Championship / Andrew French / 03 April 2009 /

Andrew French talks us through the best betting opportunities in The Championship this weekend where Sheffield United are making a genuine bid for automatic promotion and Charlton are trying to save some dignity. Best bet: Back Sheffield United to beat Ipswich at [1.98].

So often a team mounts a surge at the end of the season which carries them to promotion, either automatically or via the Play-Offs. Sheffield United are looking like the team that fits the bill this season.

The Blades have been in and around the top six most of the campaign and, as the top three have faltered, they have mounted a seven-game unbeaten run. With a game in hand on the top two, United could be within a win of the automatic promotion places on Saturday night.
Conversely, visitors Ipswich have been on the slide with only one win and four goals in their last six games.

The Sheffield club have also been banging the goals in, with 13 in their last six games, including nine in their last three.

Teams in form at this stage of the season are arguably more important than at any other time, as so often sides struggle as injuries and suspensions hit them at the end of a long campaign. Therefore, I suggest backing the Blades to continue their recent run at [1.98].

I'd also add in Over 2.5 Goals at [2.12]. United have averaged nearly 2.7 goals in their home league games this season, while Ipswich's away trips produce an average of 2.6.

With the talk of administration lingering around St Mary's, it's anyone's guess what the morale of the Southampton players and staff is at the moment as they prepare for a key home game with seemingly-doomed Charlton.

Saints showed some signs of life with three consecutive victories a few weeks ago, but they've only managed three points and two goals in their last four outings. Their home record is also the worst in the division, and their penchant to drop points at home may well cost them against the Addicks.

It's a measure of how bad Charlton's season has been that, even if Southampton were deducted 10 points for going into administration, they would still stay above the London club. Although they are not mathematically relegated yet, it is only just around the corner and officials have already started to talk about preparing for life next season in League One.

That may well remove some of the pressure though, and the Addicks will be quite happy to pick up a point from this one and perhaps try to build a little run during the closing weeks.
Therefore, I'm going to back the draw at [3.4].

Time appears to be running out for QPR. Their chances of automatic promotion - which they were so heavily tipped for before a ball had been kicked - are gone, and they are seven points off the play-off places with only six games to go.

Their problem seems to be scoring goals - they have netted less than a goal a game, and have scored just three in their last six games. However, they have managed to win their last two against teams above them in the table.

With home advantage again this weekend, they should just about have enough to see off a massively inconsistent Crystal Palace side. The Eagles have not managed back-to-back wins this year, and their unpredictability was perfectly highlighted when they followed up a 3-1 win at Swansea with a defeat by the same scoreline at Barnsley.

Don't expect Rangers to romp home - they've not won a home game by more than one goal since September - but I do suggest backing them at [2.4].

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