The Sky Bet Championship weekend concludes on Saturday where there were meant to be 11 matches taking place but some positive Covid-19 tests have meant that we are down to nine games over the course of the day.
We usually have a lunchtime clash on TV in this division but the Old Firm derby up in Scotland means we have to wait until the evening for the TV treatment. That will wind down a key day in the division as teams look for three points ahead of the FA Cup break.
Saturday’s fixtures are as follows: (3pm unless stated; TV in brackets)
Birmingham City v Blackburn Rovers
Huddersfield Town v Reading
Millwall v Coventry City
Norwich City v Barnsley
Preston North End v Nottingham Forest
Rotherham United v Cardiff City
Swansea City v Watford
Wycombe Wanderers v Middlesbrough
Stoke City v AFC Bournemouth (7.45pm – Sky Sports Football)
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Big Matches
The TV match sees two sides who are chasing promotion meeting at the Bet365 Stadium when Stoke City host a Bournemouth team who will be going into the contest off the back of a second defeat of the season. Both teams will want the points after a bit of a quiet spell. Before then though, the leaders Norwich City could have kicked further clear at the top when they host Barnsley on a day where second placed Brentford have seen their match postponed.
Best of the Rest
Third placed Swansea are in action on Saturday and they can move into the top two if they are able to get the better of Watford who are going under the radar a little in fifth place. The other team in the play-offs are Reading and they head to Huddersfield on Saturday afternoon. Down at the bottom Wycombe Wanderers will be looking to come off the foot of the table when they host Middlesbrough while Rotherham United host a Cardiff side who look to be in freefall as they big to come out of the bottom three. The other team in the bottom three starting out the day are Nottingham Forest and they head to Preston.
Betting
I’ll go with one bet over the course of these matches after one that I did have lined up has been postponed due to the Covid-19 issues that are doing the rounds. The one that remains is the one between Preston North End and Nottingham Forest at Deepdale where I think the home side should be backed at a bigger price on a bigger line than I expected them to be based on the seasons that the two teams are having.
Maybe a month or so ago this would have been one to avoid because Preston couldn’t buy a win on their own ground but they’ve now won their last three there and have won their last three anywhere in the Championship. Nottingham Forest are in the middle of a four game unbeaten spell but they have only won one of those matches and the schedule being kind to them has been much of the reason for that rather than any special play of their own. You can get Preston on a draw no bet line and as the better team who look to have finally cracked their home form I’m happy to take that.
Tips
Back Preston North End (0AH) to beat Nottingham Forest for a 3/10 stake at 1.86 with Bet365
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