Saturday Championship Tips: Struggling Terriers to come up short at Kenilworth Road

Huddersfield's away woes to continue

Luton 2.3811/8 v Huddersfield 3.39/4; The Draw 3.39/4
Saturday, 15:00

It's fair to say that it's been an underwhelming month for Hudderfield Town. Carlos Corberan's side sit 14th in the Championship table, and although the prospect of relegation remains fairly remote, they can't afford too many more slip-ups throughout February. The Terriers have had injury problems, and added former Derby centre-back Richard Keogh to their ranks to help add some much-needed experience to their back-line. However, the new recruit was guilty of giving away possession at the weekend, a moment of misjudgement which inevitably proved costly.

The remainder of their January recruitment did little to inspire, with only the return of Duane Holmes providing a brief moment of excitement for fans. The winger wasn't fancied by Wayne Rooney at Derby, however, he has a good relationship with the West Yorkshire club and will be hoping to roll back the years at the John Smiths Stadium. Rolando Aarons will surely improve with some minutes under his belt, however, the clubs still lack a focal point. Pipa and Alex Vallejo have both excelled in recent weeks, and they will be key to helping the club put their barren run firmly behind them.

Corberan's men have picked up just a single point from the last 15 available, and have lost five of their last six on the road. They haven't scored more than a single goal in an away match since November 21st, and they could find it difficult to break down a stubborn Luton defence.

Nathan Jones was understandably unhappy with the outcome of his side's 1-0 defeat to Blackburn at the weekend. The Hatters appeared to have a legitimate goal chalked off in the dying embers of the contest, and the Welshman bemoaned the fact that his side's momentary lapse in concentration ultimately cost them a point.

Luton come into this game off the back of consecutive defeats, yet they have also beaten Bristol City and Bournemouth in the last month. The Hatters' problems have been in the final third this season, and although they haven't been able to add a 20-goal striker to their squad, they have seemingly recruited smartly during the window. Tom Ince arrives on loan from Stoke whilst Kal Naismith and Elijah Adebayo will add some much-needed thrust going forward. The latter has recently found his feet at League Two Walsall and is an interesting addition to the side.

Their home form is fairly solid and they've won three of their last five at this venue. Only Brentford, Stoke and QPR have notched more than a single goal at this ground, and they will fancy their chances of keeping their fourth home clean sheet of the campaign this weekend.

With Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall seemingly improving with every passing game, and the addition of some interesting attacking options, Luton should be able to edge out their opponents this weekend. Both sides are frustratingly inconsistent, however, at 2.3811/8 on the Exchange, the hosts look better equipped to take all three points.

Millers to continue their fantastic form at Deepdale

Preston 2.526/4 v Rotherham 3.1511/5; The Draw 3.412/5
Saturday, 15:00

Rotherham continued their impressive run of form on Wednesday evening as they cruised past Derby at the New York Stadium. Despite clocking up three wins in their last five matches, the Millers remain in a relegation battle, and are still two points from safety. The secret to their recent success is team spirit, with Paul Warne assembling a squad full of solid characters, many of whom are desperate to prove themselves at this level.

The addition of Ryan Giles appears to be a masterstroke with the Wolves loanee having netted twice in his first three appearances. Having failed to notch during a 22-game spell at Coventry earlier in the campaign, the 20-year old winger clearly feels at home in South Yorkshire. Warne is proving to be one of the division's best man-managers, and he is able to get the best out of previously underperforming players as well as those who have struggled to get game time elsewhere.

Matt Crooks and Michael Smith have been sensational in recent weeks, whilst Dan Berlaser continues to impress in the centre of the park. Two seasons ago, the Millers were hopeless on the road, and lost 14 of their 23 away games at this level. However, they've markedly improved their fortunes this time around, and have won each of their last two matches on their travels. They've also kept clean sheets in each of those victories, and will be full of confidence coming into this tie.

Although it's an exceptionally quick turnaround, the players will be ready for this tough-looking trip to Lancashire, and as a former fitness coach, Warne is unlikely to let his players energy levels drop this weekend.

Preston remain a little unpredictable, although their recent games have been extremely cagey affairs. Since beating Coventry at the end of December, they've netted just once, and only one of their last five matches has featured more than a single goal. Alex Neil will be hoping that their eyecatching January business can help them push into a top six spot this season. Although the arrival of Ched Evans is a curious one, the additions of Ben Whiteman, Greg Cunningham, Liam Lindsay, Daniel Iverson and Sepp Van Den Berg should improve the squad over the coming weeks. The newcomers should also help offset the loss of Ben Pearson and Ben Davies.

Preston's recent form has been average, although they will be suitably well-organised on Saturday afternoon. However, the Rotherham juggernaut currently looks unstoppable. Having won the reverse fixture, the South Yorkshire side will be hoping to do the double over the Lilywhites this season and at 3.1511/5 on the Exchange, they are very attractively priced.

Millers to continue their fantastic form at Deepdale

Millwall 2.0811/10 v Sheffield Wednesday 4.47/2; The Draw 3.39/4
Saturday, 15:00

Sheffield Wednesday have given themselves a fighting chance of survival this season, and the Owls' recent run of form has helped keep them in touch with the sides directly above the dotted line. This significant upturn in form can be credited to caretaker manager Neil Thompson, who is getting the best out of a limited squad. The return of Sam Hutchinson aside, Wednesday failed to add to their squad in the January transfer window, however, the return of Jordan Rhodes has the potential to feel like a new signing.

The former Blackburn striker has clocked up just over 400 minutes this season, and netted just his second goal of the campaign against Bournemouth on Tuesday night. Although their squad is a little threadbare compared to many of their rivals, the South Yorkshire club can still call upon the likes of Adam Reach, Barry Bannan and Callum Paterson.

Across the last four Championship matches, only four sides have accrued more points than the Owls, and they will fancy their chances of taking something from this trip to Bermondsey. They've conceded just six goals in their last seven matches and will be extremely tough to swat aside this weekend.

Millwall continue to struggle in the final third, and their games remain extremely tight. They've won just one of their last eight, and have netted just twice in their last 360 minutes of Championship football. Jed Wallace is still tasked with being the main creator in the side, however, if the former Wolves man isn't able to reach his usual high standards, the Lions tend to look listless going forward.

Although Mikael Kieftenbeld appears to be a sensible addition in the centre of the park, the lack of quality striker remains a concern. Gary Rowett has tried various combinations this season, however, none of these have struck gold, and he continues to search in vain for an effective double act.

Millwall are the division's draw specialists, and they could easily take another point from this encounter. However, Sheffield Wednesday are on a roll, and could take some stopping. The visitors are 15/8 Draw No Bet on the Sportsbook and look worth siding with.

You can follow Jack Critchley on Twitter @jcritch7