Sheff Utd v Leeds
We’re taking a look at the Championship 1 December betting tips. Following a near miss last season, Sheffield United are back pushing for promotion and entered a busy week sitting fifth with 18 games on the board. A record of nine wins, four draws and five defeats suggests a play-off finish is the best fans can hope for as the team struggle to nail down the consistency needed to challenge for the top-two prizes. A draw last weekend meant they had picked up just one win in five.
Three games without victory started with defeat at Nottingham Forest on the road; this was quickly followed by a couple of draws, ending level with Sheffield rivals Wednesday in a tense derby before scrapping to a 2-2 finish with Rotherham. The latter saw Duffy and Basham find the net; however, those goals were cancelled out by Taylor and Proctor, the latter coming with 92 minutes on the clock. The Blades could’ve taken six points, but they ended up with two.
Leeds on the Right Path
Leeds United are another side who failed to finish last season off in style, denying fans a crack at the play-offs. They will be desperate to improve on that this term and will see the value in shooting for the top-two in the division, gifting themselves an automatic pass to the big league without the lottery of play-off football. A CV showing 9-6-3 has them third, just three points off early pace-setters Norwich City.
The Peacocks picked up another maximum last weekend when beating Bristol City 2-0 at Elland Road, as they were expected to do by most. In a hard-fought match, it took the victors until the 69th minute to get themselves ahead. Roofe broke the deadlock before Hernandez made sure of the points on 86. The beaten side had Brownhill sent off on 55 for a second booking and that handed the advantage to Leeds, who grabbed it with both hands.
Blades Have the Cutting Edge
The head-to-head stats tell us this will be close with the numbers sitting at 28 wins each and 22 games drawn. Sheff Utd have dominated in recent times, winning each of the last three meetings, including home and away last season, both by a 2-1 scoreline. They’ve also not lost at home to Leeds since 1992 and that’s a stat worth knowing if you are going to bet on this game.
Both teams scored in each of the two games last season and that’s also true in four of the last six. Neutrals will be hoping this renewal falls into line and the rivals serve up another meeting with action at both ends of the pitch. The recent league form of the two certainly suggests we are in for an entertaining afternoon and we hope this lives up to the billing.
Bookies Follow the Form
Bookmakers appear to have kept a close eye on the formbook and have priced Sheff Utd as favourites for the win. Punters will find Bet365 have set-out a market best price of 13/10 and there’s currently none more generous. That’s sure to prove popular and is how we intend to play this one. The quote means we are able to back it as a single and enjoy the match.
Leeds are 2/1 at Unibet and we must say there’s no real reason they should be as big as that, so wouldn’t put anyone off an interest bet at the value; meanwhile, the draw goes 12/5 (Unibet). If you would prefer to avoid the match winner market, why not play both teams to score? That has been priced at 4/6 by Bet365 and will do a job in your accumulators.
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Middlesbrough v Aston Villa
Sky Sports bring us this match from the Riverside live from 5.30pm; it promises to be one well worth watching as two ambitious second-tier sides do battle over three much-needed points. The home team went into the weekend on an unbeaten run that had lifted them to second in the table and within two points of leaders Norwich City. They have failed to live up to their own pre-season hype in recent years. However, now they have given themselves a solid platform on which to launch a title challenge and there’s no doubt they are good enough to go close.
Boro took six points from six, following a run of draws with victory over Wigan and Brentford to catapult themselves into contention. They are a team with Premier League experience so will know the importance of a strong winter when targeting promotion. Hugill scored a double at this venue recently to down The Latics 2-0 and that was followed by an eye-catching 2-1 win over Brentford on the road, Hugill and Tavernier on target to better a Judge response.
Villa Have Found Their Feet
After promising much in pre-season, Aston Villa failed to set the heather alight in the opening few weeks of the campaign; they have found themselves toiling in midtable. The club put that right with a run of wins that has thrown them deep into the mix for a prize, taking nine points from three games heading into the week to sit within four points of Derby County and the play-off places. That treble followed a pair of defeats.
It was started with a 2-0 win over Bolton at Villa Park – a game they were expected to win – before recording a 3-0 over Derby. The latter was a surprise result and sent out a message of intent to the rest of the league. They built on it by hammering Birmingham 4-2 last weekend when back in front of their own fans, with goals from Kodjia, Grealish, Abraham and Hutton seeing them across the line. The latter from Scotsman Hutton was a strike of real quality and was further proof of the confidence that exists in the camp.
Smoggies Picked for the Win
Middlesbrough are favourites for the win here and that will come as no major shock, with Unibet offering a market best price of 15/13. There will be more than a few sniffing around that price, although the same firm go 23/10 the draw. Fancy Villa to upset the odds? Back the away win at Bet365 and get a handy 5/2. That may be worth an interest as a single to spice up your viewing.
These teams met five times last season, in league action and then in the play-offs and it was evenly balanced; the stats settled at Aston Villa 2-1 Middlesbrough with a couple of draws. This will be another hard-fought contest and we’re happy to sit on the fence and back no in the both teams to score market at 5/6 (Bet365). That would’ve been settled as a winner in each of the last five matches involving these sides and it would come as no surprise to see them cancel each other out again.
Those after a bit more of a return for a small stakes risk can play the correct score market. Aston Villa have won two of their last three games with Boro by a 1-0 score, with the spare ending goalless. That includes a win in the play-offs and backing the repeat will give you a shot at a cracking 17/2 with 888sport. That will keep you glued to the outcome and the stats say it’s a bet that’ll give you every chance of landing a bulky pay-out to get December off to a flyer.