The remainder of the matches in the latest round of Sky Bet Championship fixtures take place on Saturday on a day where the promotion race and the battle to avoid the drop will be firmly under the spotlight.
We are back to the usual Saturday schedule where there is a TV game to start the day as well as one behind the red button for those who have access to that service. The usual places will provide updates of the other matches.
Saturday’s fixtures are as follows: (3pm unless stated – UK TV in brackets)
Blackburn Rovers v Sheffield United (12.30pm – Sky Main Event & Sky Football)
Cardiff City v Bristol City (12.30pm – Sky Red Button)
Blackpool v Burnley
Huddersfield Town v Coventry City
Luton Town v Swansea City
Middlesbrough v Reading
Millwall v Norwich City
Rotherham United v Queens Park Rangers
Sunderland v Stoke City
Watford v Preston North End
Wigan Athletic v Birmingham City
Special Offer
Sign up for a Boylesports account and bet £10 to get up to £20 in free bets! Perfect offer for this Sky Bet Championship! Click the image below for this great offer! New accounts only. 18+ T&Cs apply. Gamble Aware.
Big Matches
The televised action comes from Ewood Park where two promotion chasing sides meet as fourth placed Blackburn Rovers take on second placed Sheffield United. The chasing pack come closer to the Blades if they lose this one while Rovers could find their way out of the top six should they lose. It is local(ish) bragging rights at stake behind the red button when Cardiff City welcome in form Bristol City in a match the Bluebirds will be eager to win to pull away from danger while a win could get the Robins into the play-off race.
Best of the Rest
The leaders Burnley will go in search of another three points as they chase automatic promotion at the earliest point in the season. They make the short trip to Blackpool who are in need of the points themselves but for different reasons. They are looking to come out of the bottom three. Middlesbrough will look to keep up the pace with the top two when they host Reading while Millwall and Luton Town, the other two sides in the top six heading into the day, host Norwich City and Swansea City respectively. Huddersfield Town and Wigan Athletic will look to give their survival chances a boost when they host Coventry City and Birmingham City respectively.
Betting
There looks to be something of a mismatch at Bloomfield Road where Blackpool are going to be up against it when they host a rampant Burnley side, arguably the best team the Championship has ever seen. We saw the gulf in class between the best and the lower sides last week when Burnley walloped Huddersfield Town and something similar can’t be ruled out here. Whatever bounce Blackpool thought they were going to get under Mick McCarthy hasn’t arrived and they head into this one with just one win in their last 17 matches and that was a fortunate one against a Stoke side who are tripping over themselves. The options Vincent Kompany has at his disposal are large enough to overcome playing in midweek and I expect a comfortable away win here.
Middlesbrough slipped up at West Brom last week but they can get back on the horse when they entertain Reading on Saturday afternoon. Reading had a good home win over Blackpool last week but as I’ve highlighted above, that isn’t the greatest form guide in the world. Their away form is absolutely dreadful though. They have just 11 points on the road all season and only Huddersfield Town have fewer than that figure. A trip to The Hawthorns was never going to be easy for Middlesbrough last week but this looks a much more comfortable assignment. Prior to that loss at West Brom, Boro had scored three in each of their previous four matches and they are flying at the Riverside. A comfortable home win is expected here.
Tips
Back Burnley (-1AH) to beat Blackpool for a 3/10 stake at 1.96 with Bet365
Back Middlesbrough (-1.25AH) to beat Reading for a 3/10 stake at 1.93 with Bet365
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2023
