*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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Brentford are a funny old side. They have undoubted quality, but that’s matched by a seemingly unquenchable thirst for self-destruction. Thomas Frank’s side followed up a 22-game unbeaten run by losing three on the bounce in February.
Fair enough, they’re allowed a couple of poor performances after such a run, you might think. And you’d probably be right. But since that incredible run they’ve won just three of the next nine league games and that is not the form required to go one better than their 3rd-place finish last term.
Saturday 12.30pm: Huddersfield v Brentford
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They head north to Huddersfield on Saturday and could find themselves cut adrift of the automatic promotion places in the Championship come kick off with everyone else having played on Friday. To be precise, they could be 10 points behind Watford in 2nd with two games in hand including this one. It’s hard to argue that Brentford don’t play better when the pressure is off.
Huddersfield are 18th in the second tier going in to this round of fixtures, seven points clear of Rotherham in the final relegation spot. Rotherham have three games in hand over The Terriers so they will be well aware they are by no means safe yet this season. With all that to throw in the mix, here’s your three best bets.
Brentford to Win
I think this game could mark the start of another thrilling, if ultimately fruitless Brentford run. As mentioned above, they could be 10 points short of the final automatic promotion spot come kick off on Saturday and the pressure to finish in the top two will have been fully released.
Their incredible post-lockdown run last season saw them go from nowhere to bottling two big chances of automatic promotion in the final weeks of the campaign. They went on to lose the playoff final to their near neighbours Fulham to really hammer the point home.
Their amazing run earlier this season came after some middling league form which made it look like a season of mid-table mediocrity was on the cards. As soon as it looked like they could do it they lost three on the bounce and have drawn with Nottingham Forest and Derby in their last two. Now the pressure is off I think we’ll see the best of this Brentford side once again.
Throw in some poor Huddersfield form, they’ve won once in the last six, and Brentford really should win here. A chance to rest and regroup for most of the squad over the international break should see The Bees buzzing again. Until it really matters again, that is.
Ivan Toney to Score First
Ivan Toney to Score First is an absolute no brainer here. A tougher question is whether he’ll still be plying his trade in the red and white of Brentford next season?
None of that matters for now though as Toney, who has 28 goals in 36 appearances this season, is on penalties and is bang in form. He’s fired the first goal in all three of Brentford’s last three games with all coming from 12 yards.
Half Time/Full Time: Brentford/Brentford
While Toney likes to get Brentford off to a quick start, Huddersfield prefer to sit back, soak up the pressure and try to make their moves late on in games. The Terriers haven’t scored in the first half for seven games, a run going back to their shock 4-1 win over Swansea in February.
There seems little danger that they’ll strike before The Bees who have scored in the first half of four of their last six. Add those two statistics together then this Half Time/Full Time: Brentford/Brentford is a really nice bet and offers some good value if the straight Brentford Win is too short for your liking. By the time Huddersfield get going in the second half it’s likely to already be too late for them to salvage anything from the game.
Tips for Huddersfield v Brentford
Brentford to Win
Ivan Toney to Score First
Half Time/Full Time: Brentford/Brentford
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widgets, while odds in copy are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change.
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