James Buttler looks ahead to Saturday's Championship action and picks out the best bets with a treble.
Swansea City v Sunderland
After being early season pacesetters, Sunderland have won only one of their last nine league matches, drawing six and beating Stoke at home a couple of matches ago. Now in fourth, they drew 1-1 at home with Bristol City last time out.
They are still very much in contention and find themselves five points behind leaders Sheffield United. They travel to Wales to take on a Swansea side unbeaten in four straight Championship games. The Swans are in ninth place and won their last league game 2-1 at Plymouth Argyle.
Sunderland haven’t beaten Swansea in six meetings. The home side have every chance of taking all three points on Saturday afternoon as their season continues to improve as Sunderland’s falters. A Swansea win at 7/4 looks a decent punt.
Sheffield Utd v Plymouth Argyle
Sheffield Utd are on a nine-match Championship unbeaten streak and Plymouth haven’t won in five games. The Blades are flying at the top of the table, but they rarely go to town with huge wins, but at home to an Argyle side that have conceded 14 goals across their last four league games, that may change.
Plymouth have scored at least once in four of their last five matches, despite losing the last three and drawing the other two, so BTTS is an option to boost the price on a home win. A Blades win is justifiably skinny at 2/7, so let’s take a goal for Wayne Rooney’s visitors and play Sheffield Utd to win and BTTS at a much tastier 9/4.
Middlesbrough v Millwall
Hosts Middlesbrough sit in seventh place after a 3-1 defeat at Leeds United, but they take on 13th placed Millwall who are without a win in five matches. Millwall lost last time out 1-0 at home to Sheffield Utd, no disgrace there, but with only three points gained from the last 15 available, they desperately need a good Christmas period.
This feels like a great opportunity for Boro to get back to winning ways. Tommy Conway has eight goals and Emmanuel Latte Lath has scored seven. Conway was rested for the trip to Leeds, so he could well come back into the side on Saturday. Boro to win with Conway bagging a goal is a good individual play at XX, but for the purposes of our treble, I’m sticking in a Conway goal at 23/20.
James’ Championship Tips
Swansea City to win at 7/4
Sheffield Utd to win & BTTS at 9/4
Tommy Conway to score anytime at 23/20
Those selections treble up at just over 22/1 with SkyBet.
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