Leeds v Blackburn Bet Builder Tips
Under 2.5 Goals
Both Teams to Score, No
Sammie Szmodics to have 1 or more Shots on Target
Harry Pickering to Commit 1 or more Fouls
Blackburn +2
- A Bet Builder with these selections pays at approximately 16/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD TO YOUR BETSLIP.
Leeds v Blackburn
Championship match at Elland Road, Leeds
TV: Sky Sports Football, Saturday, 12:30pm
Under 2.5 Goals
Only a quick glance at recent results concerning those near the top of the table is all that is needed to be known to see if they are feeling the pressure. All of the top three dropped points in midweek in what were tight games and it would be no shock if the theme of close encounters continued into the weekend.
Leeds are the team playing catch-up in the top-two battle but Blackburn have their own agenda in terms of wanting to stay in the league. They sit three points above the drop zone and a 5-0 defeat to mid-table Bristol City on Wednesday has increased nerves around Ewood Park.
Rovers boss John Eustace will hope that was a one-off as prior to that they’ve only been conceding an average of 1.22 league goals per game since he took charge. A defensive approach is expected from Rovers here to make them harder to beat and try to frustrate Leeds.
Both Teams To Score, No
As mentioned, this is simply a nervy part of the season and this isn’t a game that necessarily screams out goals. The odds may suggest Leeds should walk this but that was also the case for their midweek home draw with Sunderland. Form has to go out of the window to a degree and the sheer pressure of the situation cannot be ignored.
Leeds, of course, could, and really should, win this, but with Blackburn likely to really emphasise their defensive shape off the back of conceding five last time out, it‘s more likely to be close. Rovers have failed to score in three of their previous five on the road, whilst Leeds matches are ranked fourth-bottom in the league in relation to number of games featuring Both Teams to Score landing.
Sammie Szmodics to have 1 or more Shots On Target
One bright and somewhat unexpected star in Blackburn’s largely disappointing season is forward Sammie Szmodics. The former Peterborough man leads the Championship scoring charts with 23 goals, having netted only five last season, and Blackburn certainly depend on him.
Szmodics cannot go 90 minutes without having a sniff at goal. Although he has not scored in three of his last four, he has still continued to work opposing goalkeepers over those matches. Since the beginning of February, he has only failed to have a shot on target in four games.
The energetic forward has had at least two attempts on target in five of his last seven games, including against Leeds’ promotion rivals Ipswich and the Premier League’s Newcastle in the FA Cup.
Harry Pickering to commit 1 or more Fouls
Leeds are a big threat in the wide areas given they possess the likes of Crysencio Summerville and Daniel James, so the Blackburn full backs may be having sleepless nights at the prospect of facing them. They could be forgiven for doing so as these are the tricky and skilful players in the team, and Leeds top the league dribbling and one v one statistics by some distance.
One of Rovers full back is Harry Pickering and a generous price is available on him to commit at least one foul at Elland Road at Saturday lunchtime. Since Boxing Day, he has fouled an opponent in 11 of his 14 appearances, and considering he has made two or more in his last two matches we can certainly exploit the trend.
He’ll likely be directly up against Dan James, who has been fouled at least once in each of his last six games for club and country.
Blackburn +2
Getting Blackburn on side on a handicap looks like the right way to go. Yes, they did lose 5-0 last time out, but it would be a big surprise for them to suffer heavy losses in quick succession considering it goes completely against the grain in Eustace’s time with Blackburn. It was just one of those nights and a reaction has to be expected.
Also, only on four occasions in 2024 have Leeds won a league encounter by a three-goal margin or greater, but these were all prior to the nervy end-of-season run-in. Again, the pressure is only increasing on Leeds and Blackburn won’t make life easy for them.
Eustace’s side have kept recent clean sheets versus Southampton and Middlesbrough, so they know how to frustrate strong opposition.
Leeds v Blackburn Bet Builder Tips
Under 2.5 Goals
Both Teams to Score, No
Sammie Szmodics to have 1 or more Shots on Target
Harry Pickering to Commit 1 or more Fouls
Blackburn +2
- A Bet Builder with these selections pays at approximately 16/1 with Paddy Power. CLICK HERE TO ADD TO YOUR BETSLIP.
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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