TOM LOVE (@TomLove_18) shares his views on the best betting opportunities from Wednesday night's Championship Coupon.
Huddersfield v Cardiff | Wednesday 12th February 2020, 19:45 | Sky Sports
Two teams who have recently been in the top-flight meet in West Yorkshire on Wednesday night as Cardiff travel north to Huddersfield. Both sides are under new management since their Premier League days but the duo have differing objectives at this current moment in time.
Cardiff have had an OK season all things considered – they’re in that bunch of teams fighting for a play-off spot. Huddersfield, on the other hand, will be happy to just stay in the league first and foremost. The Terriers currently reside in 20th, just five points off the drop and that will worry the clubs faithful.
Highly-rated brothers Danny and Nicky Cowley had an almost instant impression on the hosts but that ‘new manager bounce’ has long gone with them really struggling for consistency. The last time Town won back-to-back league games was in early November, it’s therefore no surprised to see them chalked up at 6/4 to beat Cardiff on their own patch, despite winning their last match against QPR.
I’m convinced the Cowleys will prove to be a long-term successful appointment from chairman Dean Hoyle but their MO is to stay in the league given their predicament and home form could be a key factor for them.
Scoring goals hasn’t necessarily been a problem for Huddersfield – they’ve notched two or more goals in six of their last seven league games – the only one they didn’t was against the meanest defence in the league, Brentford. Interestingly SkyBet go 6/4 that Huddersfield score at least two goals and that does look too big considering their recent scoring form and the fact Cardiff have conceded twice or more on 9/16 road trips.
I think the smart way in could be through Bet365’s BetBuilder feature though. If we combine Huddersfield Double Chance with Over 1.5 Goals we get an attractive looking 10/11 quote and that looks just the ticket.
This bet would’ve landed in 11/16 Cardiff away days, and given Huddersfield are decent in front of goal and Neil Harris’ side are sloppy defensively on the road, it looks a clever way to play this match-up.
Bristol City v Derby | Wednesday 12th February 2020, 19:45 | Sky Sports
Here we have one of the worst away sides in the division travelling to a team who always give their opponents opportunities to shoot as Bristol City host Derby.
Derby have won just twice on the road this season, a quite shameful record for a team who were just 90 minutes away from Premier League football last May.
Phillipe Cocu came in with a tough task to follow on from the good work done by Frank Lampard but still home they have been fairly reliable under the Dutchman, on the road they’re almost unbackable. That being said they did win their last road trip at Swansea and that could give them confidence as they head south to Ashton Gate.
Given the respective shot data of both sides, there should be opportunities at both ends. The Robins concede the third most shots in the league and it’s surprising to seen them in and around the play-offs at this current juncture. Lee Johnson is renowned as a streaky manager and it’s all about timing as the West Country boys go into the final furlong.
The good news for City here is that they host a terrible away side in the Rams. County concede the seventh-most shots when playing as visitors and that makes me tempted to delve into the player shots market for the home side. One player that does make appeal at the prices is Jamie Paterson.
Paterson was on loan at Derby at the start of this season but has since returned to Bristol. He’s made an impact too with three goals in just four starts. Playing as an advanced midfielder with a bit more freedom he can find space between the lines and get shots off. He recorded three shots last time out against Birmingham and two a week or so ago against Reading.
I’m therefore surprised to see Betfair go 4/5 on Paterson attempting 2+ shots. SkyBet go evens for three or more so the value is certainly with Betfair here.
Best Bets
Huddersfield v Cardiff – Huddersfield Double Chance and Over 1.5 Goals (10/11 Bet365)
Bristol City v Derby – Jamie Paterson to have 2+ shots (4/5 Betfair)
