The Championship Midweek Previews: Trotters can romp to victory

 

A full programme of midweek action has had Mike Norman studying the Championship fixtures in order to come up with his three bets of the night...

 

 

Bolton 2.64 v Leicester 2.88; The Draw 3.55

 

It's impossible what to make of Leicester. From the start of the season I was of the opinion that they weren't good enough for automatic promotion, but then they took 19 points from a possible 21 in an attempt to prove me spectacularly wrong. But a home loss to Crystal Palace was followed by defeat at Watford on Saturday and I'm back to my original opinion.

 

The Foxes' away form appears to be a concern, just seven points taken on the road thus far and a negative goal difference isn't what you'd expect from a side chasing promotion. And now they travel to an expectant Reebok stadium to play a Bolton side with a new boss and a new wave of optimism.

 

Dougie Freedman saw his new side lose the first game since his appointment (with Jimmy Phillips in charge), a narrow defeat to Middlesbrough that I witnessed, and to be honest they played well. The Trotters then beat league leaders Cardiff on Saturday and I fancy them strongly to follow up with another win on Tuesday night.

 

Bolton score plenty of goals on home soil and they are difficult to beat (13 goals scored in seven games and just one loss); Leicester aren't the best away side in the division, which in a nutshell, is the reason I'm backing a home win here.

 

Recommended Bet:

Back Bolton to win @ 2.68 (Best Bet)

 

 

Birmingham 1.92 v Bristol City 4.5; The Draw 3.8

 

It's last chance saloon for Birmingham; fail to win this one and they'll be off my 'to back' radar for a few weeks at least.

 

With hindsight I should have avoided Brum on Saturday; backing a team to beat a club with a new manager is always dangerous, and it proved so again - Mick McCarthy's Ipswich taking the points from St Andrews. But they were unlucky not to get something from the game by all accounts and now they get a quick chance to make amends against another woefully out-of-form side.

 

True, Lee Clarke's Birmingham aren't in blistering form themselves, but compare their recent results to Bristol City and suddenly the home side look like Barcelona. Derek McInnes' men have taken just two points from the last 21 on offer, lost five games on the spin, and have conceded an alarming 10 goals in their last four games.

 

I was surprised that Birmingham were near the even money mark on Saturday, and now I know why, but given the form of their opponents on Tuesday night - who crucially don't have a new manager may I add - I'm surprised the home side can be backed at close to even money again.

 

Recommended Bet:

Back Birmingham to win @ 1.92

 

 

Nottm Forest 2.18 v Middlesbrough 3.6; The Draw 3.7

 

I don't fancy Middlesbrough as strongly as I did on Saturday (when they thumped Charlton 4-1 to land our 3.0 best bet) but I think it would be folly not to back them again, especially when you consider this time they can be backed at 3.6!

 

Ok, the opposition this time is Nottingham Forest, which is why my confidence is slightly tainted, but the reasons I gave for backing the Boro against Charlton can certainly be echoed here.

 

Tony Mowbray's men are the hottest team in England right now, winning six straight league and cup games to take them into the quarter-finals of the Capital One Cup and second in the Championship table. What's more, away from home they have been outstanding - eight wins from 11 on the road this term is a fantastic return and they visit the City ground on the back of six straight away wins.

 

This time last season Forest were in the relegation zone, and whilst they were always going to be good enough to escape the drop, I've regularly said that I don't think they are a top-six outfit as many people believe them to be. They were thrashed at home to Millwall on Saturday so will be desperate to bounce back, but just three wins from seven on home soil and a visit from bang-in-form 'Boro hardly inspires confidence that they will do so.

 

Recommended Bet:

Back Middlesbrough to win @ 3.6

 

Bet HERE !

 

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