Championship Betting Tips: Best bets for Saturday afternoon's fixtures in the second tier | OneFootball

EFL Championship

Tony Mowbray's side have been struggling in the final third recently

We're firmly at the business end of the season and Jack Critchley has picked out his best bets from Saturday's intriguing Championship fixture list...

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Saturday 12:30 Kick-Offs

West Brom vs Sunderland - Ponderous play-off preparations

This is a huge game for West Brom and Tony Mowbray. There is plenty of goodwill towards the Teessider, however, fans have become a little frustrated by WBA's lack of cutting edge with some supporters calling for a tactical reshuffle in order to get more out of misfiring striker Adam Armstrong. The hosts occupy the final play-off spot, yet both Middlesbrough and Bristol City are breathing down their necks and they simply cannot afford any more slip-ups. The West Midlands outfit drew a blank at Norwich last weekend and have netted 2+ goals just once across their previous eight matches.

Sunderland are firmly entrenched in the top six and have a 15-point buffer on the play-off chasers. The Black Cats have several injury issues to overcome and may struggle to find their usual rhythm here. They have lost just four times since the start of October and could be difficult to beat on Saturday lunchtime. Early KO's in the Championship have averaged just 2.26 goals per game this season and this fixture is unlikely to increase that figure.

Coventry vs Burnley - Rare BTTS for the Clarets

Coventry's play-off ambitions took a minor hit last weekend as they were defeated at Bramall Lane. The Sky Blues' tough run of fixtures continues on Saturday afternoon as they host automatic promotion hopefuls Burnley at the CBS. The hosts have been excellent since Frank Lampard arrived in Warwickshire and they have netted ten goals across their last four home fixtures and have plenty of firepower. With Jack Rudoni and Ephron Mason-Clark back in the reckoning, they are likely to cause issues for the visitors. Only three sides have managed to leave this stadium with a clean sheet so far.

Burnley moved level with Leeds last weekend as they edged past Bristol City at Turf Moor. Scott Parker's men have been defensively sound and are rarely breached, yet this game could go against the trends and see the visitors defence severely tested by the attack-minded hosts.

Saturday 15:00 Kick-Offs

Oxford vs Sheffield United - Business-like display from the Blades

Sheffield United have turned into a winning machine and the Blades are taking advantage of Leeds' traditional end-of-season wobble. Chris Wilder's men were exceptional against Coventry last weekend with Tyrese Campbell causing carnage at Bramall Lane. Impressively, they have conceded just 0.74 goals per game on the road and have an excellent record when travelling to bottom-half opposition. They've recently kept clean sheets at Luton, Derby and Cardiff and are unlikely to be overly concerned about their trip to the Kassam.

Derby's midweek victory was a blow to Oxford's chances of survival. Gary Rowett's men played well against Middlesbrough last weekend, however, they couldn't cope with Boro's energy in the second half. They've lost just two of their last eight at home and won't make this easy, yet they've struggled when hosting top six teams.

Sheffield Wednesday vs Hull - Tigers to take a point on the road

Sheffield Wednesday have been fantastic on the road this season. The Owls have won 45% of their away games, yet the same cannot be said for their matches at Hillsborough. Danny Rohl's men have struggled here and have picked up just six points from a possible 21 in 2025. With their season effectively over, they may not have the motivation to try and turn things around on Saturday afternoon.

Hull's survival hopes were dealt a blow last weekend as they slipped to a 1-0 loss at home to Luton. The Tigers struggled to create clearcut chances, yet they do have the ability to keep things relatively tight. They have been much better on their travels recently and are unbeaten in six of their last eight away from home. This is unlikely to be a classic, yet Ruben Selles' men might be able to add a point to their tally and hope that the sides around them slip up.

Plymouth vs Norwich - Pilgrims to go down swinging

Plymouth have certainly been entertaining this season. The Pilgrims inability to defend has led to plenty of chaotic affairs, yet the Devon outfit managed to keep a rare clean sheet last weekend at Watford. Miron Muslic's men survived an onslaught and were fairly lucky to walk away with a clean sheet, yet, it gives them a small glimmer of hope heading into this fixture. At Home Park, the hosts have averaged 1.68 goals per game and they have netted ten times across their last five home matches.

Johannes Hof Thorup opted for a more conservative approach last weekend and his change of approach worked effectively. Nevertheless, his natural instincts are to attack and create chances and he is likely to revert to his tried and tested formula here. Interestingly, the Canaries have only actually picked up two victories when visiting bottom-half teams this season.

QPR vs Cardiff - Bluebirds to take advantage of QPR's injury woes

QPR's injury list is extensive. Marti Cifuentes cannot call upon Michi Frey, Ilias Chair, Sam Field, Rayan Kolli, Zan Celar or Jake Clarke-Salter. Jonathan Varane has also been struggling and Koki Saito remains suspended. The Londoners named several youth players on the bench at the weekend with Cifuentes claiming that he would have made 11 changes at the break if it was permitted. Furthermore, the Rs have nothing to play for and are coasting towards the end of the campaign.

Cardiff have everything to play for. The Welsh side dropped into the bottom three in midweek and will be determined to jump back above the dotted line here. They are unbeaten in their last two (both against mid-table opposition) and have managed to avoid defeat in five of their last eight away games. They should be able to make it three unbeaten.

Swansea vs Derby - Absorbing 90 minutes in South Wales

Swansea's season may be completed, yet, they are refusing to take their foot off the gas. They disrupted Leeds' promotion push last weekend and they will have a big say in the battle to avoid the drop. Alan Sheehan's side are still set to host Oxford, Hull, Plymouth and Derby. They have a mixed record at home this season and have been tough to predict, yet they tend to score when hosting bottom-half opposition and can take plenty of confidence from last weekend's display.

Derby beat Preston in midweek as John Eustace continued to enjoy a happy honeymoon in the East Midlands. The Rams have won four consecutive matches, only one of which came away from Pride Park. This will not be easy, yet their tails are up and they should give a good account of themselves.

Millwall vs Portsmouth - Narrow home success for the Lions

Millwall have been the kings of inconsistency in recent weeks. The Lions haven't won back-to-back games since February 1st and haven't lost consecutive contests since mid-December. They've netted just seven times across their last nine matches and have failed to register in five of their last ten at the Den.

Pompey aren't safe just yet. John Mousinho's men are continuing to pick up points, yet the chasing pack are refusing to back off. They have been potent at Fratton Park this year, yet their form on the road has not mirrored this. They've lost nine of their last ten away games and didn't play particularly well last weekend.

Bristol City vs Watford - Robins to keep their play-off ambitions on track

Traditionally, at this time of the year, Bristol City are beginning to wind down with their season slowly coming to a close. This season is different. The Robins are firmly in play-off contention and they come into this fixture level on points with sixth-place West Brom. They failed to have a shot on target last weekend at Burnley, however, Liam Manning's side have been much more effective at Ashton Gate lately and will fancy their chances of beating the Hornets.

A defeat would probably end Watford's faint top-six ambitions. Tom Cleverley's side have missed too many chances in recent weeks and have been victorious in just one of their last five outings. With just five goals across their last eight, they are lacking a clinical edge and may come up short on Saturday.

Preston vs Stoke - Points shared at Deepdale

PNE were beaten by Derby in midweek as their season comes to a shuddering halt following their FA Cup. Paul Heckingbottom's side have a few injuries to contend with, yet, they are usually effective at this venue. Bristol City were the last side to leave this ground with maximum points at the beginning of November and they have been breached just eight times in their last 12 here.

Stoke are desperate for points, yet the majority of their recent victories have come in Staffordshire. They've lost five of their last six on the road, however, PNE's new-found despondency may enable them to leave with a point.

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