*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at the time of publication but subject to change
After the Easter Monday round of fixtures most teams in the EFL will have just six games left to decide whether this campaign will be going down in the history books or be written off as just another one to forget. We’ve got two Championship games on the telly on Monday as well as a mouth-watering clash at the top of League One.
Playoff-hunting Middlesbrough will be desperate for a win against 2nd-placed Watford in the early kick off. It’s Peterborough v Sunderland in League One while Sheffield Wednesday are staring down the barrel of relegation and they tackle Cardiff at 5.30pm. So, without further ado, let’s find the best bet for each game.
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12.30pm: Middlesbrough v Watford – Watford to Win
Watford can take another big step back towards the Premier League here with a win against Neil Warnock’s Middlesbrough. The Hornets are 2nd in The Championship and have a nine point gap to Swansea in 3rd. However, The Swans do have a game in hand over them.
Boro are fighting hard to sneak into the playoffs and are in 9th with seven games to go. They’re seven points behind Reading but their goal difference is likely to work against them if they are to go on a run and move up a vital few places.
Monday 12.30pm: Middlesbrough v Watford
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Watford have won 11 of their last 10 league games and look absolutely unstoppable at the moment. Boro’s form is more mixed with two wins and three losses in their last five. They’re pretty good at home with three wins in their last five at The Riverside.
We can’t look past The Hornets here though, they’ve won four of their last five on the road and won’t be intimidated by Middlesbrough’s decent form on their own turf. With The Hornets’ price getting a boost as they’re the away side I think it’s worth simply siding with the Watford Win in this one.
3pm: Peterborough v Sunderland – Sunderland Win & BTTS
Sunderland are in superb form and have gone 11 games without defeat heading into this huge automatic promotion clash with Peterborough. The Posh themselves have done brilliantly to be in the hunt to go up but their form might be deserting them at the worst possible time.
The Black Cats are just finding a way to win and they’ve only dropped four points from the last 33 available. The hosts won six on the bounce through February but had a shaky March with two wins, three losses and two draws.
Monday 3pm: Peterborough v Sunderland
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Darren Ferguson’s men will have to march their February form in April if they’re to fend off Sunderland’s challenge for their spot in the top two – starting now. In terms of this game, it looks like we have to be with Sunderland based purely on the form of both sides coming into this game. Plus, it’s a little too early for them to completely implode and c*ck it all up just yet. Give it a few games.
The tricky element is that Sunderland are incredibly tight at the back and Win to Nil a lot – that’s a potential angle – but the counter to that is that Peterborough almost always score, firing a blank just once in the last 14 games. Their defence has deserted them a little of late so there could be goals in this game. We could see a thrilling Sunderland Win with Both Teams To Score at a really juicy price.
5.30pm: Sheffield Wednesday v Cardiff – Cardiff to Win
Sheffield Wednesday’s win against Barnsley before the international break was their only win in the last 10 and looked like it might kick-start a much-needed revival. However, they lost 1-0 to the excellent Watford on Good Friday. No shame in that result at all, though the games are now running out fast.
The Owls are 23rd in The Championship with eight games to play and an seven point gap to make up to Coventry City in 21st. It’s taken Moore a while to get his first win since arriving from Doncaster at the start of March and he’ll need to rack up a few quickly to keep Wednesday in the second tier.
Monday 5.30pm: Sheffield Wednesday v Cardiff
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For Cardiff things are a lot rosier, but this game is no less important for them. They’re 8th with a five point gap to Reading in the final playoff spot. They pulled off a big win against bitter rivals Swansea before the break but fluffed their lines against lowly Nottingham Forest on Friday.
In terms of a bet here, this is very tricky given the potential for a slightly-delayed new-manager bounce and The Bluebirds’ shaky form. However, we’re backing the better side who come into this game more hopeful for a positive outcome this season. Given now bad Wednesday are at the moment Cardiff to Win is the way to play here.
Tips for Monday’s TV EFL games
12.30pm: Middlesbrough v Watford – Watford to Win
3pm: Peterborough v Sunderland – Sunderland Win & BTTS
5.30pm: Sheffield Wednesday v Cardiff – Cardiff to Win
*All prices are bang up to date with our snazzy widget, while in-copy odds are accurate at the time of publication but subject to change
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