The Sky Bet Championship weekend continues on Saturday when all but two of the ongoing fixture list is played out across the two kick off times up and down the country as we head towards the end of the opening quarter of the season.
We are getting used to the new Saturday schedule which sees three lunchtime matches come along on the TV and the others taking place in the usual 3pm slot where all of the updates come in the usual places.
Saturday’s fixtures are as follows: (3pm unless stated – UK TV in brackets)
Bristol City vs Leeds United (12.30pm – Sky Sports+)
Coventry City vs Luton Town (12.30pm – Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Football)
Watford vs Blackburn Rovers (12.30pm – Sky Sports+)
Burnley vs Queens Park Rangers
Derby County vs Hull City
Plymouth Argyle vs Preston North End
Sheffield United vs Stoke City
Sunderland vs Oxford United
Swansea City vs Millwall
West Bromwich Albion vs Cardiff City
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Big Matches
The main TV cameras head to the CBS Arena for the repeat of the 2023 Championship Play-off final as Coventry City look to extract some revenge when they host Luton Town who slashed the Sky Blues’ dreams on penalties at Wembley Stadium the last time these two sides met. Leeds United have the chance to go to the top of the table for a few hours in one of the other TV matches. They make the long trip to Ashton Gate to take on Bristol City while the other game sees Watford looking to bounce back from successive defeats when they host Blackburn Rovers.
Best of the Rest
Sunderland are the team on top of the pile and they will stay there if they can avoid defeat when a lively Oxford United are the visitors to the Stadium of Light. If Sunderland do lose that game then Burnley could end the day on top of the table if they can pick up a win over QPR at Turf Moor. At the other end of the table, Plymouth Argyle will look to come away from the drop zone when they host an inconsistent Preston North End outfit while West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United will look to preserve their top six positions when they host Cardiff City and Stoke City respectively.
Betting
I get that they have lost their last two matches but I am surprised we can get 4/5 on Sheffield United to beat Stoke City. To be fair to the Blades, there is no shame in losing at Leeds and Middlesbrough but back at Bramall Lane where they are unbeaten this season I expect them to get back to winning ways against a Stoke City whose results have flattered them a little. They have drawn their last three matches but on another day could easily have lost all three.
The Potters lost the xG battle in all three of those draws and against Bristol City in midweek, while there was some game state help for the Robins, Stoke coughed up 28 shots on their goal. Sheffield United have the quality up top to take advantage if Stoke are as open as that again and they very well could be because they are the fourth worst team in the Championship at present for xG against them. When you consider Sheffield United are tight at the back the 4/5 on a home win here is just too big, especially with the home squad deep enough now to be able to make some rotation changes should they be needed.
Tips
Back Sheffield United to beat Stoke City for a 3/10 stake at 1.80 with William Hill
Back them here:
