Sky Bet Championship leaders Burnley resume their promotion bid with a trip to managerless QPR on Sunday. Michael Beardmore has the preview and best bets including a 16/1 shout.
Football betting tips: Championship
1.5pt Burnley to win at 11/8 (SBK)
1pt Tim Iroegbunam 1+ shots on target at 5/2 (Sky Bet)
0.5pt Tim Iroegbunam 2+ shots on target at 16/1 (Sky Bet)
Few managerial reigns have been as eventful as Michael Beale’s five months in charge of Queens Park Rangers.
The rookie boss led the Hoops to the top of the Sky Bet Championship after 16 games, just after turning down an approach from Premier League strugglers Wolves.
Four defeats and a draw later, they had slipped to sixth and Beale left to take over at Scottish Premiership giants Rangers, where he had previously been assistant to Steven Gerrard.
Quite how QPR rebound from his departure only time will tell but the fixture scheduling has not exactly been kind, with league leaders Burnley their first post-World Cup break opposition.
Kick-off time: 1300 GMT, Sunday
TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event
QPR 21/10 | Draw 23/10 | Burnley 13/10
Both teams will be missing attacking players due to Morocco’s World Cup exploits with QPR playmaker Ilias Chair and Burnley winger Anass Zaroury still out in Qatar.
They have each been in sparkling form this season but Chair is an automatic starter for Rangers, registering three goals and six assists this term.
Zaroury, meanwhile, has scored four goals in 13 games and has impressed too but the fact he has only started nine games shows the Clarets have plenty of firepower in reserve.
They have won eight of their last 10 matches and, although there’s no telling what effect the month off will have on both sides, the leaders look too big a price to turn down at 11/8 given Rangers’ dip, making BURNLEY TO WIN our first tip.
One Rangers player I want onside in this game, however, is on-loan Aston Villa midfielder Tim Iroegbunam, who is growing in confidence by the week during his spell in west London. That is evidenced by his increased shot output, which has been aided by his deployment in a more attacking role for the R’s in recent games.
The 19-year-old attempted just three shots in his first seven games (four starts, three off the bench) but has let fly 16 times in his past six matches – registering five shots on target in the process, although he's yet to score.
I’m not sure the bookies have cottoned on to that pattern yet, meaning the 5/2 on IROEGBUNAM 1+ SHOTS ON TARGET with Sky Bet provides exceptional value.
In one of those six games, he tested the goalkeeper twice so, with Chair absent and Rangers looking to others to step up, it’s also worth a small play on IROEGBUNAM 2+ SHOTS ON TARGET at 16/1.
QPR v Burnley best bets and score prediction
- Burnley to win at 11/8 (SBK)
- Tim Iroegbunam 1+ shots on target at 5/2 (Sky Bet)
- Tim Iroegbunam 2+ shots on target at 16/1 (Sky Bet)
Score prediction: QPR 1-2 Burnley (Sky Bet odds: 15/2)
Odds correct 1330 GMT (08/12/22)
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