Tight at the Top as Championship Prepares for Midweek Action
The 2020/21 Championship season hits the 15th round of fixtures this midweek and there are some intriguing contests taking place as the battle for promotion and safety continues.
Once again, England’s second tier has proven why it is one of the most difficult leagues to predict, with just eight points separating eighth-place Millwall to table-toppers Norwich City, who are aiming for an immediate return to the Promised Land.
As for the bottom of the table, Derby County prop up the standings on seven points, five adrift of safety, and the Rams are in need of some inspiration if they are going to avoid dropping down to League One.
All 24 teams will be in action over Tuesday and Wednesday and it promises to be two evenings of thrills and spills.
Cherries to Maintain Title Push
Having sold the likes of Nathan Ake, Callum Wilson and Aaron Ramsdale this summer, while also allowing Ryan Fraser, Simon Francis and Charlies Daniels to leave on free transfers, it was unclear just how Bournemouth would cope this season.
Under the guidance of Jason Tindall, who took over after Eddie Howe left, the Cherries have maybe surprised a few with their impressive performances and they sit second in the table, just one point behind the Canaries.
The south coast outfit have only lost one league match this term and they head into Tuesday’s home clash against Preston on a four-game unbeaten run, having defeated Birmingham, Reading and Nottingham Forest before drawing with Rotherham last time out.
As for the Lilywhites, they have struggled for consistency this season, losing three of their last four outings, while they have gone down at Rotherham and Watford in their last two away trips.
It is hard to look past Bournemouth, who are 5/2 favourites to win the Championship, at odds of 10/17 to claim the spoils and move to the top of the standings on Tuesday evening.
Luton to Feel Norwich’s Firepower
Although top of the pile before Tuesday’s matches, Norwich are being hounded not only by Bournemouth, but also by the likes of Watford, Swansea City and Reading, with the trio just two points off the summit.
Daniel Farke’s men make the trip to Kenilworth Road on Wednesday night and the Canaries should have more than enough to come away with all three points against a Luton side that are without a win in four attempts.
In stark contrast, Norwich are on a 10-game unbeaten run and they have only lost once away from home in the league this term, amassing 16 points from a possible 21 on offer.
Farke’s side are 6/5 to pick up the win and they will feel confident of racking up another victory given the fact they have Finland international Teemu Pukki, who has notched seven league goals so far, leading the line.
War of Attrition at Riverside
Although Wednesday’s clash between Middlesbrough and Swansea City won’t be the most entertaining, there is still a huge amount riding on this game for both teams as they remain in the hunt for automatic promotion.
The Swans boast the best defensive record in the division, conceding a miserly eight times, while Boro are following closely behind in this department with just one more goal allowed in.
The hosts have only won one of their last five but are still only three points off the play-off positions, while the visitors are fourth and could end the midweek action top of the pile.
It is expected that defences will be on top at the Riverside and backing under 2.5 goals at 5/9 could be the route to go down.
*All odds correct at time of writing