Football betting tips: Championship
1pt Michal Helik to score anytime at 10/1 (General)
To borrow a quote from That Mitchell and Webb Look's now iconic 'watch the football' sketch, QPR vs Huddersfield is "already being described as a match that is on this Sunday".
The hosts sit 22nd in the Sky Bet Championship table, with the opposition just one place and three points above them.
There's a feeling that the Terriers are the most vulnerable if one team is to escape the bottom three, not just in terms of the points and positions but overall performances we're seeing from those at that end of the table.
A home win sees the positions switch thanks to goal difference. An away win leaves the gap looking daunting for Martí Cifuentes' men. It's tough to predict which way this is going to go.
Quality is likely to be lacking but those games can sometimes become the most compelling watches, in a weird way.
What are the best bets?
Among QPR's issues this season, set-pieces have particularly become a weak point since Cifuentes' arrival, despite him delivering mild improvement in other areas.
From open play, the Rs aren't actually too bad. They pass the eye test in terms of structure, but when it comes to corners and free-kicks, they have struggled to replicate.
They deploy a zonal system around the six-yard box, with man marking to runners from the edge of the area. The below example from the game against Cardiff highlights this:
I don't think confusion is the correct word but the right delivery leaves them exposed, with the runners very unlikely to win a defensive header against a player attacking the ball.
Enter MICHAL HELIK, Huddersfield's centre-back who has found the net eight times this season. Despite that, he's 10/1 in places to SCORE ANYTIME.
Some of those have, of course, been from corners, but there is also the open play threat that he provides in situations where they are behind.
He should see opportunities in a game that could go either way and the threat he possesses from a variety of roles makes him the go-to man on Sunday afternoon.
BuildABet @ 30/1
- Michal Helik 1+ shots on target
- Huddersfield 5+ corners
- Jonathan Hogg to be carded
Helik's potential has already been discussed, but taking him for a shot on target rather than a goal is the 'safety net' pick in a multiple.
The Terriers may well target set-pieces given QPR's problems defending them, with 5+ corners a real possibility given the potential balance of the game.
Huddersfield captain Jonathan Hogg will battle away in the midfield. He averages 1.5 fouls per game and is always a good candidate for a card.
Team news
We can expect Cifuentes to go with an unchanged side following their victory over Millwall last time out. Youngster Rayan Kolli remains out through injury.
Darren Moore continues to battle with a lengthy Huddersfield injury list as a number of players are still unavailable.
Delano Burgzorg, Kian Harratt, Jaheim Headley, Christopher Maxwell, Matty Pearson, Josh Ruffels and Danny Ward are out, as is Yuta Nakayama who is away with Japan at the Asian Cup.
Radinio Balker could be in line for his first start after joining the club last week.
Predicted line-ups
QPR XI: Begovic; Cannon, Cook, Clarke-Salter, Paal; Colback, Field; Willock, Dykes, Chair; Armstrong.
Huddersfield XI: Nicholls; Lees, Helik, Balker; Thomas, Matos, Hogg, Rudoni, Jackson; Koroma, Healey.
Match facts
- Queens Park Rangers have won one of their last 12 league games against Huddersfield Town (D4 L7), a 1-0 home win in November 2021.
- Huddersfield won 2-1 on their last league visit to QPR last season – they have never won consecutive visits to the Hoops.
- Queens Park Rangers have won just one of their last 17 home league games played on a Sunday (D4 L12), losing their last six in a row since winning 3-0 against Leeds United in August 2016.
- Since Darren Moore’s first game in charge of Huddersfield in September, the Terriers have drawn more Championship games than any other side (10) and only Rotherham (2) have won fewer games than Huddersfield have (3).
- Sinclair Armstrong has scored two goals in his last three appearances in all competitions for QPR, more than he managed in his first 46 appearances for the Hoops (one).
Odds correct at 1155 GMT (26/01/24)
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