The huge penultimate weekend in the Sky Bet Championship continues on Saturday when another eight fixtures take place with the race for the play-offs and the battle to avoid the drop really intensifying over the course of the day.
As always we have a TV match to enjoy on Saturday but this time it comes at the end of the day rather than the beginning of it. The other matches should have regular updates in all the usual places given the importance of them.
Saturday’s fixtures are as follows: (3pm unless stated; UK TV in brackets)
Bristol City v Burnley
Coventry City v Birmingham City
Hull City v Swansea City
Reading v Wigan Athletic
Sheffield United v Preston North End
Stoke City v Queens Park Rangers
Sunderland v Watford
West Bromwich Albion v Norwich City (5.30pm – Sky Main Event & Sky Football)
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Big Matches
The televised offering on Saturday is a season defining one for West Bromwich Albion and Norwich City with the season ending for the team which doesn’t win. Even the winner might need results to go their way on the final day if they are to sneak into the top six but there will be no play-offs for whoever fails to win. Things are equally as huge at the bottom of the table where Reading host Wigan Athletic. Wigan will be relegated if they fail to win while Reading could be relegated on Sunday should they lose the game.
Best of the Rest
So many teams are chasing a play-off place going into the final two rounds of the season. Coventry City and Sunderland began the weekend in control of their own destiny and if that is to remain the case they must navigate home matches against Birmingham City and Watford respectively. Preston North End are one of the teams hoping for a slip up from those two. If there is one they go to Sheffield United looking to take advantage. Swansea City still have feint hopes of making the top six and they have to win at Hull to keep those chances alive, but would need a lot of results to go their way.
Betting
I’ll go with three bets over the course of the afternoon. The first one comes at the Stadium of Light where I think we are set up for goals between Sunderland and Watford. Sunderland are one of the better teams to watch in the division and if the Watford mercenaries don’t care much for this match the Black Cats could put them to the sword. This Sunderland defence isn’t as tight as Tony Mowbray would like it to be with injuries not helping them so if any of the supposed star attackers that Watford have fancy the job then there should be openings for them. If Sunderland concede the first goal they will need to push to get back into the game because a defeat is disastrous for them so weighing it all up goals are on the menu here.
Sheffield United secured promotion to the Premier League on Wednesday night and I can’t believe they are going to be in 100% shape for their match against Preston North End. We have seen with Burnley how even just subconsciously their intensity has dropped since they achieved their goals and I expect that to be the case with Sheffield United. Preston have run out of form at the worst possible time but they are in the last chance saloon as far as their season is concerned but they know that two wins from their last two matches should extend their season. They should have the perfect dance partners to pick the first one up against.
The final bet that I like comes in the TV game where I expect West Bromwich Albion to pick up the win which will keep their season alive when they host Norwich City who have fallen off a cliff in recent weeks. I mentioned when Norwich were on the TV against Middlesbrough a couple of weeks ago that they have run out of defenders and none are back for this one so you have to fear for Norwich. The one thing Norwich do have on their side is that West Brom played on Wednesday night but at this stage of the season with all the marbles on the line I would be amazed if the home side can’t find some adrenalin to go again with. Norwich have one win in nine and I expect them to go down here.
Tips
Back Sunderland vs Watford – Over 2.5 goals for a 3/10 stake at 1.80 with William Hill
Back it here:
Back Preston North End to beat Sheffield United for a 2/10 stake at 4.75 with BetVictor
Back them here:
Back West Bromwich Albion to beat Norwich City for a 3/10 stake at 2.00 with Betfred
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