Chris Wilder prepares to return to Bramall Lane for the first time since his dismissal last season with his Middlesbrough side in great form.
That is the first Championship game of the New Year with plenty of football spread over three days.
Top of the table Bournemouth are in action at home to struggling Peterborough as they look for their third successive win.
Blackburn face Huddersfield in a battle of the play-off contenders, while at the bottom of the table, Reading face Derby in a meeting between two sides who have suffered with points deductions this season.
Boro To Edge Past Blades
Since taking over from Neil Warnock in early November, Wilder has done a cracking job in taking Boro from mid-table dwellers to genuine promotion contenders.
In eight matches, Wilder has won five and the Teesside club are unbeaten in six games.
He has successfully implemented his back-three formation that served him well at Sheffield United and is already building clear identity, while defensively, they have been sound letting in just two goals in their last six matches.
The Blades are in good form themselves with Paul Heckingbottom winning each of his first three matches in charge after Slavisa Jokanovic’s departure.
However, they have picked up more points away from home this season and the extra match sharpness Boro have could see them sneak this 1-0 – a scoreline which can be backed at 13/2.
Just take a bow @andrazsporar90
Take a bow#UTB pic.twitter.com/hnXlsHUhJp
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) December 30, 2021
Rovers Looking Unstoppable
Blackburn have genuine ambitions to finish in the top two this season and secure their Premier League return a decade after they were last in the top flight.
Tony Mowbray has done a super job and in testing circumstances too with the club generally having to aim for free transfers and loan deals.
The sale of Adam Armstrong to Southampton in the summer opened the door for Ben Brereton Diaz to make his mark and he has taken that chance with both hands, already scoring 20 league goals this season.
They have won each of their last six and are unbeaten in eight as they welcome Huddersfield.
Carlos Corberan’s men have been another surprise package this season, as they sit sixth, despite being tipped for the drop.
Their cheaply assembled squad have secured some great results and were triumphant at Nottingham Forest on Thursday.
However, Blackburn are in such good form they should win and can be backed to get three points with both teams scoring at 11/4.
Cherries Set For Easy Beginning To 2022
After a testing period for Scott Parker’s side in which they failed to win in six matches, consecutive wins against QPR and Cardiff have put them four points clear at the top of the table.
The former Fulham man has done an excellent job on the south coast and they are in a prime position to reclaim their Premier League status.
Their next match is against Darren Ferguson’s Peterborough who are in the bottom three.
Posh have won just one of their last nine matches and have won on the road only once this season – at fellow promoted side Hull.
Bournemouth can be backed to win by three goals at 19/4.
*All odds correct at time of writing.
