James Buttler looks ahead to Friday evening's Championship clash between Sunderland and Leeds United to find the best bets.
Sunderland host Leeds on Friday evening, knowing that the winning side will sit on top of the Championship table.
Table topping Sunderland
Sunderland flew out of the blocks, lost 2 of their last 4 league games, but beat Derby 2-0 at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday evening to sit in 1st place.
The Black Cats are 11/5 with William Hill and others which seems a generous price on a team that has won all four of their matches at the Stadium of Light to nil, a combined 8-0 in total.
Regis Le Bris' team are the division’s top scorers with 16 goals and the boss will be pleased that they have been shared between 10 different players, a real team effort.
If Leeds win by two or more they go top
Leeds are in 4th and boss Daniel Farke will be frustrated that three draws could have yielded more. But Leeds are a tough side to beat – only Burnley with a 1-0 victory at Elland Road in mid-September have denied Leeds points.
A 1-1 draw at Norwich on Tuesday preserved Leeds unbeaten record on the road, and the Canaries goal was the only one the Whites have conceded on their travels.
Leeds have taken 13 points from the last 18 available, but with Ilia Gruev (knee injury against Norwich) and Ethan Ampadu sidelined until next year, the midfield options are sparse. It is likely that Joe Rothwell will make his first start of the season.
Tough Match to Call
It should be a close and cagey game, certainly in the early stages, with neither side willing to give an inch.
While Sunderland at 11/5 does look a decent option, I’m edging towards a draw at 5/2 with Unibet.
A 0-0 scoreline is 10/1 with vbet and 1-1 is 6/1 with StarSports and I’d probably not go higher than that as a cagey affair with two solid defences doesn’t scream goals. Under 2.5 match goals is 17/20 with BetMGM.
Finally, a tight battle often leads to cards and referee Tim Robinson dished out 9 yellows in his last match between Aston Villa and Wolves and 7 yellows in the Carabao Cup match between Stoke City and Fleetwood. Over 6.5 cards is 29/10 with Betfair. A red card in the match is 10/3 with Bet365.
James’ Championship Tips
You’ve seen my suggestions, so lets role this into a BetBuilder and add a few corners in to boost the price.
Under 2.5 match goals, the draw, Over 10.5 corners and Over 59.5 booking points is 14/1 with William Hill
I’m playing the draw at 5/2
And a red card at 10/3
As always, please gamble responsibly.