Huddersfield host Coventry in the Championship in front of the TV cameras on Saturday afternoon. Our tipster Joe Rindl has the preview and best bet.
Football betting tips: Championship
1pt Under 2.5 goals at 13/10 (Betfair and Betvictor)
Two out-of-form teams meet at the John Smith's Stadium in the Championship’s early kick-off on Saturday.
Both Huddersfield and Coventry started the season strongly but have since dropped out of the play-offs having each won just one of their past six league matches.
This fixture can be pencilled in for either side as the match that reinvigorates their form. A win would take Huddersfield to within two points of the top six.
A victory for Coventry and suddenly they’re back to joint third.
Kick-off time: 12:30 GMT, Saturday
TV channel: Sky Sports Football
Huddersfield 17/10 | Draw 21/10 | Coventry 17/10
We’ll start our preview with the visitors. Mark Robins’ Coventry are winless in their last four and finally fell out of the play-offs for the first time since August when they lost 2-1 to West Brom last time out.
They now sit seventh, one point off the top six, a justified position according to Infogol’s analysts who calculate their expected position in the Championship table to be seventh and forecast them to slide further down the table and finish the season in 10th.
Diving into the stats, the Sky Blues’ recent expected goals form has been horrendous. They’ve lost the xG battle in their past six matches and have failed to accumulate an xG total greater than one in five of their last six.
Equally worrying for the Coventry faithful is their team’s performances on the road.
Away from home Coventry have won just twice in 10 matches this season, scoring only eight goals.
As for Huddersfield, their run of one win in six has seen them drop from fifth to 11th.
Last time out the Terriers had to settle for a point against lowly Barnsley.
In recent weeks they’ve struggled to muster up any underlying numbers of note, losing the xG battle in three of their past four games and failing to create an xG total above one in two of their last four matches.
Interestingly though, despite posting pitiful xG numbers, both these sides are going against the stats and over-performing in front of goal. Huddersfield have found the net in five of their last six, for Coventry it’s nine of their last 11.
Both teams to score ‘Yes’ has come through in four of both Huddersfield and Coventry’s last six matches. It’s a bet I feel many punters will place on Saturday but the data just doesn’t support it.
BTTS ‘No’ is too short at 9/10 (general) so instead I’ll be going with the unders.
Huddersfield have averaged 1.14 league goals for this season - the same number as their goals against average. Coventry have averaged 1.33 goals for and 1.19 goals against.
With these two teams so evenly matched, UNDER 2.5 GOALS looks very appealing at 13/10 with Betvictor and Betfair.
That bet has landed in three of Coventry’s past four and two of Huddersfield’s past four. It seems a safe choice with both these sides so unpredictable.
Huddersfield v Coventry score prediction and best bets
- 1pt Under 2.5 goals at 13/10 (Betfair and Betvictor)
Score prediction: Huddersfield 1-1 Coventry (Sky Bet odds: 5/1)
Odds correct at 1530 GMT (09/12/21)
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