Championship Best Bets: Six tips for Saturday's 3pm games

Swansea vs Sunderland

Points shared in South Wales

Despite being outshot by their opponents, Swansea left Home Park with maximum points on Tuesday night. Luke William's side have hit a decent spot of form and they head into this game four unbeaten. Unlike the beginning of the season, the Swans are scoring goals again and look threatening going forward. Although they still lack a clinical frontman who can net 15+ goals in a season, the contributions of Jay Fulton, Liam Cullen, Matt Grimes and more recently, Myles Peart-Harris have enabled them to thrive. The latter created more chances than any other player in Tuesday's victory against Plymouth.

Sunderland rescued a point against Bristol City with a late strike, however, they undoubtedly deserved to take something from the game. They chalked up an xG of 1.68 and managed to offload 21 shots, five of which landed on target. Regis Le Bris' side are another team who aren't particularly easy to beat and they are unbeaten in five of their last six away from home. They have drawn six of their last eight as well as three of their last four away from home. Another stalemate beckons.

Sheffield United vs Plymouth

Sheffield United's formidable form continued in midweek as they beat Millwall at the Den. The Blades haven't suffered a defeat since October 23rd, and despite the absence of Anel Ahmedhodzic, they have remained resolute at the back. The hosts haven't conceded a goal at Bramall Lane since August 17th and although their home fixture list has mainly comprised of bottom-half dwellers, this is surely the easiest assignment of the lot. Rhian Brewster returned to the fold recently and the former Liverpool striker will have been delighted to get on the scoresheet in East London.

Wayne Rooney was given two matches to save his job and with his first game ending in defeat to Swansea, this has become a must-win encounter for the former Derby boss. Unfortunately, his side are useless on the road and have a 10-1 goal difference across their last two away days. The Pilgrims have netted just three times on their travels so far and have failed to notch in six of their last eight. Against Leeds they failed to muster a single shot and it wouldn't be a surprise to see similar statistics for their visit to South Yorkshire.

Middlesbrough vs Millwall

Harris to suffer a narrow defeat in his final match

Middlesbrough weren't able to settle into their usual rhythm on Tuesday night as they recorded their lowest xG of the campaign at Elland Road. Leeds stopped the Teessiders from playing their usual swashbuckling style going forward and they were left frustrated throughout. They have looked fairly balanced lately, despite the absence of Aidan Morris and they will be expected to take three points from this encounter. With a 5-2-3 record at the Riverside, they can be a little unpredictable, yet they've only lost back-to-back games once this season and they should be able to bounce back, especially given they've had 24 hours longer to prepare for this tie than the visitors.

Neil Harris announced he was to step down from his role as head coach at the beginning of the week with the club allowing him to manage this fixture as his final hurrah. He's made Millwall tough to beat, yet they've looked slightly more progressive going forward this season and they've struck a nice balance. Nevertheless, the club have a number of key personnel who are doubtful for this contest and that is unlikely to help them secure an unlikely victory in the north east.

Oxford vs Sheffield Wednesday

Owls to put in another tremendous away day display

Oxford slumped to yet another defeat on Wednesday night and failed to muster much after falling behind. The Yellows have won just one of their last 13 matches in the second tier and have lost two of their last six at the Kassam. Matt Phillips was a rare bright spark for Des Buckingham's side, who have struggled to create chances in recent weeks. They played on Wednesday night and considering that their opponents have had an extra 24 hours to recover, this could be a tough 90 minutes.

Sheffield Wednesday suffered their first defeat since November 10th as they fell to a 1-0 loss to Blackburn. The Owls created plenty of opportunities and probably should have walked away with a point. Away from home, Danny Rohl's side have caught the eye and have won four of their last five on their travels. In their last six away days, they've conceded just four goals and are unlikely to be breached easily on Saturday afternoon. Expect the Owls' superb away form to continue.

Stoke vs Cardiff

Low-scoring stalemate in Staffordshire

There is increasing concern about Stoke's position with the Potters slumping to a third consecutive defeat on Tuesday night. Narcis Pelach's side are now winless in six and the goals have seemingly dried up. With just four in the last six and no home goal in a month, there is unlikely to be much optimism amongst the home faithful. They've also won just once since the beginning of October and there is a lack of creativity in midfield. Tom Cannon has been a bright spark for the Potters with Million Manhoef and Joon-Ho-Bae providing plenty of assistance.

Cardiff slumped to a home defeat on Wednesday night and this is another quick turnaround for the Bluebirds. Omer Riza's men are struggling to recapture their October form, although they are still creating a fair few chances. Despite their lack of success recently, they have drawn four of their last five on the road and don't tend to get beaten easily whilst on their travels.