Saturday's Bet Of The Day: Cards key in derby dust-up

A brand new daily column kicks-off on Saturday afternoon as Jack Wright (@JackWright_BSB) is on-hand to share his Bet of the Day, starting at Elland Road..

Leeds vs Sheffield United | Saturday 3rd April 2021, 15:00 | Amazon Prime

A manager returning to his former club. A Yorkshire derby. All that’s missing is a packed Bank Holiday Elland Road crowd and we have all the ingredients we need…

Leeds sit a comfortable 11^th place in their first season back in England’s top division and go in to this clash as hot 4/7 favourites against a rock bottom Sheffield United side who have never come close to repeating last season’s incredible 9^th placed finish.

However, it isn’t the result that I am interested in here.

When these two clubs met at Bramall Lane back in September the Blades picked up two second half yellow cards and the last time they met here in a crucial Championship promotion clash in 2019 a caution in each half for George Baldock and Billy Sharp recorded another 20 booking points.

Under Chris Wilder Sheffield United top the EPL charts by hitting 20+ booking points in 20 of their 29 fixtures so far (69%) and that percentage increases when away from home with crossing that line in 11 of 14 (79%) road trips giving implied odds of 1.27 so the 5/6 (1.83) on offer with Sky Bet seems to give us plenty of edge.

Referee Graham Scott is decent enough ranking seventh in the EPL for average booking points having given 25 yellow cards and four reds to give a per game points average of 35.

I was tempted by most booking points which you can back at even money given the Blades have picked up more than their hosts in 13 of 14 games away from home – but for a Bet of the Day I’m taking that slightly safer option given it is a derby.