The third to last set of matches in the Sky Bet Championship season take place on Easter Monday when all 24 teams are in action over the course of a day where there is plenty to play for at both ends of the table.
With this not being a Saturday, all 12 matches are live on either TV or the streaming channel for us to enjoy over the course of the day with two of them on the main channel and the others available for those who want to stream them.
Monday’s fixtures are as follows: (3pm and Sky Sports + unless stated)
Cardiff City vs Oxford United
Hull City vs Preston North End
Leeds United vs Stoke City (Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Football)
Luton Town vs Bristol City
Millwall vs Norwich City
Plymouth Argyle vs Coventry City
Portsmouth vs Watford
Queens Park Rangers vs Swansea City
Sheffield Wednesday vs Middlesbrough
Sunderland vs Blackburn Rovers
West Bromwich Albion vs Derby County
Burnley vs Sheffield United (5.30pm – Sky Sports Football)
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Big Matches
The televised action is all about the race for promotion with Leeds looking for another three points which would move them to the verge of automatic elevation to the Premier League when Stoke City are the visitors to Elland Road. Were Leeds to win they would be promoted later in the day were Sheffield United not to win the big match of Monday when they head to Turf Moor to take on Burnley. A Burnley win would see both Leeds and Burnley securing automatic promotion back to the Premier League with a couple of matches to spare.
Best of the Rest
Things have really tightened up at the other end of the table after Luton’s win at Derby County on Good Friday and the Hatters can come out of the bottom three for the first time in three months if they can find a win at home to play-off chasing Bristol City and other results go their way. Those results would be Derby County not winning when they travel away to The Hawthorns to face a West Bromwich Albion side for whom it is the last chance saloon in their top six ambitions. Luton would also come out of the bottom three if they win and Hull City lose at home to Preston North End. Cardiff City are hoping that none of them win and that would mean that they can come out of the bottom three if they can get a new manager bounce under Aaron Ramsey and beat Oxford United at home. Plymouth Argyle haven’t given up on their survival hopes just yet and they welcome play-off chasing Coventry City to Home Park.
Betting
There were a couple of bets that I wanted to take but the prices or the lines are slightly out from what I wanted so in the end I’ll go with the one bet which is for Middlesbrough to get the win that they desire at Hillsborough when they go up against Sheffield Wednesday who are clearly in trouble. Events on the pitch in recent weeks have mirrored circumstances off it in the last month or so and it is probably the worst kept secret around that Danny Rohl will be off to Southampton at the end of the season and the players look like they’ve packed in as a result.
Middlesbrough don’t necessarily have the best record on their travels but what they do have is a deep enough squad to rotate players who need to be rotated with the short turnaround and they have everything to play for. They went 3-0 up in the reverse fixture before being pegged back to 3-3 but if that were to happen here you would expect Sheffield Wednesday to fold rather than find it within themselves to come back. Supporters frustrations with the ownership will make for a tough atmosphere here and this looks a prime spot for Boro to do what is necessary to get the victory.
Tips
Back Middlesbrough (-0.25AH) to beat Sheffield Wednesday for a 3/10 stake at 1.88 with Unibet
