Championship Tips for Midweek: Back goals when Leicester visit the MKM | OneFootball

EFL Championship

Midweek tips for the EFL Championship

There's a full midweek fixture list in the Championship and Jack Critchley has used the Betfair Sportsbook to pick out his favourite bets for the Tuesday and Wednesday night games...

Blackburn v Sheffield United - Blades' first stalemate of the season

Tuesday, 7:45pm, Live on Sky Sports+ App

There have been some dissenting voices at Ewood Park lately, with some fans calling for Val Ismael to be sacked following a run of four games without victory. The Lancastrians' performances haven't been particularly bad, and they gave leaders Coventry a few scares on Saturday afternoon, yet they've accumulated just a single point from a possible 12.

Rovers' issues have mainly been defensively, with their centre-backs prone to clangers. Missing chances has also been an issue, but the players are clearly still on the manager's side, for now.

Sheffield United picked up just their second victory of the season on Saturday. Chris Wilder's side edged past Watford, with the Hornets creating plenty of chances. The Blades still aren't convincing, with most of their matches having been decided by incredibly fine margins.

With this in mind, it's remarkable that they haven't drawn a single match so far this season. Their games tend to be tight, and they are defensively structured, unlike under Selles' tenure. Gus Hamer's absence isn't helping with creativity, and we could see another low-margin fixture on Tuesday night.

Derby v Norwich City - Underwhelming 90 minutes between a pair of strugglers

Tuesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Derby produced one of their worst performances of the season at the weekend as they were downed 1-0 by Gary Rowett's Oxford. Jacob Widell Zetterstrom produced an outstanding display and was the only Rams player to emerge with any credit. Derby failed to create anything of note with striker Carlton Morris taking just 34 touches of the ball, the least of any player on the pitch.

Since losing 5-3 here to Coventry, the hosts have picked up just three points from a possible 12 and have drawn three of those games 1-1. Their matches have produced very little excitement.

At the time of writing, Liam Manning remains in his post as Norwich boss with the pressure amplified by his side's tame defeat to Bristol City at the weekend. Things aren't clicking and the players look unhappy. There are signs that this marriage isn't working, and I cannot make a case for them taking three points here. If Manning loses his job before this fixture, I'd expect a positive reaction but, if not, this could be another turgid affair.

Hull v Leicester - Value in backing goals at the MKM

Tuesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Hull have been the masters of mayhem so far this season. The Tigers have been involved in several chaotic encounters, with their home matches averaging 3.4 goals and their games on the road rising to 3.6. Sergej Jakirovic's side know how to score goals, yet they struggle to defend, and they almost blew a 3-1 lead on Saturday at St. Andrews.

Although their 1-0 victory over the Blades completely bucked the trend, they survived a missed penalty from the visitors and created more than enough chances to double their lead.

Leicester drew 1-1 at the weekend to continue their unbeaten run. Although they've created far less havoc in their fixtures, BTTS has still landed in five of their last six, and they have also netted six times in their last three on the road. Marti Cifuentes' side have found a nice balance with Harry Winks looking comfortable at the base of midfield and Jacob Ramsey proving dangerous when bursting forward.

The one Leicester haven't cracked is the starting striker. Julian Carranza is yet to convince in the second tier. Nevertheless, they still create chances and are likely to score goals in this one.

Ipswich v Charlton - Tractor Boys to return to winning ways

Tuesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Ipswich's away form continues to be a source of frustration for their fans, although they can hold their heads up high following an energetic performance on Friday night. Kieran McKenna's side were unlucky to only score once, missing a penalty and squandering several chances, yet they were also sloppy at the back and were regularly overrun in midfield.

At home, it's a completely different story with the Suffolk outfit winning each of their last three, scoring nine times in the process. This is a winnable-looking fixture for the hosts, who will be keen to preserve their unbeaten record at Portman Road.

Charlton beat Sheffield Wednesday at the weekend, securing back-to-back home victories. Nathan Jones' side will pick up the majority of their points in South London this season, and their record on the road remains patchy. They've netted three times in five away trips, with their only victory coming against a slow-starting Sheffield United.

They are rarely thumped, but they may struggle to match Ipswich under the lights on Tuesday night.

Millwall v Stoke - Potters to take a point

Tuesday, 19:45. Live on Sky Sports+ App

Millwall picked up consecutive victories for the first time this season with a 2-1 victory over QPR. The Lions made a fast start, yet they struggled to contain the R's after the break and were fairly lucky to hold onto all three points. They were outshot 20-5, created just 0.9 xG from open play and lost Massimo Luongo to an excruciating ACL injury.

They did beat WBA here in their last outing at The Den, yet they've lost three of their five matches here and failed to score in all of them.

Stoke have kept things tight and professional so far and once again, they came out on the right side of a narrow margin on Saturday. They've lost just two of 10 so far, and have conceded just three times in their last six Championship games.

They've already been to the Riverside and St Mary's and left with a point, and they won't be fazed by a visit to Bermondsey on Tuesday night. They allowed Wrexham just 0.59 xG at the weekend and are unlikely to be giving much away here.

Portsmouth v Coventry - Pompey to frustrate the leaders

Tuesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Portsmouth haven't been the easiest team to assess so far this season, losing the xG count regularly, yet managing to stay in matches and nick points from decent teams. In their most recent match at Fratton Park, they took the lead and kept high-flying Middlesbrough at arm's length. They've also beaten Preston here and took a point off Leicester at the weekend at the KP.

John Mousinho's men have done this without several key players with injuries hitting the squad hard, particularly in central defence and up front. They are widely predicted to struggle in this encounter, yet they tend to thrive when they are written off and have been priced up as the underdog.

Coventry faced one of their toughest games of the season so far against Blackburn. They withstood plenty of pressure and finally made the breakthrough in the second-half. It was far from a vintage performance from Frank Lampard's side and one of their weakest of the season, yet they managed to emerge with all three points. They may have to work hard on Tuesday night, and it may take them a while to cut through the stubborn hosts.

Preston v Birmingham - PNE to bask in home advantage

Tuesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Preston were defeated at the weekend despite winning the xG count and taking 17 shots. That was just PNE's second defeat of the season, both of which have come away from home. At Deepdale, the hosts have been extremely effective, keeping clean sheets against Charlton, Ipswich and Bristol City, and almost beating Middlesbrough.

Paul Heckingbottom has been flexible with his formation, moving between systems, although finding a frequent goalscorer is essential. Milutin Osmajic is the club's top goalscorer with three, yet with his FA hearing looming, PNE will need to find goals from elsehere.

Birmingham were involved in a kamikaze contest on Saturday afternoon, losing to Hull at St. Andrews. Blues fans weren't expecting their side to be sat 17th at this stage of the season and this has put manager Chris Davies in the spotlight.

This is the first of back-to-back away games for the West Midlands outfit and having taken just four points on the road so far, the travelling supporters will not be feeling confident ahead of this tough midweek trip. There is undoubtedly plenty of individual talent within the squad, yet Davies is struggling for cohesion.

Bristol City v Southampton - Tight encounter at Ashton Gate

Tuesday, 20:00, Live on Sky Sports Football

Bristol City fans were delighted to get one over on their former manager Liam Manning at the weekend. It was also the Robins' first success since 13 September, providing a much-needed filip for Gerhard Struber. There are still plenty of injuries including McNally, Pring, Knight, Bird, Williams and Stokes, all of whom remain on the sidelines.

Struber has previously spoken about his reluctance to rotate, but with the fixtures coming thick and fast, he may have to manage his squad carefully over the next seven days.

Southampton have a much bigger squad at this disposal, although most fans agree that Will Still hasn't been able to make the most of their talents. Saints supporters are becoming a little frustrated by the number of stalemates, watching their side create opportunities, dominate possession, yet finding themselves unable to turns draws into wins.

They rarely draw a blank and ended Saturday's goalless draw with an xG of 3.10. They are unlikely to misfire in front of the TV cameras on Tuesday night. This could be a good opportunity, facing a side who have fitness concerns.

Swansea v QPR - Visitors to take a point back to West London

Wednesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Swansea survived an onslaught against Southampton with Cameron Burgess and Lawrence Vigouroux standing firm and preventing the Saints from getting on the scoresheet. At the other of the pitch, the Swans looked a little leggy with both Zan Vipotnik and Marko Stamenic having played back-to-back games on international duty before being thrown into a lunchtime KO.

A three-game week is far from ideal for Alan Sheehan's side and some rotation is absolutely essentials for the hosts. Although they've made a decent start to the campaign, the Swans haven't won at home since 16 August and this won't be straightforward.

QPR were beaten by Millwall undeservedly, chalking up an xG of 1.87 and taking 20 shots throughout the 90 minutes. Julian Stephan was unhappy with his side's first half performance, and the introduction of Rumarn Burrell at the break completely changed the game.

The visitors aren't far off having a clean bill of health and that could swing the game in their favour here. They will have plenty of options from the bench and have been fairly effective on the road so far. They have a 2-1-2 record away from home, recently winning at Wrexham and Bristol City and they should take something home from this encounter.

Watford v West Brom - Points shared at Vicarage Road

Wednesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Javi Gracia opted for a 4-2-2-2 in his first game in charge and despite some pre-match optimism, Watford were ineffective. Very few of their attacking players fired and the Hornets' poor record on the road continued. Gracia must get to grips with a talented, but unpredictable squad and the fans will be expecting them to take something from this encounter. Watford's home form has been relatively solid, winning three of their first five including the last two.

West Brom continue to be fairly unpredictable. They beat Preston despite not creating a huge amount, and were abysmal in their last away trip to Millwall. The Baggies have lacked creativity, although the midfield duo of Toby Collyer and Alex Mowatt does provide a nice balance and Isaac Price is enjoying a productive season so far. Ryan Mason's side should be competitive in this one and may have enough to prevent Gracia from picking up the first victory of his second spell in charge of Watford.

Wrexham v Oxford - Another BTTS in North Wales

Wednesday, 19:45, Live on Sky Sports+ App

Wrexham were exceptionally poor at the weekend, slipping to a 1-0 defeat at Stoke. Frustration is growing amongst the fans with manager Phil Parkinson, although several players underwhelmed in the Potteries and there has been a clamour for Nathan Broadhead to be starting games.

The visitors managed just five shots at the weekend, an xG of 0.59 and they simply must improve on Wednesday night. They are also yet to win at home, which isn't likely to please the fanbase, although they have found the net in every single match at the Racecourse.

Oxford produced the perfect performance to see off Derby at the weekend. Gary Rowett's out-thought his old employers, and his side should have been out of sight. Goalscorer Stanley Mills caught the eye, with Jack Currie putting in best performance of the season and Siriki Dembele providing width.

The Yellows have flitted between toothless and clinical, and it's difficult to know what to expect from the visitors in midweek. Nevertheless, they will fancy their chances of finding their way past one of the division's poorest defences.

Sheffield Wednesday v Middlesbrough - Wednesday to struggle with schedule

Wednesday, 20:00, Live on Sky Sports Football

Sheffield Wednesday put up a decent fight against Charlton at the weekend, before coming up short in South London. They have lost (emergency) keeper Ethan Horvath to suspension following his dismissal and it remains to be seen whether they can trigger another emergency loan, or whether they turn to 18-year-old rookie Logan Stretch.

The South Yorkshire club's home form has been far worse than their record on the road this season, and this fixture is far from ideal in a busy week. The Owls will put in 100% effort, but their off-field situation gives them a significant disadvantage against one of the smartest run clubs in the division.

Middlesbrough came out on top in a topsy-turvy and hugely entertaining Friday evening contest. Rob Edward's side have suffered just a single defeat this season, although they are winless in three on their travels, and this looks like a good opportunity to put that right.

Aidan Morris was rested at the weekend having only just returned from international duty and he could be reinstated for this fixture, having rested up. The visitors should be able to dominate in the centre of the pitch and they will have enough options on the bench to change the game in their favour.

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