Sky Bet Championship 2024-25 – Boxing Day Matches Tips, TV and Betting Preview

The festive period continues in the Sky Bet Championship on Boxing Day when the entire division are in action across four different kick off times as the second tier reaches the halfway point of the campaign with some juicy matches.

With the new TV deal in operation every match across Boxing Day is available to watch on TV in the UK although a number of them clash so you will need plenty of devices if you intend to watch all of them!

Boxing Day fixtures are as follows: (3pm and Sky Sports+ unless stated)

Blackburn Rovers vs Sunderland

Bristol City vs Luton Town

Coventry City vs Plymouth Argyle

Middlesbrough vs Sheffield Wednesday

Norwich City vs Millwall

Oxford United vs Cardiff City

Preston North End vs Hull City

Sheffield United vs Burnley

Swansea City vs Queens Park Rangers

Watford vs Portsmouth

Derby County vs West Bromwich Albion (5.30pm – Sky Main Event & Sky Football)

Stoke City vs Leeds United (8pm – Sky Main Event & Sky Football)

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Big Matches

The TV cameras hover around the midlands on Boxing Day where we begin at Pride Park where West Bromwich Albion could well be without boss Carlos Corberan for the first time when they go up against a Derby County who are having a decent season but will be out to bounce back from the disappointing way they lost at Luton on Friday night. When that match is done we move to the Bet365 Stadium to see Leeds United looking to remain in the top two at the halfway point when they make the trip south to take on a Stoke City side who are sliding closer and closer to the bottom three. The other standout match on Boxing Day sees two promotion challengers facing each other at Bramall Lane where the leaders Sheffield United host Burnley.

Best of the Rest

Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland are fifth and fourth respectively and they are both in action against each other in another appealing match at Ewood Park while Middlesbrough, the other team in the top six, welcome a Sheffield Wednesday side who are in the top 10 to the Riverside. At the other end of the table, rock bottom Plymouth Argyle make the trip to Coventry City for what is a high profile clash as two former England teammates face each other in the dugouts. Two other sides in the bottom three clash in a massive game at the Kassam Stadium as Oxford United have their first home game under Gary Rowett when they host Cardiff City. The two sides immediately above the relegation zone are Hull City and Portsmouth and they travel to Preston North End and Watford.

Betting

There isn’t a huge amount that interests me in this match but the one bet that I do like is for both teams to score no land in the big match against Sheffield United and Burnley. These two teams yield comfortably the best two defences in the Championship and it wouldn’t be a massive surprise if these two teams cancel each other out. Clean sheets is something that these two do nicely, particularly Sheffield United, who haven’t conceded a goal at home since their first home game of the season.

Burnley have been away from Turf Moor on 11 occasions this term and they have kept clean sheets in six of those matches. They are not a team that allows themselves to be opened up very often so both teams are anything but guaranteed to find the back of the net. Their defensive solidity comes at a detriment to their attacking numbers. Both of these sides have faced Leeds and Sunderland, the other top four sides this term and BTTS no landed in all four matches. I think it lands here too.

Tips

Back Sheffield United vs Burnley – Both teams to score NO for a 3/10 stake at 1.75 with William Hill

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