Championship / Mike Norman / 24 December 2011 /

With Andrew French on Christmas vacation, in-form Premier League columnist Mike Norman drops down a division to run the rule over Boxing Day's Championship action.

Derby v Leeds, KO: Boxing Day 13:00, Match Odds: Derby [3.0], Leeds [2.6], The Draw [3.5]

Since opening the season with four straight victories Derby County have shown close to relegation form ever since. In fact, it took the Rams 17 games to register their next four wins meaning they've taken just 16 points from the last 54 available. And those last four wins have all been against clubs currently occupying positions 17th or lower in the league table.

Derby have lost three of their last four on home soil so a visit from Leeds is not the late Christmas present Nigel Clough would have wished for.

Simon Grayson's men currently sit sixth in the table and have the third best away record in the Championship. They won three away games on the bounce - against Nottm Forest, Leicester and Burnley - prior to drawing with in-form Watford at Vicarage Road on their last away trip, and they'll be confident of taking another three points from a fixture that always has plenty of needle.

Back Leeds @ [2.6] to beat Derby

Southampton v Crystal Palace, KO: Boxing Day 13:00, Match Odds: Southampton [1.53], Crystal Palace [8.0], The Draw [4.5]

Southampton have been quite brilliant at St Mary's this season, it has to be said. Nigel Adkins' men have scored an average of nearly three goals per game in front of their own fans this term and they've collected a total of 31 points from the 33 available to them. Consistency like this is a huge weapon to have in this division. Having said that, top-of-the-table Saints aren't in blistering form currently - just one win in five - and there's plenty of reasons to suggest they might not take all three points from this fixture.

The main reason is that the visitors on Boxing Day are Crystal Palace, a very well-organised side who concede few goals. Only Middlesbrough have conceded fewer times than Dougie Freedman's men this term (19 compared to Palace's 20), and the Eagles have recorded an impressive eight clean sheets in their last 12 league fixtures. Yes, it's a big ask to keep free-scoring Southampton at bay but a lay on the home side is definitely worth a wager, and so too is the 0-0 Correct Score.

Lay Southampton @ [1.54] to beat Crystal Palace
Back 0-0 @ [14.0] Correct Score

Reading v Brighton, KO: Boxing Day 15:00, Match Odds: Reading [1.8], Brighton [5.6], The Draw [3.8]

There's obviously no such thing as a 'banker' in this division, especially on a day like this when no-one for certain knows who stuck to the club policy of no alcohol, no over-indulging on turkey sandwiches, and no playing on the kids trampoline. But of all the Championship fixtures today, Reading look to have an excellent chance of maintaining their recent good form by beating out-of-sorts Brighton.

Like Derby, Brighton started the season brilliantly but have since won just four of their last 16 league games, including just one away win since September, ironically against Derby.

Reading on the other hand have won four of their last five, rising to seventh in the table, and in their last home game they beat Championship favourites West Ham 3-0. Remember, the Royals were the club that went on an excellent run after Christmas last season, and all the signs are that Brian McDermott's men are about to do something similar.

Back Reading @ [1.8] to beat Brighton

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