Championship Betting Tips: A Boro Friday night win to commence the weekend | OneFootball

EFL Championship

Tips for this weekend's Championship fixtures

This weekend's Championship games are spread across four days, and Jack Critchley has picked out his best bets in each of those fixtures, including the Friday night fixture at the Riverside and Monday night football at The Den...

Middlesbrough vs West Brom - Boro's sensational form set to continue

Friday, 20:00, Live on Sky Sports

Middlesbrough sit top of the Championship and have been sensational under Rob Edwards. Although they've been praised for their attacking play, Boro's defending has also been eye-catching, and they've faced the fewest shots on target (6) so far. Even the absence of Dael Fry last weekend wasn't too much of a hindrance, with Darragh Lenihan returning for the first time in 17 months and proving an able deputy for the injured defender. They're unbeaten at home and are yet to concede in their first two matches at this venue. Admittedly, they didn't create much against a dogged Swansea outfit, and WBA could put up a similar level of resistance.

West Brom have made a good start under Ryan Mason, and they have given very little away so far. They were on the wrong end of a 1-0 defeat last weekend despite conceding an xG of just 0.3. Mason will have to find a way to unlock Boro's defence with the Baggies looking a little bereft of creativity since the departure ot the talented Tom Fellows. Similar to their hosts, they haven't faced many efforts on goal (12) and although they should be able to keep Boro at arm's length for long periods of this game, they may just come up short.

QPR vs Stoke - Good value in backing goals in West London

Saturday, 12:30 - Live on Sky Sports+

QPR have markedly improved since their hammering at the CBS Arena. Julian Stephan's side have bounced back with back-to-back victories over newcomers Charlton and Wrexham. There are still a few defensive frailties to iron out, however, they've looked far slicker in attack, and the addition of Richard Kone has given them an outlet up front. The former Wycombe striker is proving to be a handful for opposition defences and has stepped up to the second tier with aplomb. The R's won consecutive matches just twice last season, and confidence will be much higher in the camp.

Stoke are also riding a wave of optimism. The Potters have come flying out of the traps under Mark Robins and were victorious against Birmingham last weekend. For the first time in several seasons, the Staffordshire outfit has found the right balance in midfield with Tomas Rigo slotting in alongside Ben Pearson and Lewis Baker. No player has delivered more crossed than Sorba Thomas so far this campaign, so they should be able to put pressure on QPR's defence and will surely find a way through.

Birmingham vs Swansea - Brum to take advantage of Swan's jam-packed schedule

Saturday, 12:30 - Live on Sky Sports+

Birmingham's start has fallen below expectations so far. Although there is no reason to panic just yet, Chris Davies must find a way to strike the right balance between defence and attack. At the back, the Blues have been well-organised and hard to break down, allowing the opposition just nine efforts on goal. At the other end of the field, they have missed opportunities, scoring just four goals from an xG of 6.1. Kyogo Furahashi has been guilty of wasting chances, however, Jay Stansfield's return to fitness should improve efficiency.

It's been a busy and successful week for Swansea. The Welsh club have progressed into the fourth round of the EFL Cup, having come back from 2-0 down against Nottingham Forest. Alan Sheehan made some changes for the game, however, several first-team regulars were brought on in the second half. A lunchtime KO on Saturday is far from ideal, and there is a potential that they could be feeling a little fatigued here. Breaking down the hosts won't be easy.

Leicester vs Coventry - End-to-end encounter at the KP

Saturday, 12:30 - Live on Sky Sports

Leicester have won three of their opening five fixtures, despite seemingly failing to impress with their performances. The Foxes are back on hosting duties this weekend following their chaotic 2-2 draw with Oxford seven days ago. Marti Cifuentes' side possess numerous individual talents and are yet to draw a blank this season. Abdul Fatawu has caught the eye so far, although the sheer endeavour of Jordan Ayew enables them to keep the ball in the opposition's half. They weathered the storm against Birmingham in their previous home game , and they will need to be similarly robust against the division's busiest attack.

Coventry threw the kitchen sink at Norwich last weekend, yet they could only draw 1-1 at the CBS. They are averaging 19.8 shots per 90 minutes and have an xG of 11.3 from their opening five matches. In their two previous away game, there have been a combined 12 goals, and this could be another frenetic contest involving Frank Lampard's men.

Norwich vs Wrexham - Welshman's defensive issues to remained unresolved

Saturday, 15:00

Norwich somehow survived an onslaught from Coventry last weekend and took a point back to Carrow Road. The Canaries are far better on their travels so far and Liam Manning is working hard to rectify their troubles in East Anglia. They've suffered a blow with the news that Mathias Kvistgaarden and Ben Chrisene will be missing for several weeks; however, Jose Cordoba is back in contention following illness. Manning has said that he isn't worried about the club's home form; however, he will see this as an opportunity to rectify it. They've fallen behind in each of their two matches here so far and they need to tighten up, especially against a side that possesses an abundance of attacking talent.

Wrexham's Phil Parkinson has been under scrutiny in recent weeks, with his side struggling to put together a sequence of positive results. They've managed just one clean sheet so far and were lucky to keep Millwall off the scoresheet. With an xG of 6.3 conceded in their first two away matches, they will give chances away, although they are unlikely to draw their first blank of the campaign here.

Hull vs Southampton - Crazy 90 minutes at the MKM

Saturday, 15:00

Hull showed plenty of fighting spirit to come back twice against Swansea last weekend. Sergej Jakirovic's side aren't having too many issues in the final third and have an xG of 7.0 across their opening five games. A line should probably be drawn through their 3-0 defeat to Blackburn, with an illness having swept through the camp pre-match. Nevertheless, they have a soft underbelly and are liable to concede here. They were unable to keep hold of a lead against Oxford, taking their eye off the ball almost immediately and looked all at sea against Bristol City.

Southampton were left frustrated by local rivals Pompey last weekend. Will Still's men didn't possess enough craft and ingenuity to break down the blue defensive wall; however, this should be a far simpler task for the Saints. They need to start winning games and the former Reims manager will be keen to collect three points to alleviate the pressure on himself and the players. They've drawn each of their two away games so far, and are always capable of giving away sloppy goals on the road.

Portsmouth vs Sheffield Wednesday - Pompey to ease to victory

Saturday, 15:00

Portsmouth put in a spirited performance to secure a point against Southampton last weekend. John Mousinho's side have impressed so far, collecting eight points from their opening five matches and conceding just three goals in the process. They've had six days to recover, and they will be expecting to collect three points this weekend. Unfortunately, Nicolas Schmidt will face a spell on the sidelines, which is a blow; however, Regan Poole and Conor Shaughnessy should be able to ensure a quiet afternoon for Ben Kilip, who is likely to deputise.

Sheffield Wednesday were knocked out of the EFL Cup in midweek, and their busy schedule continues with a long trip to Fratton Park this weekend. Their off-field issues continue to lurch from crisis to crisis; however, their fans are still likely to travel in numbers. The Owls have failed to score in their last 270 minutes of football across all competitions and they are coming up against a highly organised backline here.

Blackburn vs Ipswich - Philogene is not Blackburn's lover

Saturday, 15:00

Blackburn have been relatively hard to assess so far with Val Ismael's side possessing a 2-0-3 record across their first five matches. Their victories have come against a stricken Hull outfit and an unconvincing Watford side, whereas they've been defeated in both of their matches at Ewood Park so far. This represents another tough home assignment for the Lancashire outfit, who will be required to temper the enthusiasm of a team that notched five goals last weekend.

Ipswich finally came to the fore at Portman Road eight days ago as they hammered the final nail into Ruben Selles' coffin. They had an xG of 2.33 and took 21 shots against the Blades, and they will be looking to take their confidence onto the road. Jaden Philogene was the headline act last time out, with the wideman averaging 1.53 shots on target per game. He is the club's top goalscorer, yet he is priced up at 7/2 to score anytime at the time of writing. There is value in backing the former Villa man here.

Derby vs Preston - Slow start at Pride Park

Saturday, 15:00

Derby are now unbeaten in three, following a slow start to the season which saw them lose back-to-back fixtures. John Eustace has got his side playing gloriously low-margin football, and they were victorious last weekend at the Hawthorns despite producing an xG of just 0.3. Eustace must be credited with the improvement shown in Dion Sanderson, whose partnership with Matt Clarke has flourished in recent weeks. Defensive injuries have forced the pair together, yet they may be tricky to dislodge in the coming weeks. Matches between these two sides are rarely classics, with the Rams coming out on top (1-0 and 2-0) in their last two meetings at this venue.

Preston have enjoyed a decent start to the season and almost held on for all three points against the league leaders last weekend. The majority of their points are likely to be collected at Deepdale; however, they aren't too shabby on the road and have conceded just twice on their travels. Scoring away from home could become an issue for the Lilywhites and they could find it tricky to break down the home defence this weekend.

Sheffield United vs Charlton - Wilder to get off to a flyer

Saturday, 15:00

Sheffield United have been dominating the Championship headlines this week, becoming the first team to make a managerial change this season. The Ruben Selles experiment was short-lived and unsuccessful, so the Blades have turned to a very familiar face once again. Chris Wilder returns for his third stint in charge of his boyhood club, and he's been handed a relatively winnable opening game. The experienced gaffer will aim to simplify the process, however, he must find a way of shoehorning the club's top talents into a cohesive XI, something his predecessor was unable to achieve.

Charlton haven't won since the opening day of the campaign, with Nathan Jones' side having struggled to convert their chances. They picked up a point last weekend, and their superior fitness levels mean that they are unlikely to be broken down easily. The majority of their points are likely to be accrued at The Valley this season, and this could be a tricky away trip for the Addicks. They could be facing the buoyant Blades at the wrong time.

Bristol City vs Oxford - Anis simply can't miss

Sunday, 15:00

Bristol City have made a superb start under Gerhard Struber, and the news of potential investment will have put a spring in the step of Robins fans. The hosts have scored seven goals in their last two Championship fixtures, however, that should be caveated with the fact that they've faced troubled Sheffield Wednesday and defensively suspect Hull City. Nevertheless, they have several exciting talents, including Anis Mehmeti, who has already chalked up five goals + assists so far. In the player xG rankings, he sits sixth, and only Haji Wright has taken more shots than the 24-year-old.

Oxford have significantly improved in recent weeks, and Gary Rowett's side have found their feet in the final third. The Yellows have shown far more adventure, particularly at the Kassam; however, they have lost some of their defensive resolve as a consequence. This could be an entertaining game, yet I don't expect the visitors to keep a clean sheet.

Millwall vs Watford - BTTS on Monday night

Monday, 20:00 - Live on Sky Sports

Millwall were involved in EFL Cup action in midweek, however, I don't expect that to impact their performance here with six days between those two events. Alex Neil will be far more concerned with ending the short-lived home hoodoo, which has seen them lose to nil in each of their first two matches at The Den. Nevertheless, the hosts created bundles of chances against Wrexham before being hit by a suckerpunch and with players slowly returning from injury, they should have enough to get on the scoresheet for the first time in Bermondsey.

Watford are winless since August 16th and Paulo Pezzolano's side must find a way to improve their performances. They possess several exciting talents, many of whom have looked a tad raw so far. Nevertheless, the return of Imran Louza will help with the influential midfielder having served his suspension. He will be reintroduced immediately, and that should give the Hertfordshire outfit a far better balance in the middle of the park. They are shot-happy and have taken 60 efforts across their opening five fixtures. They should be able to find a way through.

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