Championship Betting Tips: The best bets for MD7 | OneFootball

EFL Championship

Regis Le Bris will be hoping that his side can maintain their sensational form

As we head into an extremely busy week, Jack Critchley has cast his eye over this weekend's Championship fixtures and has picked out his seven best bets for Saturday afternoon...

Watford vs Sunderland

Black Cats to find their shooting boots

Watford have made a decent start under Tom Cleverley and have made a mockery of those who predicted them to struggle this season. Nevertheless, they head into this contest without a win in their last three outings and are yet to record a success in September. They have some outstanding players with Giorgi Chakvetadze having been the standout performer so far.

Concentration at the back is an area of concern for Hornets fans with Cleverley's side having conceded inside the first five minutes in each of their last four matches. They were easily picked apart by Norwich last time out and although they are generally stronger at home, they may struggle to keep one of the division's in-form sides off the scoresheet here.

Regis Le Bris has transformed Sunderland and they managed to bounce back from their blip last weekend. They have an extremely young and inexperienced side and although performance levels are likely to dip at some stage, there is a fearlessness about this squad and they will attack the hosts with gusto. The visitors have netted 2+ in four of their first six matches and in each of their three away games. Expect that pattern to continue.

Oxford vs Burnley

Another entertaining afternoon at the Kassam

Oxford suffered yet another away defeat last weekend, yet they were fairly unlucky at Ashton Gate. As well as falling victim to a dubious penalty decision, both Mark Harris and Tyler Goodrham were guilty of missing big chances from less than 10 yards out. Des Buckingham's side are badly missing the injured Cameron Brannagan, yet they tend to be more effective at home. They've scored six times in their opening three matches here and if they can continue to create chances, they are likely to stick at least one away.

Burnley left it late against Portsmouth last weekend and they will be confident of taking something from this clash with another Championship newcomer. It's hard to assess Scott Parker's side on the road as they've faced tough opponents in Leeds, Luton and Sunderland, yet this should be a little easier. Oxford aren't exempt from making the occasional defensive error and they are likely to be punished for an lapses in concentration here.

Portsmouth vs Sheffield United

Blades' winning streak to continue

Portsmouth have been stitched up by the fixture compilers. John Mousinho's men have competed admirably, yet they've faced four of the current top six, much-fancied Middlesbrough and recently relegated Luton so far. Although a total of three points could be viewed as a disappointing return, there are much easier games on the horizon for Pompey. Unfortunately, this isn't one of them.

Sheffield United have been flying in recent weeks and following a fair amount of summer upheaval, they appear to have settled and found their groove. Gus Hamer is an outstanding player and Anel Ahmedhodzic looks very comfortable at this level. Chris Wilder has suggested that his side will get 'better and better' and they should be able to make the long journey home with maximum points.

Leeds vs Coventry

Struggling Coventry to give the hosts a scare

Despite making a good start to the season, many Leeds fans have been disappointed by the side's recent displays. The Whites had around 80% possession against Cardiff last weekend and they are yet to concede a goal on the road, yet they look a bit slow in transition. Nevertheless, they have matchwinners within their squad and should be able to punish the visitors. They've scored two goals in three of their last four outings and their xG numbers are above average.

It's hard to put your finger on exactly what has gone wrong at Coventry. The Sky Blues have become notorious for their slow starts and there is a consensus that they will eventually find form. They are unbeaten in their last two away games and they always offer a threat going forward. Ben Sheaf's absence has been keenly felt, although their below-average form cannot be fully attributed to the midfielder's injury.

Hull vs Cardiff

BTTS at the MKM

Tim Walter eased some of the pressure with a much-needed victory last weekend. Hull struggled in the first half, yet the introductions of Regan Slater and Liam Millar helped swing the pendulum in favour of the Tigers. The Humberside outfit are still yet to completely convince and they need to be better at the back. They've managed to record just a single clean sheet so far.

Cardiff sacked Erol Bulut at the start of the week with the Turkish boss having struggled to get a tune out of his side. Omer Riza is in temporary charge at the time of writing and a shift in strategy is badly needed for the Bluebirds. The players may enjoy playing with more freedom and we could see them offer far more going forward this weekend.

Middlesbrough vs Stoke

Plenty of goals at the Riverside

Middlesbrough have the highest xG in the Championship, yet they have just two victories to show for their efforts. Profligacy has been the main issue and Tommy Conway is the latest player to be caught wasting a glorious opportunity. Crucially for Michael Carrick, his side continue to carve out chances and they have plenty of players who can come off the bench and change the game.

Narcis Pelach was unable to prevent his side from slumping to a 3-1 defeat last weekend. The former Norwich coach will have been pleased to have had time on the training ground this week. The Potters' heads began to drop after being pegged back against Hull and the new boss must quickly improve the mentality of his squad. They have plenty of talent within their ranks and they will look to force Boro into making mistakes.

Millwall vs Preston

PNE to struggle in the Lions den

Millwall have started the season reasonably well. Although most fans would have taken an away point from their trip to QPR last weekend, the Lions created enough chances to win the game. Neil Harris was pleased with his side's industry in the final third, yet he bemoaned his team's lack of composure in front of goal. They knocked three past Sheffield Wednesday here at the end of August and although they've lost Josh Coburn to injury, they should still have enough to take maximum points here.

Preston were involved in a feisty affair with Blackburn last weekend. They will be without Sam Greenwood for this fixture and although at the time of writing, we don't know the outcome of the FA's investigation into Milutin Osmajic's alleged biting offence, he may be taken out of the spotlight for this tie. The Lilywhites have the ability to keep it tight, yet they might just fall short in the final third.

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