Championship Tips: Best bets for the final day fixtures in the second tier | OneFootball

EFL Championship

Frank Lampard will be hoping to lean on his side's fantastic home form

The Championship regulation season concludes on Saturday lunchtime and Jack Critchley has picked out his best bet in each of the 12 final-day fixtures...

Coventry vs Middlesbrough - Carrick's men to fall short

Coventry must collect maximum points to ensure their place in the top six. The Sky Blues have lost four of their last seven with their dip in form coming at exactly the wrong time. Nevertheless, Lampard's men are pretty efficient at the CBS, winning six of their last seven, with Burnley and Leeds being the only two sides to leave this ground with maximum points since the beginning of November. Consistency may have been affected by injuries with Victor Torp, Ephron Mason Clark and Oliver Dovin all spending time on the sidelines. Jay DaSilva, who was sent off against Luton last weekend will also miss this fixture.

Middlesbrough's form has dropped off and there has been some speculation about Michael Carrick and Kieran Scott being at loggerheads over the club's transfer policy. Boro certainly have enough talent to reach the playoffs, but with just one win in the last five (vs Plymouth) alongside some unconvincing displays, it's hard to have faith in the Teessiders. Furthermore, the visitors have taken just a single point when visiting top-seven opposition and they are unlikely to emerge victorious on Saturday lunchtime.

Derby vs Stoke - Rams to scrap their way to safety

This is a relegation crunch match and both sides will be desperate to ensure safety without having to rely on other results. Derby have clinched back-to-back victories, beating both West Brom and Hull on the road, although they are winless in their last two at Pride Park. John Eustace has done a fantastic job since taking over from Paul Warne, and he will be keen to exploit his side's set-piece advantage once again. It hasn't been pretty, but it is mightily effective and they have conceded just three times in their last seven home matches.

Stoke are a point better off and a point would probably be enough to ensure the club's place in the Championship next season. Although they have improved under Mark Robins, the Potters are still a bit iffy on the road and have lost five of their last seven away from home. Despite facing Cardiff and Preston, they've netted just twice in their last four matches on their travels and could find it tough to break down the home side's resistance.

Portsmouth vs Hull - Tigers to tamely drop into League One

A visit to Portsmouth is one of the least desirable trips of the season and there should be a terrific atmosphere at a jubilant Fratton Park. Pompey secured their safety last weekend and the fans are likely to be celebrating in the sunshine on the south coast. The hosts have won five of their last seven and have kept a clean sheet in three of their last five at this venue.

Hull's chronic lack of goals has been the main reason for their struggles this season. They've scored five times in their last eight outings with their last couple both coming from the penalty spot. Joao Pedro is the club's top goalscorer with just six goals and Ruben Selles must find a way to unlock his side's attacking potential. The Tigers have been able to keep things fairly tight on the road, but they could find it tricky to break through and secure their safety.

West Brom vs Luton - Hatters to stifle the hosts

Luton have slowly edged their way out of the relegation zone and they sit a point above the drop zone going into the final day. They will make the trip to the Hawthorns full of confidence and will fancy their chances of taking maximum points from the game. Matt Bloomfield has done an excellent job and his side have become incredibly tough to beat. They've conceded just five times in their last nine games and haven't shipped 2+ goals since March 8th. West Brom's season has been over for a couple of weeks and attention will turn to their managerial hunt.

WBA have failed to score in four of their last seven and have won just one of their last four home matches. They are likely to struggle to match Luton's energy and determination and are likely to fall short.

Bristol City vs Preston - A nervous wait for PNE

Bristol City have lost their last two games, however, both of those games were on the road and they've been far more effective at home. There should be a decent atmosphere at Ashton Gate with the hosts needing to secure maximum points to guarantee their playoff spot. Liam Manning has done a fantastic job and has guided his side to 10 wins from their last 12 at this venue. They weren't particularly good on Monday night, however, Manning is likely to have prioritised this contest and it looks a perfectly winnable affair.

Preston's miserable sequence has seen them spiral into the relegation picture. PNE have won just one of their last 14 games, losing each of their last four matches by a 2-1 scoreline. They haven't been able to keep a clean sheet since the beginning of March and many of the players have looked a little disinterested in recent weeks. They may have to wait and see whether other results have gone in their favour.

Burnley vs Millwall - Another tight and tense affair at Turf Moor

Burnley can still win the Championship title, however, they would require Leeds to slip up against Plymouth. It's been a fantastic week for the Clarets, who have secured promotion and celebrated at the EFL Awards on Monday with Scott Parker picking up the Manager of the Season award. The hosts filled their boots last weekend, but they are unlikely to stumble upon that level of generosity this time around.

Millwall need to take maximum points from this encounter to continue their push for the top six. Alex Neil has done a fantastic job and there are parallels to his tenure at Norwich, which subsequently resulted in promotion to the Premier League. The Lions have been to Bramall Lane and picked up maximum points (1-0) and lost narrowly at Elland Road (2-0). They will put up plenty of resistance and fight for every ball.

Plymouth vs Leeds - Elation for the travelling fans

It would require a completely outlandish set of results for Plymouth to remain in the Championship. Miron Muslic has done a fantastic job since arriving at Home Park, yet, the damage was already done much earlier in the season. At home, the Pilgrims tend to be open and they are far more potent in front of their own fans. They've found the back of the net against ten of the top twelve and they will fancy their chances of continuing that trend.

They've recently beaten Coventry (3-1) and Sheffield United (2-1) and this is likely to be another entertaining affair. Leeds will be confident of securing the Championship title this weekend. Daniel Farke's side have ended the season strongly and although they don't concede many goals, they could play their part in a thoroughly watchable affair. The Whites will want to end on a high and have enough talent to rack up a few goals on Saturday lunchtime.

Sheffield United vs Blackburn - Rovers to take advantage of the heavily rotated hosts

Sheffield United have secured third place and they have already one eye on the playoffs. Although Chris Wilder isn't renowned for shuffling his pack, he is likely to rotate his squad for this final-day fixture. With a few knocks, bumps and bruises in the squad, Wilder will want to keep his squad fresh.

Blackburn have ended the season strongly under Val Ismael and there is still a chance of securing a top-six spot. This possibility felt highly unlikely a few weeks ago, however, the Frenchman has got the best out of players such as Todd Cantwell, Yuki Ohashi and Tyrhys Dolan. They should be able to pick up at least a point.

Swansea vs Oxford - Sheehan's honeymoon period to continue

Swansea handed Alan Sheehan a three-year contract this week, rewarding the caretaker boss for his fantastic work over the last few weeks. The Irishman has overseen five wins in the last six and they have significantly tightened up at the back. They've won five of their last six at home, keeping a clean sheet in each of those victories and they should be able to end the season on a high.

Oxford have secured their Championship status. Gary Rowett has led the Yellows to safety and nothing is riding on this final day trip to Wales. Their away form has been poor overall, picking up just two wins on the road all season (both 1-0). It won't matter, but they are likely to come up short on Saturday.

Norwich vs Cardiff - BTTS at Carrow Road

Jack Wilshire and Aaron Ramsey played 101 games together at Arsenal and the pair will be in opposite dugouts for this final-day fixture. Wilshire has reportedly impressed in East Anglia and is believed to be in contention for the permanent role this summer. The Canaries are winless in six, however, they showed plenty of attacking intent in their 5-3 home defeat to Portsmouth.

Cardiff are down and the fans will have to adjust to life in the third tier next season. Aaron Ramsey is in temporary charge of the Bluebirds and although they've failed to notch in five of their last seven, they should be able to find a way past the hosts' flimsy defence.

Sunderland vs QPR - Forgettable 90 minutes at the SOL

Sunderland have been gearing up for the playoffs for several weeks. Nevertheless, they are struggling for momentum and have lost each of their last four. The goals have dried up and they failed to register a shot on target last weekend. Regis Le Bris needs to find a way to reignite his side's confidence in the final third and he will see this fixture as an ideal opportunity to rediscover some semblance of form.

QPR placed Marti Cifuentes on 'gardening leave' with the Spaniard believed to have fallen out with the club's hierarchy. It's been a fairly unremarkable season for the R's and their squad desperately needs some reinforcements this summer. They have lost their last two but may pick up a point here.

Watford vs Sheffield Wednesday - Points shared at Vicarage Road

Both of these two sides have absolutely nothing to play for. Tom Cleverley has done a good job with limited resources and he has understandably been linked with Championship vacancies. Watford have lost five of their last six games and they're ending the campaign in disappointing form.

It could be an interesting summer for Sheffield Wednesday with the potential takeover and speculation surrounding the future of manager Danny Rohl. They've won just one of the last eight and may settle for a point.

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