Saturday's Championship Tips: Wins for Birmingham, Middlesbrough and West Ham to end 2011
With England's second tier reaching the halfway point, several teams are emerging as real contenders for promotion to the Premier League. Adam Bate previews the action
30 Dec 2011 14:29:00
By Adam Bate
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Birmingham v Blackpool
Birmingham to win at Evens (2.0) with Bet365
Two very different teams will be doing battle at St Andrew’s. Birmingham have the best defensive record of any home team in the Championship. In contrast, only Ipswich and Doncaster have conceded more goals away from home than Ian Holloway’s Blackpool. Expect Birmingham to maintain their unbeaten home record, and they can be backed to win this one at evens with Bet365.
Middlesbrough v Peterborough
Middlesbrough to win at 8/11 (1.73) with Bet365
It’s a similar story at the Riverside, where Middlesbrough will entertain Peterborough. The visitors have conceded as many goals away from home as Blackpool and will be vulnerable against a Boro side that has lost only once at home. The home side have won their last four games, and you can get odds of 8/11 (1.73) with Bet365 on them making it five wins in a row to end the year in style.
Derby County v West Ham United
West Ham to win at Evens (2.0) with Bet365
Derby have managed to stop the rot with wins in their last two Championship games at Pride Park, and you can back them again here at 10/3 with Bet365 - but it would be a surprise if they made it three on the bounce against West Ham.
Nigel Clough’s side recently endured a run of five consecutive defeats, and the heady days of the autumn, when they were actually above Sam Allardyce’s Hammers after eight games, already seem a distant memory. It’s not all been plain sailing for West Ham either in recent weeks, but with Middlesbrough applying pressure for the automatic promotion spots, they’ll know nothing less than a win is needed at Derby.
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Adam Bate is a professional freelance journalist who specialises in football and betting. He is editor of GhostGoal which can be found here - you can also follow Adam on Twitter
Birmingham to win at Evens (2.0) with Bet365Two very different teams will be doing battle at St Andrew’s. Birmingham have the best defensive record of any home team in the Championship. In contrast, only Ipswich and Doncaster have conceded more goals away from home than Ian Holloway’s Blackpool. Expect Birmingham to maintain their unbeaten home record, and they can be backed to win this one at evens with Bet365.
Middlesbrough v Peterborough
Middlesbrough to win at 8/11 (1.73) with Bet365It’s a similar story at the Riverside, where Middlesbrough will entertain Peterborough. The visitors have conceded as many goals away from home as Blackpool and will be vulnerable against a Boro side that has lost only once at home. The home side have won their last four games, and you can get odds of 8/11 (1.73) with Bet365 on them making it five wins in a row to end the year in style.
Derby County v West Ham United
West Ham to win at Evens (2.0) with Bet365Derby have managed to stop the rot with wins in their last two Championship games at Pride Park, and you can back them again here at 10/3 with Bet365 - but it would be a surprise if they made it three on the bounce against West Ham.
Nigel Clough’s side recently endured a run of five consecutive defeats, and the heady days of the autumn, when they were actually above Sam Allardyce’s Hammers after eight games, already seem a distant memory. It’s not all been plain sailing for West Ham either in recent weeks, but with Middlesbrough applying pressure for the automatic promotion spots, they’ll know nothing less than a win is needed at Derby.
Sign up with bet365 for a free bet of up to £200!
Adam Bate is a professional freelance journalist who specialises in football and betting. He is editor of GhostGoal which can be found here - you can also follow Adam on Twitter
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