Fulham hope to secure the Championship title when they entertain promotion-chasing Luton at Craven Cottage on Bank Holiday Monday. Mark O’Haire shares his best bet.
Fulham made to wait
Fulham boss Marco Silva hopes his side can secure the Championship title in front of the Whites supporters when Luton visit Craven Cottage on Monday evening. Second-placed Bournemouth beat Blackburn away on Saturday, meaning the Cherries can still catch the league leaders, but victory for the Cottagers here will clinch championship honours.
Silva said: “I would really prefer to do it on Monday after that Tuesday night we had against Preston and the way we did it, the way we won, the way everyone celebrated in the stadium. We would like to repeat it again because it was a special night. This season has to finish with Fulham Football Club as champions because we deserve it. The fans deserve it.”
Fulham currently have no new injury concerns to worry about ahead of Monday’s match-up, while full-back Antonee Robinson could return to the side having been left out of the squad in the midweek defeat to high-flying Nottingham Forest.
Luton look to consolidate top-six berth
Luton head coach Nathan Jones was left with a tinge of frustration following last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Blackpool, admitting it ‘opens the door slightly’ for the chasing pack in the battle for the Championship play-off places. Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Millwall have all since won to stay within touching distance of the fifth-placed Hatters.
Town know a triumph at Craven Cottage will confirm their place in the play-offs and Jones remained positive about the situation. He said: “It’s still very much in our hands. But it opens the door slightly to those behind us. Although they still have to win games – everyone probably has to win all their games and that’s without us picking up another point.”
However, the recently crowned Championship Manager of the Year is concerned about the growing injury list afflicting Luton. Eleven players are currently on the treatment table with Elijah Adebayo and Sonny Bradley the latest to go down. James Shea, Gabe Osho and Glen Rea have already been ruled out for the season, leaving Town short on numbers.
Fulham and Luton have crossed swords in league action only three times this century, with the Cottagers winning once and the duo playing out two draws. The Whites were 3-2 winners on their last home outing against the Hatters, whilst the December clash between the pair ended 1-1. Fulham have won just once in their last five home contests with Town.
Fulham 1.564/7 have been a cut above the Championship in 2021/22 and have really found form again since Christmas, posting W13-D3-L5 to stride clear of the chasing pack. The Cottagers have plundered 48 goals during that 21-game sequence and Marco Silva’s men also own the division’s best home record – picking up W13-D4-L5 at Craven Cottage.
Only Nottingham Forest boast a better points return than Luton 6.4011/2 since the start of December. The Hatters have claimed W14-D5-L5 in their last 24 Championship fixtures, whilst recording 10 clean sheets along the way. However, Town have found the going tough when travelling to the league’s elite, returning W3-D2-L7 at clubs in 14th and above.
The market is anticipating goals with Over 2.5 Goals trading at 1.728/11. Fulham’s fixtures have featured 3.14 goals per-game yet only 52% of their league dates have paid out for Overs backers. So there’s enough reason to swerve the odds-on offering, particularly with Luton covering the line in just 41% of their games away from Kenilworth Road.
Instead, it may pay to support Luton +1.0 & 1.5 in the Asian Handicap market at 1.768/11. The Hatters remain a difficult side to oust and have proven tough to beat since the winter – this selection sees us make money should Town avoid defeat by two goals or more, returning a half-stakes profit should Fulham succeed by a solitary strike.
Source: Betfair UK English Championship
