Championship / Andrew French / 04 December 2009 /

It's been quite a while since Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Ipswich tasted defeat in the Championship, and our man Andrew French reckons that will still be the case after Saturday's action.

It's been ten games since Nottingham Forest tasted defeat, and I believe they can claim a victory over promotion rivals Leicester that would lift them to third in the Championship table.

Admittedly Forest draw more games than most (four of their last five have finished all square), but the positive slant on that is they are very hard to beat. Their home form has improved after a sticky start, and they have won four of the last five at the City Ground. Visitors Leicester have quickly adapted having made the step up from League One last season, but they failed to kill off lowly Scunthorpe last weekend and had to settle for a draw. At a tasty price of [2.44], I suggest siding with Forest.

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I take no pleasure in advising against my old club, but from a punting point of view, Newcastle hosting Watford does look to be a home banker. The Toon have won five on the spin and are unbeaten at St James Park - they brushed aside high-flying Swansea last weekend, and it looks like it is going to take something special to beat them on their own patch.

Earlier in the season, Watford were looking good on their travels, enjoying a run of six away games without defeat. However, that sequence has ended with a bump after successive 5-0 and 3-0 away defeats. Conceding goals is still the Hornets' Achilles' heel (29 in 18 games), and with Newcastle having netted eight in their last three at home, I just can't see Watford holding them. Therefore, back Newcastle at [1.6].

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It wasn't so long ago that everyone was having a sly laugh at Roy Keane's woes at Ipswich, but the Irishman has now lifted the Tractor Boys off the bottom on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run. True, five of those have been draws but there was plenty to like about the way Town came from behind to win 2-1 at promotion chasers Cardiff last week. Ipswich have scored more than twice as many goals on the road as they have at Portman Road, so Keane's boys will have no fears about travelling to Bristol City.

The Robins are just on a bit of a slide, having gone four games without a win. They have lost both their last two, including seeing struggling Sheffield United end their unbeaten home record at Ashton Gate last weekend. Therefore, I suggest laying City at [2.3].

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We haven't even reached the turn of the year and things are already looking bleak for Peterborough. Bottom of the table and five points adrift of safety, Posh have won just once in 10 league games. New manager Mark Cooper has it all to do, and though his side snatched a point at home to Middlesbrough last week, I think they will find Swansea too strong for them on Saturday.

The Swans were beaten at Newcastle last weekend, but there is no shame in that - and they had gone 11 without defeat previously. They won both their two away games before the Newcastle trip, and had conceded just one goal in five away games prior to that defeat. Peterborough have conceded 15 goals at London Road already this season, and I can see Swansea nicking this one - so I suggest backing them at [2.4].

* Andrew is showing a profit of approximately £138 (£10 level stake/liability) on all his selections so far this season

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