Another round of matches in the Sky Bet Championship get underway at Bramall Lane on Friday evening when two promotion challengers meet as Sheffield United welcome the previous pacesetters Sunderland.
With these two inside the top four in the table heading into the match, top spot is on the line for both of them ahead of the remainder of the matches later this weekend, which should ensure we get some competitive action.
Where to watch
The match will be shown live and in full on the Sky Sports Football channel with the build-up beginning at 7.30pm ahead of the 8pm kick off in Yorkshire.
Sheffield United
When you consider the debacle that Sheffield United had in terms of their season last term, you have to give them enormous credit for turning things around in the fashion that they have and a third into this campaign they are looking like a side who will certainly challenge for an immediate return to the top flight if not actually achieve it. Had it not been for their two-point deduction that they took into the season they would be looking down on the rest of the division now.
The Blades have lost just two of their opening 17 matches in the division, which is incredible enough, but the really outstanding thing is the fact that in those 17 games, a defence which was as open as one could possibly be last season, has shipped just nine goals. Bramall Lane has become something of a fortress again too. Sheffield United have a 7-1-0 record there having won their last seven matches without conceding in any of them.
Sunderland
After making a bit of a mess of last season with managerial appointments that never made much sense at all, Sunderland are also going a lot better this time around. They have also lost just twice in their opening 17 matches but you always wondered how a very young squad would cope with the rigour of the amount of games which come as thick and as fast as they do in the Championship and also the scrutiny of being at the top end of the table.
There is nothing to suggest it has got the better of them but having flown out of the traps this season they have now drawn their last five outings, three of which resulting in 0-0 draws, so they are being shackled and contained a little easier than they were earlier in the season. Both of the Sunderland defeats have come on their travels this term but they head down to Yorkshire unbeaten in their last five away games so they are proving harder to beat on the road.
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Team News
Chris Wilder is hopeful that Rhian Brewster will be fit to be available for this match but he was less optimistic regarding the availability of Kieffer Moore. Tom Davies returned from eight months out in midweek and could be involved again.
Sunderland boss Regis le Bris has confirmed that Dennis Cirkin remains a doubt for the match with the broken wrist that he suffered against QPR recently. He is back in training but there is no need to rush the left-back back according to the Black Cats boss.
Betting
Both teams to score no has landed in 13 of the 17 matches that Sheffield United have been involved in and given that since their first home match they have won every game they have played at Bramall Lane without conceding there is a good chance that statistic remains in place here against a Sunderland side for whom that both teams to score no pick would have come out on top in 10 of their 17 outings. Sheffield United have scored five in their last two matches but aren’t generally huge scorers of goals while Sunderland have been shutout in three of their last five.
The obvious pick would be to take under 2.5 goals, a bet that I do see landing, but by taking the bigger price on both teams to score no we are only losing the 1-1 score from what we have on side and are gaining an admittedly unlikely 3-0 or 4-0 to either side. This is the last game in a busy week and I’m not expecting a classic here. This wouldn’t be the first promotion clash to underwhelm this season and if it does it won’t be the last. I’ll play BTTS no here.
Tips
Back Both teams to score – NO for a 3/10 stake at 1.87 with Betfair
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