There are two sets of matches over the Easter weekend in the Sky Bet Championship and the first of those takes place on Good Friday where events at the top and the bottom of the table could become a little clearer over the course of the day.
With it being a bank holiday there is football on TV throughout the day with three different live games on the box and a number of the others being shown behind the red button so kick back and watch some Championship football.
Friday’s fixtures are as follows: (3pm unless stated – UK TV in brackets)
Millwall v Luton Town (12.30pm – Sky Main Event & Sky Football)
Rotherham United v West Bromwich Albion (1pm)
Blackburn Rovers v Norwich City
Blackpool v Cardiff City
Queens Park Rangers v Preston North End
Reading v Birmingham City
Sheffield United v Wigan Athletic
Stoke City v Bristol City
Swansea City v Coventry City
Watford v Huddersfield Town
Sunderland v Hull City (5.30pm – Sky Main Event & Sky Football)
Middlesbrough v Burnley (8pm – Sky Football)
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Big Matches
The televised action begins in the capital where two sides in the top six meet in a big game when Millwall welcome Luton Town to The New Den. The reverse fixture between the two was a 2-2 draw and with Luton having the chance to put the pressure on Sheffield United in the race for the top two and Millwall needing to win to fend off the chasing pack, this should be an entertaining opener for the day. The second televised match comes from the Stadium of Light where the game between Sunderland and Hull City probably looked good when it got chosen but has nothing on it now. That certainly isn’t the case in the final TV game where if Luton have not won at the start to the day Burnley will be promoted back to the Premier League if they win away to Middlesbrough. That isn’t going to be easy though because Middlesbrough are desperate for the points in the chase for the top two.
Best of the Rest
There is a big game at Ewood Park where sixth placed Blackburn Rovers host seventh placed Norwich City in a match which could dictate who does and doesn’t make the play-offs. At the other end of the table Wigan Athletic will look to give their survival hopes a boost when they head to Bramall Lane to take on Sheffield United. Second bottom Blackpool play host to Cardiff City who are the side they are chasing for survival in another big match and if Cardiff lose that Huddersfield Town could come out of the bottom three if they can win away to Watford. Reading have been sucked into the relegation battle after their point deduction and they host Birmingham City in a match the Royals really need to win.
Betting
Four bets catch my eye over the course of the day on Friday. We begin at the Bet365 Stadium where I fully expect a suddenly in form Stoke City side to beat a Bristol City team whose young squad looks like it is on the beach already. I don’t know what Alex Neil has fed his players recently but Stoke have come alive in a big way in recent times. They have won three of their last five matches and scored 12 goals in those wins with the draws in between being against Middlesbrough and Norwich which are far from bad results. Bristol City have hit the skids. They only have one win in their last six which was against an ordinary Blackpool side. On their travels Bristol City have picked up two points from the last 15 and with Stoke seemingly coming home with a wet sail I expect a home win here.
I do not expect a home win at Loftus Road though where the form of QPR ever since Mick Beale left in October has been absolutely terrible. They only have two wins in that time and fears that Gareth Ainsworth was the wrong man for the job when he took over recently are already carrying plenty of weight. QPR host Preston North End on Friday with the Lancashire side buoyed from their win over rivals Blackpool last week. From almost nowhere Preston have suddenly appeared as live contenders in the play-off race so they will be full of motivation to beat a QPR side who are imploding in front of our eyes. Amazingly Preston are the outsiders so I’ll gladly take them on the draw no bet lines.
The attention really should be on Vicarage Road on Friday afternoon where finally we get the meeting between Chris Wilder and Neil Warnock for the first time since the former replaced the latter at Middlesbrough and to say there has been a fallout between the two would be something of an understatement. Warnock seemingly detests Wilder after an incident on the day after his sacking and seemingly was in no rush to end the beef in the media ahead of the game. Warnock would have his Huddersfield Town team up for the trip to Watford anyway because a win could get them out of the bottom three but given his hatred towards the man in the other dugout I’m expecting the Terriers to run through fire here. That certainly won’t be the case with the home side. Their mercenaries sunk to a new low when they barely showed up in the derby loss to Luton last week and Chris Wilder has called for a cultural reset at the club. There are suggestions he is going to drop some big names and play some youngsters here but a fired up Huddersfield side will want this one more and I think they get a result.
Finally I’ll play both teams to score in the marquee clash at the end of the day when Middlesbrough host Burnley. These two are the two top scoring sides in the competition and have found the net 145 times between them this season. Middlesbrough love going forward at home and have Chuba Akpom in the form of his life. Burnley will also get forward in behind the roving Boro full-backs and their goal threat has been there for all to see throughout the course of the season. This promises to be a brilliant match between two of the best in the division and if Burnley have the incentive of going up if they win, which they will if Luton don’t win earlier in the day, then it could be even better. I expect two very strong attacks to find the net at the Riverside.
Tips
Back Stoke City to beat Bristol City for a 3/10 stake at 1.80 with William Hill
Back Middlesbrough vs Burnley – Both teams to score for a 3/10 stake at 1.80 with William Hill
Back them here:
Back Preston North End to beat QPR (DNB) for a 3/10 stake at 2.10 with BetVIctor
Back them here:
Back Huddersfield/Draw Double Chance for a 3/10 stake at 2.20 with Coral
Back Huddersfield Town to beat Watford for a 1/10 stake at 5.75 with Coral
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