won just two of their eight games, although both victories came against sides who currently occupy the top five. Furthermore, injuries are starting to mount up, with the instrumental Nicholas Madsen picking up a hamstring injury in midweek.

Stephan must find a way to keep his side competitive, despite the lack of bodies. Joe Walsh, Amadou Mbengue and Ronnie Edwards all had games to forget in midweek, and with Daniel Bennie, Kieran Morgan, Kealey Adamson and Esquerdinha occupying the bench, the hosts are desperately short of quality and don't have enough depth to change the course of a game.

Sheffield United were beaten by Coventry despite taking the lead. Chris Wilder blamed Femi Seriki for Cov's winner, but it wasn't an awful performance from the Blades. Patrick Bamford and Andre Brooks had decent efforts, although they need to be a little more clinical here. They will be hoping to take advantage of their hosts' injury woes, but recent displays temper enthusiasm somewhat. They are usually reliable for a goal on the road and QPR tend to find a way through at Loftus Road.

Sheffield Wednesday vs Southampton - Saints to make light work of Wednesday

Saturday, 15:00

Sheffield Wednesday's injury situation has gone from bad to worse, with Liam Cooper missing for the remainder of the season and the returning Dominic Iorfa lasting just 45 minutes on Wednesday night. Jerry Yates, who arrived in January, has already been dropped and started that game on the bench. They were easily beaten by Norwich in a game which looked like a training match at times. The South Yorkshire side managed just four shots in the entire 90 minutes and their squad will be further stretched by this quick turnaround.

Southampton had no mercy for QPR on Tuesday night, and could easily have had six or seven. Their combination down the right of James Bree and Kuryu Matsuki was sensational and created numerous opportunities. Leo Scienza was instrumental once again, with Finn Azaz also defying some of his critics.

They shouldn't have too many issues here, and will be expected to easily take three points against their beleaguered hosts. They should also be able to keep a clean sheet.

Birmingham vs Middlesbrough - Stalemate on Monday evening

Monday, 20:00, Live on Sky Sports Football

Birmingham will be keen to put Wednesday's defeat firmly behind them. The Blues were outbattled by Millwall, and it was a potentially costly night for Chris Davies' men. Jhon Solis will be suspended for this game, and Kai Wagner, the club's only genuine left-back, left the field with a shoulder injury.

Davies will be keen for his side to bounce back, and he will have a few days to make his side tougher to breach. Their home form has been excellent, and they are unbeaten since October 18th at this venue. Their 0-0 draw with WBA was their first clean sheet since November 4th, although keeping high-flying Boro off the scoresheet will be a tough task.

Middlesbrough were flat against Leicester and Kim Hellberg will be desperate for his side to bounce back here. It's the second time in a week that the Teessiders have dropped points and they cannot afford to lose any more ground on the leaders.

This is not an easy place to go, and they will need to convert their chances on Monday evening, as opportunities may be at a premium. Hellberg may opt to shuffle his pack, as he bids to get his side back to winning ways.

Recommended bets

Back Over 2.5 Goals in Derby vs Blackburn @ 6/5

Back Over 1.5 Wrexham Team Goals (vs Charlton) @ 5/4

Back Southampton to Win to Nil (vs Sheffield Wednesday) @ 6/5