Watford timing promotion push right

15Feb 2013

England - The Championship

After the midweek Championship games further muddied the water, Christian Crowther assesses the promotion candidates...

With perennial promotion bottlers Cardiff finally looking like they possess the minerals to see the job through, the burning question remains of who can take flight to the Premier league alongside the Bluebirds?

Despite Hull climbing to second and closing the gap to eight points with victory over Derby, the Welsh side still have the added security of a game in hand.

And in light of just one defeat from their last 15 league matches, it's hard to envisage a Cardiff capitulation this time around.

In Steve Bruce, Hull certainly have a manager with the requisite know-how to get out of the division and, considering they've not dropped out of the top four over the last 11 games, despite a small wobble, backing the Tigers for promotion at 3.0 looks to hold decent value.

Behind Hull in second, the play-off occupants are now all separated by just three points. Tuesday night's narrow 1-0 win over Leeds finally brought an end to Middlesbrough's rotten run of five straight defeats and may just have resurrected Teessider hopes that the second automatic promotion place is still obtainable.

However, Tony Mowbray's young side have perhaps flattered to deceive a little this campaign and memories of last season's ill-timed slide away from the play-offs in the final 12 games could impose a detrimental psychological effect.

After displaying such vulnerability recently, you'd have to label Boro as the outsiders for promotion at this stage and it's unsurprising to see their price lengthen to 6.1.

Leicester probably have the strongest squad beyond Cardiff, but the Foxes' odds of 1.68 don't necessarily hold the best value, although they will continue to compete for second spot.

Like Middlesbrough, Crystal Palace's season has been in unravelling mode recently, coinciding somewhat with all the hoo-ha surrounding Wilfried Zaha in January. Though they are far from out of it, it's hard to see the Eagles suddenly picking up that early season momentum again.

Instead, it's Watford who really catch the eye. After keeping hold of their Udinese contingent in January, Gianfranco Zola's side are on the charge and appear to be timing their push at just the right time while others begin to flag, winning ten of their last 16.

Backing the Hornets at 3.75 to regain top-flight status seems like a good bet at this stage.

Away from the play-off place occupiers right now, Blackburn's hugely talented squad have to be the best outside shot at present, available at 10.5 and sitting six points off Boro currently.