Hornets to outgun the Bluebirds at Vicarage Road

Watford 2.1411/10 v Cardiff 3.814/5; The Draw 3.3512/5
Saturday, 15:00

Watford‘s inefficiency on the highway continued in midweek as they failed to discover a well past misfiring Nottingham Forest. Vladimir Ivic‘s facet went into the match as clear favourites, but they weren’t ready to discover a well past Chris Hughton’s struggling outfit. It was a poor recreation which was largely devoid of possibilities, and Hornets followers will undoubtedly view it as a missed alternative.

Ivic’s facet presently occupy third place in the Championship desk, but their away file of 1-5-2 is a large concern. They have grow to be extremely onerous to beat on their travels, nonetheless, regardless of a humiliation of riches going ahead, they seem unable to end off their opponents exterior of Hertfordshire. The Serbian admitted that his facet ‘can’t be happy’ with their away performances, and with simply three victories on the highway in the final 12 months, the membership’s promotion hopes are doubtless to depend upon whether or not Ivic can discover a approach to get his facet firing on their travels.

It’s been a totally totally different story at Vicarage Road, and Ivic will probably be happy to return to residence comforts this weekend. Watford will probably be backed by 2,000 followers for the first time since late February, and with back-to-back residence video games on the agenda, they are going to be feeling extraordinarily assured of choosing up successive wins over the subsequent seven days.

Watford are unbeaten at Vicarage Road, and presently boast a 6-1-0 file on their very own patch. They’ve netted 14 instances of their final 5 residence matches, with the solely adverse being that they have not saved a clear sheet right here since the finish of September.

No facet has scored extra residence targets than the Hornets to date this season, and the hosts typically have a tendency to activate the type after the break. They’ve netted at least two second half targets in every of their final three matches right here, and Cardiff might probably discover themselves below siege throughout the latter phases of this contest.

Perhaps their most notable efficiency in latest weeks got here in opposition to Stoke, and though the Potters have conceded a median of simply 0.63 targets per recreation on the highway, Watford nonetheless managed to fireplace three previous Michael O’Neill’s males and managed to win the recreation courtesy of an harm time Ismaila Sarr strike. Against Preston, the hosts registered 26 photographs all through the 90 minutes, with 45% of these efforts coming from inside the opposition’s penalty space.

Last weekend Cardiff boss Neil Harris admitted that his job was below menace, and fortuitously for him, he bought the desired response from his gamers courtesy of two emphatic residence victories over Luton and Huddersfield. Those back-to-back successes have helped the Bluebirds climb into the relative security of mid-table, and so they’ll be hoping to proceed their ascent in the direction of the prime six on Saturday afternoon.

Cardiff have struggled on the highway in latest weeks, and so they at the moment are winless in 4 exterior of the welsh capital. They have been desperately disappointing in opposition to Coventry at the finish of November and have been comfortably outshot by the Sky Blues. Although they have been marginally the higher facet in opposition to Millwall earlier that week, they nonetheless struggled to assert their authority in the closing third.

Their defensive file is not unhealthy, nonetheless, they’ve typically struggled with creativity on the highway, and have not scored a primary half away aim since September nineteenth. There have been encouraging indicators on Tuesday with Harry Wilson and Keiffer Moore linking up properly, while academy graduate Mark Harris appeared pretty snug all through the first interval.

The guests have confronted quite a lot of low-scoring hosts on their travels to date this season with Coventry, Millwall and Derby not notably famend for his or her firepower. They conceded thrice to QPR at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium and so they may additionally wrestle to address Watford’s power in the closing third right here.

The hosts are 5/4 on the Sportsbook to rating over 1.5 staff targets, and having landed in 4 of their final 5 matches at this stadium, it seems to be extraordinarily tempting prospect as soon as once more.

Stoke 2.6213/8 v Middlesbrough 32/1; The Draw 3.185/40
Saturday, 15:00

Stoke picked up a hard-fought victory on Wednesday night as they edged previous a dogged and decided Wycombe Wanderers outfit. It helped the Potters to transfer up to eighth in the Championship desk, and Michael O’Neill has challenged his gamers to break into the prime six forward of the hectic festive interval. Nick Powell‘s header proved to be the distinction between the two sides, and on the stability of play, they simply about deserved to take all three factors. O’Neill’s males have been pretty dependable on the highway in latest weeks, and at the moment are three unbeaten exterior of Staffordshire. They’ve additionally saved three consecutive clear sheets on their travels and have shut out the opposition in six of their eight away matches to date.

Despite their obstinate method to away days, the Potters have been far simpler to breach on their very own patch. No facet has conceded extra residence targets than Stoke to date this season, transport a median of 1.86 targets per recreation at this venue. They’ve let in 13 residence targets to date and have saved only a single clear sheet.

Admittedly, their residence fixtures have been considerably harder and so they’ve to date hosted three of the prime six at this floor. However, their incapacity to maintain the opposition off the score-sheet stays an actual concern for followers. The topsy-turvy nature of their 4-3 victory over Huddersfield in late November means that one other open recreation could also be in the offing right here, and they’re unlikely to change their method due to the exceptionally fast turnaround. Despite protecting two clear sheets in the house of seven days, younger goalkeeper Josef Bursik struggled right here in opposition to Norwich ten days in the past, and he’ll be hoping for a a lot quieter afternoon this time round.

Despite their generosity at the again, Stoke do have loads of firepower of their squad and have managed to discover the internet in every of their final six residence matches. Having scored ten instances of their final 4, and with the likes of Tyrese Campbell and the aforementioned Powell in the facet, they’re all the time doubtless to create alternatives.

Middlesbrough returned to successful methods in midweek with a powerful 2-1 success over in-form Swansea. In sharp distinction to final season, the Teessiders are exceptionally dependable at the Riverside and boast a 5-2-1 file to date. They’ve conceded simply twice since the starting of October on their very own patch, nonetheless, they’re far weaker exterior of the north east.

Last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Huddersfield was their first away defeat since September eleventh, and with Neil Warnock suggesting that a few of his gamers have been affected by fatigue, they may very well be weak right here. Boro’s video games have been exceptionally low-scoring this season and have averaged simply 1.73 targets, nonetheless their final three matches have contained 11, and so they could also be dragged into one other end-to-end contest on Saturday afternoon.

Both groups to rating has landed in 4 of Stoke’s final 5 residence matches and at 2.0811/10 on the Exchange, it seems value siding with as soon as once more.

Huddersfield 2.526/4 v QPR 3.185/40; The Draw 3.39/4
Saturday, 15:00

Huddersfield‘s inconsistencies this season have troubled their supporters and the Terriers arrive right here off the again of one other heavy defeat on the highway. Carlos Corberan is working with a restricted squad, nonetheless, he is getting the finest out of gamers comparable to Josh Koroma, Lewis O’Brien and Harry Toffolo. The exceptionally gifted Carel Eiting can be beginning to slowly make his mark at this degree.

They have gained simply certainly one of their final six Championship encounters, and that sole success got here in opposition to an excellent Middlesbrough facet. Their 3-1-3 file at the John Smith’s Stadium is not unhealthy, however they have not been ready to maintain a clear sheet since October twentieth. Only low-scoring East Midlands duo Nottingham Forest and Derby have failed to register right here, and QPR will probably be feeling extraordinarily assured of discovering the again of the internet on Saturday afternoon.

The hosts have not had any issues sticking the ball in the again of the internet in West Yorkshire, and so they’ve registered at least as soon as in every of their final six residence matches. Two of their three residence defeats have come in opposition to sides who sit snug inside the prime six, and this in principle, must be somewhat simpler.

QPR sit instantly beneath this weekend’s opponents in the desk, and arrive right here off the again of successive defeats. They competed admirably in opposition to high-flying duo Brentford and Bristol City, but they have been simply edged out in the second half. After a gradual begin to the season, they’ve gravitated again to their entertaining and high-scoring finest, and throughout their final 5 fixtures, there have been 17 targets.

Mark Warburton‘s facet have loads of particular person high quality, and so they have discovered the again of the internet in every of their final seven outings. The type of Bright Osayi-Samuel has been an actual constructive for the R’s in latest weeks, and followers will probably be hoping to see far more of Lydon Dykes after the Scottish striker lastly netted his first aim from open play final weekend.

Both groups to rating has landed in 4 of the final 5 conferences between these sides, and with neither staff seemingly ready to maintain a clear sheet, this may very well be a really entertaining 90 minutes.

Huddersfield will fancy their probabilities of edging this contest, and they need to have the option to construct upon their residence victory over Middlesbrough. Using the Same Game Multi on the Sportsbook, we are able to get Huddersfield Double Chance and BTTS at 6/5.

You can observe Jack Critchley on Twitter @jcritch7