There is plenty of Championship action to get stuck into in midweek and one of the matches that has particular significance in the promotion battle is the clash between Cardiff and Stoke in the Welsh capital on Tuesday night.
With Mick McCarthy suffering his first defeat since taking charge of the Bluebirds, the pressure is on the Welsh outfit to get back to winning ways, but there is enough to suggest they will pick up all three points.
Potters to Suffer Wales Woe
Cardiff were unbeaten in 11 matches under the former Republic of Ireland manager until Saturday’s 2-1 home defeat to Watford, a disappointing result given the fact the hosts were on for a share of the spoils until conceding in stoppage time.
There was still enough from that performance to be confident in backing the Bluebirds to pick up the win against Stoke, who were outplayed in a 3-0 defeat to Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.
Michael O’Neill’s men have slipped 12 points off the play-off positions and earning promotion looks like a tough ask for them, which means there isn’t a lot to play for in the remaining 10 games.
The Potters have lost four of their last five fixtures, while they haven’t picked up an away win in their last 10 attempts, and backing Cardiff to win at 6/5 looks good value.
Bees to Continue Premier League Assault
Brentford are once again in the running for automatic promotion and they head into Tuesday’s clash at Derby County sitting fourth in the standings, just three points behind second-placed Watford.
The Bees have won three of their last four matches, beating Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers, and they currently top the Championship’s scoring charts with 62 goals.
Thomas Frank’s men will be confident of coming away from Pride Park with the spoils as they take on a Derby side still battling against relegation to League One.
Wayne Rooney’s side are without a win in five and have failed to score in their last four, a run of results which has seen them slip to 19th position and seven points above the bottom three.
Backing Brentford to get the win at 5/6 looks a solid bet, while a win to nil also appeals at 19/10.
Canaries to Edge Closer to Top-Flight Return
Norwich City look like they will be bouncing straight back to the Premier League after building a 10-point lead at the top of the Championship and Wednesday’s trip to Nottingham Forest should prove no problem for the Canaries.
Daniel Farke’s men are on an eight-game winning streak, scoring 18 goals and conceding just three times, and have won their last four away engagements – beating Coventry, Birmingham, Wycombe and Sheffield Wednesday.
As for Forest, they are without a win in four but they are relatively safe from relegation, having moved nine points clear of the bottom three, and there isn’t a great deal left to play for.
Chris Hughton’s side have recorded just one win from their last six home games and it is hard to look past another Norwich win, which is available at 20/21.