*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
We’ve got two Championship games to enjoy on Sunday in what seems to be the busiest weekend of football ever. It’s not, of course, but with the furore about the Super League, the midweek Premier League and EFL fixtures, the League Cup final and the Championship bleeding into Sunday it’s certainly been a manic week.
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In terms of the EFL, it’s a biggie with Reading v Swansea first up on your telly on Sunday and we’re not forgetting about Bristol City hosting Luton at 1pm. In the spirit of fairness, sporting integrity and competition we’ll cover them both here for you and serve up a dishy lunchtime Sunday double. Woof.
12pm: Reading v Swansea – The Draw
There’s no more excuses for Reading now. It’s do or die. And, frankly, even if they win their remaining three games it’s probably not going to be enough to sneak into the post-season party. A season that started ablaze has fizzled out with two draws and a loss in their last three, effectively ending their hopes of a top-six finish. It was looking like the title after 10 games and this will surely go down as the one the got away for The Royals.
From Swansea’s perspective they’ll be having similar emotions if they don’t return to the Premier League via the playoffs. They had realistic automatic promotion hopes a month or so ago, but a combination of Watford’s red-hot form and them going off the boil means it’s almost certainly the playoffs unless they completely implode, starting here.
Sunday 12pm: Reading v Swansea City
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You might think Reading will have an edge here with everything to play for but it’s probably The Swans who realistically have more on the line. It’s who they pay in the playoffs and when they get home advantage which is on the cards for them. Reading are 7th, eight points behind Swansea who are down to 6th following Saturday’s results with just three games to go.
Swansea know a point here will guarantee their playoff place. Neither of these are in great shape coming into this. The Royals have won just once in the last eight, drawing five and losing two. Swansea have won twice over that timeframe, drawing once and losing a shocking five times.
Neither side is showing any particular trend in terms of Both Teams to Score or Overs/Under so, and I have no shame in saying this, will sit on the fence and plump for The Draw, which will suit Swansea just fine, here. I’m sure this is going to be close and, if nothing else, you’ll be right in the game up until full time. To be honest, I don’t trust either side to win it while fully believing both could lose it. Football, bloody hell, eh?
1pm: Bristol City v Luton – Luton to Win
In the second Championship game of the day we’ve got two teams who have enjoyed and endured very contrasting seasons. Like Reading, Bristol City started well but they’ve completely fallen off a cliff and find themselves in 18th after Saturday’s games.
For Luton it’s been a season of steady progression after their 19th-placed finish last term. They happily occupy 13th and have been in typically mixed form for a side in their position.
Mixed it may be, but they’ve won two and drawn one of their last three including the impressive 1-0 derby win over 2nd-placed Watford. A little gauge of where these teams are at the moment comes in the hulking shape of Adebayo Akinfenwa’s Wycombe Wanderers.
Luton thrashed The Championship’s 24th-placed team 3-1 three games back but City lost 2-1 courtesy of a last-gasp penalty from the aforementioned big man in the week. There is no case for Bristol City getting anything from this game so we’re on the Luton Win to round up our PP News enhanced Sunday Championship double.
Our Sunday double
12pm: Reading v Swansea – The Draw
1pm: Bristol City v Luton – Luton 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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