There’s a full midweek fixture list in the Championship and Jack Critchley believes that there will be very little between Derby and Hull on Tuesday night…
Points shared at Pride Park
Derby 2.466/4 v Hull 3.3512/5; The Draw 3.259/4
Tuesday 19:45
Although Derby have put up a considerable fight in their battle against relegation this season, Wayne Rooney’s men remain seven points adrift of safety. Cardiff’s significant upturn in form is a blow for the Rams but they could still catch up with out-of-form Reading. Nevertheless, Derby’s form has tailed off, with just one win in their last five, and they must dig deep over the coming weeks.
Derby’s small squad has taken a battering and the absence of Richard Stearman is another blow. Despite a lack of bodies, the East Midlands club have lost just one of their last five home games and their never-say-die attitude should enable them to get something from this fixture. The home fans have witnessed just two home defeats so far this season with only high-flying duo QPR and Blackburn having left this venue with maximum points.
New Hull boss Shota Arveladze has urged his side to move on quickly from their disappointing defeat at the weekend. The Tigers were second best against Preston and, with both Nathan Baxter and Di’Shon Bernard, facing late fitness tests ahead of this midweek contest, Arveladze could be forced to shuffle his pack.
The Humberside outfit have struggled to find the back of the net on the road this season with only Barnsley and Peterborough having netted fewer times on their travels. Seven of Hull’s last eight away games have been decided by a single goal and this could be another closely contested 90 minutes.
BTTS at the CBS
Coventry 1.9310/11 v Blackpool 4.84/1; The Draw 3.55
Tuesday 19:45
Coventry were knocked out of the FA Cup at the weekend and Mark Robins will be looking for a quick response from his side. Following a barren run of form, which saw the Sky Blues fail to register maximum points in six consecutive outings, they’ve subsequently won two of their last four matches and were exceptionally unlucky not to have taken something from a recent trip to the Riverside.
Viktor Gyokeres’ return to form is a positive and the Swede is into double figures for the campaign. Only Millwall and Birmingham have kept them off the scoresheet at this ground this season.
Blackpool are yet to lose in 2022 and having reached the 40 point mark, so Neil Critchley can probably begin planning for next season. The Seasiders have been clinical in recent weeks and the form of midfield duo Kenny Dougall and Callum Connolly has enabled them to control games. Despite their recent resurgence, the Fylde Coast club rarely keep clean sheets on the road and with just one shutout on their travels so far this season, they always look liable to concede away from Bloomfield Road.
Easy three points for Hatters
Luton 1.674/6 v Barnsley 6.411/2; The Draw 3.953/1
Tuesday 19:45
Luton have been quietly impressive in recent weeks and their recent form has enabled to remain in the play-off picture. The Hatters have been particularly effective on their own patch with only five teams having lost fewer home games than Nathan Jones’ men.
Although they were in FA Cup action at the weekend, the intensity of their manager and the fact that there was a decent amount of rotation shouldn’t hinder their chances of taking three points here.
Barnsley need a miracle to survive this season. The change of manager has had very little effect and although performances has slightly improved, they are still short in the final third. The Tykes have been able to restrict sides, but they do not possess the quality to break through and hurt the opposition. They remain the only second tier side yet to pick up an away win, and that statistic is unlikely to change on Tuesday night.
Another entertaining evening expected at the Cottage
Fulham 1.374/11 v Millwall 10.519/2; The Draw 5.49/2
Tuesday 19:45
Fulham’s four match winning streak was snapped by Blackpool a fortnight ago and they were also predictably swept aside by Manchester City in the FA Cup. Under Marco Silva, the Cottagers have been brilliantly entertaining to watch and they rarely sit back on a lead and settle for a scrappy 1-0 victory.
They have the highest xGA in the division after taking the lead, as they go in search of further goals and tend to leave gaps at the back. It’s just one clean sheet in nine outings for the hosts and they may not be able to keep the Lions off the scoresheet.
Millwall’s last four matches have contained just four goals, but they tend to raise their game when facing superior opposition. Gary Rowett’s men have taken points off six of the top seven sides and they’ve found the net in all but one of those contests. They pushed the Cottagers all the way when these two sides met back in August and we could see another enthralling 90 minutes.
Recommended Bet: Back BTTS @ 2.1211/10
Potters to edge out Swans
Stoke 2.35/4 v Swansea 3.55; The Draw 3.39/4
Tuesday 19:45
Stoke’s home form has dropped off a cliff. After winning five of their opening six matches at this stadium, they’ve subsequently lost four of their last five. However, Michael O’Neill’s side put in a much-improved performance against Fulham a fortnight ago. With another squad overhaul in January, the Potters now have plenty of players available and can no longer use injuries as an excuse for their underwhelming performances.
Swansea are one of the most inconsistent and unpredictable sides in the division although they will be full of confidence following their 1-0 success over Blackburn on Saturday evening. Russell Martin’s side haven’t won back-to-back games since the end of October and they have been victorious on just three occasions on their travels.
They struggle for goals on the road and with just one in their last four away trips, they may slip to yet another defeat here.
Recommended Bet: Back Stoke @ 2.35/4
Robins to pile yet more misery on Royals
Bristol City 2.021/1 v Reading 4.1; The Draw 3.55/2
Wednesday 19:45
Bristol City have been one of the most entertaining sides in the division, although Nigel Pearson would surely prefer his side to tighten up at the back and pick up a few scrappy 1-0 wins. Nevertheless, they score plenty of goals at Ashton Gate and have enough talent to win this match.
With Rob Atkinson, Andy King and Matty James all on the injury list, Pearson will be forced to shuffle his pack once again. The hosts scored a third of their 18 home goals in January and will fancy their chances of adding to that total here.
Reading didn’t play at the weekend but the extra few days on the training ground are unlikely to alter the course of their campaign. The Royals have been exceptionally poor in recent weeks and are conceding far too many goals. Although individual mistakes have led to many of those concessions, shipping 19 goals in their last five matches is far from ideal. With the Robins in free-scoring form, this could be another long evening for the travelling fans.
Recommended Bet: Back Over 1.5 Bristol City team goals @ [19/20] Sportsbook
Another entertaining 90 minutes at Deepdale
Preston 2.26/5 v Huddersfield 3.711/4; The Draw 3.259/4
Wednesday 19:45
Ryan Lowe has made a decent start at Deepdale and his Preston side have become increasingly enjoyable to watch since the former Plymouth boss arrived in Lancashire. PNE arrive here off the back of consecutive clean sheets. However, they haven’t managed to keep the opposition off the scoresheet at home since October 30th.
With 79% of their matches at this stadium having seen both teams find the back of the net, this contest appears likely to follow suit. Some savvy January additions have certainly added some much-needed firepower to the squad and they should be able to find the net for a ninth consecutive home match.
Huddersfield continue to defy pre-season expectations and the Terriers will be looking to extend their 10-match unbeaten streak on Wednesday night. Although their defence has been excellent so far this season, they looked a little shaky at the Madejski during their last away trip and they may struggle to keep a much-improved Preston outfit at arm’s length here.
Recommended Bet: Back BTTS @ 1.9210/11
Confident Bluebirds to continue their ascent
Cardiff 1.9310/11 v Peterborough 4.3100/30; The Draw 3.711/4
Wednesday 19:45
Cardiff have used the January transfer window incredibly effectively and Steve Morison’s men look far better equipped for the remainder of the Championship campaign. The Bluebirds had been flirting with relegation, but back-to-back victories have significantly eased those concerns.
Having beaten high-flying Nottingham Forest and efficiently seen off struggling Barnsley, they should be able to pick up three points against the division’s poorest travellers. There may be some tired legs from Sunday’s FA Cup defeat to Liverpool, but Morison rotated his side and kept some of his key players fresh for this assignment.
Peterborough made it into the hat for the fifth round of the FA Cup but are winless in five in the Championship. Posh look set for an instant return to the third tier, and their dire away form is almost single-handedly responsible for their struggles. Although their 2-2 draw at St Andrews was a step in the right direction, the manner of their late collapse highlighted the fragility of their confidence. They are unlikely to turn things around in the Welsh capital.
Recommended Bet: Back Cardiff @ 1.9310/11
High-flying duo to cancel each other out
QPR 2.747/4 v Middlesbrough 3.02/1; The Draw 3.259/4
Wednesday 19:45
QPR have been defensively superb this season. Mark Warburton sides are often renowned for attacking in numbers whilst leaving gaping holes at the back, but he completely transformed the R’s back-line. They are incredibly effective at taking the lead and closing down the game and limiting the opposition.
They’ve conceded just once in their last four Championship matches and have conceded 2+ goals on just a single occasion since October 23. With players slowly returning from AFCON and injury, they appear to be in a strong position going into the final third of the campaign.
Middlesbrough put in a heroic performance on Friday night against Manchester United and Chris Wilder will be delighted to see his side progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup. However, he will insist that his side don’t take their eye off the ball when it comes to their play-off ambitions.
They have been defensively sound since the change of management and have shipped just three goals in their last eight matches. They will look to keep it tight and that is likely to result in a low-scoring stalemate between two excellent sides.
Recommended Bet: Back the Draw @ 3.259/4
Confident Blades to sneak past Baggies
Sheffield United 2.56/4 v West Brom 3.211/5; The Draw 3.3512/5
Wednesday 19:45
Sheffield United have been transformed under Paul Heckingbottom. There’s still an outside change of stealing a top six spot and the future appears to be bright under the former Barnsley coach.
Although many Heckingbottom sceptics predicted a drop off in form, the Blades have shown very few signs of slowing down and they looked very efficient on Friday evening. They’ve scored exactly two goals in each of their last four matches and have managed to keep three clean sheets in their last six.
West Brom have replaced Valerien Ismael with Steve Bruce despite allowing the Frenchman to add to his squad during the January transfer window. The Baggies will undoubtedly improve under Bruce and they will become harder to beat over the coming weeks. Their away form is disastrous and that is something which must be improved if they are to reignite their automatic promotion ambitions. However, this is a tough away trip and they may fall short once again.
Recommended Bet: Back Sheffield United to beat West Brom @ 2.56/4
Rovers and Forest to share the spoils
Blackburn 2.486/4 v Nottingham Forest 3.259/4; The Draw 3.259/4
Wednesday 19:45
Blackburn were surprisingly upended by Swansea at the weekend with Rovers’ lack of composure in the final third frustrating boss Tony Mowbray. Despite putting numerous crosses into the middle and creating plenty of decent opportunities, the Lancastrians couldn’t find a way through.
They’ve now failed to score in three consecutive away trips. They tend to be far stronger at Ewood Park where they’ve picked up 33 points at home, more than any other side, and with some strong January additions, they will fancy their chances of bouncing back on Wednesday night.
Forest were exceptional on Sunday and earned plenty of plaudits for their all-action display against Leicester. Their Championship form has been impressive too, although they’ve been far stronger at the City Ground than on their travels.
Nevertheless, they’ve made some superb additions to the squad and Keinan Davies appears to be a real handful at this level. Steve Cooper’s tactical nous has helped earn Forest some vital points this season and he should be able to guide his side to a potentially precious away point in East Lancashire.
Recommended Bet: Back Draw in Blackburn vs Nottingham Forest @ 3.259/4
Cherries and Blues to serve up an enjoyable 90 mins
Bournemouth 1.584/7 v Birmingham 6.86/1; The Draw 43/1
Wednesday 19:45
Bournemouth were dumped out of the FA Cup by non-league opposition at the weekend and although Scott Parker heavily rotated his XI, the Cherries’ recent form remains a concern.
Parker has added to his squad in January and appears to have signed some high-quality personnel, but they desperately need a resurgence in form. They’ve won just three of their last 11 games and have managed to keep just two clean sheets during that period. At the other end of the field, they have enough individual firepower to hurt the opposition. But they are not clicking as an attacking unit.
Birmingham are still hampered by off-the-field disputes, but Lee Bowyer’s side are looking a little more potent going forward. The addition of Lyle Taylor appears to be a solid bit of business and he’ll be hoping to find the net once again on Wednesday evening.
Although their overall form is a little patchy, they’ve found the net in seven consecutive matches and should be able to capitalise on Bournemouth’s confidence issues.
Recommended Bet: Back BTTS @ 2.01/1
You can follow Jack Critchley on Twitter @jcritch7
Source: Betfair UK English Championship
