Sheffield United v Leeds Tips: Back Blades to avoid defeat | OneFootball

EFL Championship

Sheffield United have lost just five times this term

The top two in the Championship lock horns at Bramall Lane as Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United and Leeds face-off. Betfair writer Mark O'Haire is backing the Blades to pick up a positive result.

Sheffield United v LeedsMonday February 24, 20:00Live on Sky Sports

Wilder plays down Monday's match

Sheff Utd boss Chris Wilder has attempted to play down the significance of Monday's match-up, insisting the Championship title won't be decided by their Bramall Lane date with table-toppers Leeds. The Blades boss said, "There is a quarter of the season to go, 30-odd points 39 to play for. I'd be astounded if any team in our division wins the next 13 games."

United scrapped their way to a scruffy 1-0 success at relegation-threatened Luton in their last encounter with Bosnia-Herzegovina international Anel Ahmedhodzic notching the decisive strike. However, the Blades came under plenty of pressure from their lowly hosts with goalkeeper Michael Cooper called into regular action at Kenilworth Road.

Wilder admitted it was far from pretty, saying, "We talked about having to expect the Luton of old. It was everything from the year they went up, it was everything in the Premier League that teams struggled to cope with. You have to show different qualities for different games if you want to be successful, and we showed huge personality and character."

Leeds leave it late

Substitute Pascal Struijk headed a dramatic 95th-minute winner as Leeds came from behind to beat promotion rivals Sunderland and return to the top of the Championship last Monday night. The Dutch defender had levelled with 12 minutes to go and the managed to win the contest in added time with a copy of his opener - a header from a Joe Rothwell delivery.

The Whites moved seven points clear of third-place following their success with just 13 games to play, whilst their unbeaten run now stretches to 15 league games. Leeds chief Daniel Farke was understandably enthused by the manner of victory but was eager to remind his group that "we haven't won anything yet" as the promotion race turns for home.

Farke said, "These type of wins are the best kind you can have in football. They are priceless points. We were there with almost 70% possession so it was well deserved but once they led it is so difficult and complicated.. You have to be patient to create and score when a team is sitting deep. You have to fight in order to score and this is what we did."

Whites too short to support

Sheffield United hold a slight W6-D2-L5 supremacy in head-to-head encounters with Leeds this century, though the Blades have found more recent meetings with the Whites much tougher. United have been turned over in four of the last five match-ups, including the reverse clash at Elland Road, as well as the last two tussles at Bramall Lane.

Sheffield United 4.10 boast the second-best home record in the Championship this season (W12-D2-L2) and head into this clash having tabled seven league wins in their past eight. Chris Wilder's grinders rank second for home Expected Points (xP) and have conceded just 10 goals in their 16 fixtures in front of their own supporters. They're no easy meat.

League leaders Leeds 1.96 have produced their best work at Elland Road. The Whites have posted W4-D3-L0 in their last seven away days, yet Daniel Farke's troops have managed only seven victories from 16 on their travels overall and only one success in six trips to the top-eight. That road record makes odds-on quotes on the away win best left alone.

Back Blades on Asian Handicap

Cards were an area of interest on Monday night, although the appointment of referee David Webb is off-putting. The official is avergaing only 2.75 cards per-game across the league campaign thus far and is renowned for his leniency. Instead, a straight play on Sheffield United with a +0.50 Asian Handicap start has to be our best avenue of attack at 2.02.

The Blades have only been beaten five times across their 33 second-tier showdowns yet we're getting odds-against quotes on Chris Wilder's crew avoiding defeat. Leeds are undoubtedly the strongest suit in the Championship this season, yet the Whites haven't proven trustworthy enough to be considering reasonable odds-on favourites here.

Recommended bets

Back Sheffield United +0.50 Asian Handicap @ 2.02