Stay at home to beat the big freeze

 

With freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall affecting sport up and down the country Mike Norman recommends a day at home with these three clubs playing on their own patch...

 

I mentioned last week - prior to going for some big price selections - that anyone can beat anyone in this division, only for the biggest priced team of the lot, Sheffield Wednesday, to go and humble one of the division's in-form sides in their own backyard.

 

Unfortunately I didn't put up the Owls as a selection, but their victory away to Hull, and Peterborough's victory at Cardiff a few weeks ago, demonstrate exactly the point I was trying to make, as well as being the reason that I will very rarely back anything at odds-on in the Championship.

 

There's no odds-on selections this week either, though it's probably a shade of odds-on that all three of these games don't get the green light given the current weather conditions we're experiencing. Fingers crossed though.

 

 

Derby 2.36 v Nottm Forest 3.35; The Draw 3.5

 

A cracking East Midlands derby in prospect here and one where I'm hoping the old adage 'form goes out of the window in derby games' doesn't ring true. I strongly fancy Nigel Clough's men to win this game as they have been excellent at Pride Park this season.

 

The Rams have lost just one home game since mid-September and that came at the hands of in-form Hull. They've scored at least three goals against the likes of Birmingham, Blackpool, Leeds and Middlesbrough in that time, and last time out they put five past high-flying League One outfit Tranmere in the FA Cup.

 

Forest have taken just one point from the last 12 available away from home, scoring just one goal in the process, and in this fixture they don't have a good record in recent years. Alex McLeish's men have lost the last three meetings with Derby and six of the last nine in total. With Derby being very solid on home soil this term they ought to get another three points at a decent price.

 

Recommended Bet: Back Derby to win @ 2.36

 

 

Ipswich 2.04 v Barnsley 3.9; The Draw 3.8

 

Both Ipswich and Barnsley may be sitting in the bottom six of the table but there's a world of difference in the current form of each club. Ok the Tykes beat Yorkshire rivals Leeds last week, but prior to that David Flitcroft's men had managed just one win in 15 league games, though 14 of those games were under former boss Keith Hill.

 

Ipswich on the other hand have accumulated points at the same rate as a top-six club since Mick McCarthy took charge. Seven wins and three draws from their last 14 games is a huge turnaround from a side that won just one of their opening 13 league games.

 

This match pits together the two lowest-scoring sides in the division so there is a danger that it could turn into a tight drab affair with Barnsley putting more emphasis on defending than attack. But Ipswich should be the more confident of the two, especially after avoiding defeat at Cardiff last Saturday, and I really fancy them to win this game.

 

Recommended Bet: Back Ipswich to win @ 2.04 (best bet)

 

 

Sheffield Wednesday 2.38 v Wolves 3.2; The Draw 3.6

 

I was really impressed with the Owls display at Hull last Saturday, they dominated an in-form top-of-the-table side virtually throughout the game and were good value for their 3-1 victory. True, the Tigers never got going, but you have to give credit to Sheff Wed for that.

 

What Dave Jones' men mustn't do now is put in a poor performance of their own and allow Wolves to play a bit of football. They've won four of their last six and conceded just three goals in the process, meaning they are easily the form side in this encounter.

 

I think Wolves will do well under Dean Saunders, and they can take some heart from last week's 1-1 draw with a Blackburn side who have been playing well of late, but the fact remains they have won just three of their last 18 in all competitions and lost five of their last seven. New manager or no new manager confidence in the camp can't be high and I fancy the home side to just about shade this.

 

Recommended Bet: Back Sheff Wed to win @ 2.38

 

Bet HERE

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