The Championship Betting: Home sides set to have a comfortable afternoon

Championship / Andrew French / 26 February 2010 / Leave a Comment

Chris Coleman’s Coventry side are enjoying a great run of form at the Ricoh Arena and that is set to continue when Scunthorpe visit on Saturday

"Every season a team emerges from the pack, and the Sky Blues are showing the sort of form required to do so - their late win at Crystal Palace last weekend underlined their character. Chris Coleman's side are unbeaten in six at the Ricoh, and five of those were wins."

With a lot of in-form, top-half-of-the-table clubs playing on their home soil this Saturday, Andrew French believes there's no need to play away if you want to bag yourself a weekend profit.

Having been unbeatable away from home for the first five months of the season, it could prove to be that Nottingham Forest's sudden slump on the road is crucial in deciding their automatic promotion hopes - and I can see them coming unstuck again this weekend when they visit Leicester.

Forest's first 13 away league games of the season passed by without defeat - but a 1-0 reverse at great rivals Derby kicked off three successive away defeats for Billy Davies' side, all without scoring. Leicester have promotion aspirations of their own, although it looks more likely to be via the play-offs. They are currently unbeaten in seven and have conceded only four goals in that run. At a price of [2.8], Leicester are the selection.

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Having had some major off-field problems, Watford and their fans will be more than happy to be tucked away in mid-table, with games in hand on all those around them. However, if the Hornets could reproduce their home form on the road, they could be so much further up the division: they've won six of the last eight at Vicarage Road, but not won in 10 on their travels. However, the form and confidence they show on their own turf makes me believe they can cause leaders Newcastle a few problems this weekend. The Toon may be clear at the head of the table, but they have not won in seven away games in all competitions. Therefore, the suggestion is to lay Newcastle at [1.99].

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It's three wins out of four now for Coventry, and if they can maintain that form then they could force themselves into the play-off frame. Every season a team emerges from the pack, and the Sky Blues are showing the sort of form required to do so - their late win at Crystal Palace last weekend underlined their character. Chris Coleman's side are unbeaten in six at the Ricoh, and five of those were wins. Therefore, I think they can take care of Scunthorpe this weekend. The Iron are unbeaten in three, but they were all at home. On the road they struggle - 10 defeats in 16 games, and the 36 goals they have conceded gives them the division's worst away defensive record. So, I suggest backing Coventry at [1.85].

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With a number of teams looking good things at home this weekend, I'm suggesting a £10 treble backing Middlesbrough, Sheffield United and Swansea. Boro have struggled on the road in their last two outings but their earlier back-to-back home wins suggest they can see off QPR, who have not won away from home in the league in eight attempts. Sheffield United, who have won five out of six at Bramall Lane, host Plymouth, beaten in five of their last seven away league games. Swansea are enjoying an 11-game unbeaten run and although they draw a lot of games, they ought to be able to beat Peterborough, who have lost six on the trot on their travels.

Backing the three above named home sides should pay around [3.93] on Betfair Multiples.

*Andrew is showing a profit of approximately £220 (£10 level stake/liability) on all his selections so far this season