5 Championship Tips - 15/4/22

Bournemouth manager Scott Parker meets his old club for the first time since his dismissal as Middlesbrough travel to the Vitality Stadium this Friday.

Parker’s side sit second in the Championship, ten points behind Fulham, and needing all three points to solidify their position, especially after their 0 - 0 draw against Sheffield United last time out.

Middlesbrough find themselves eighth with only five points separating them from third place Nottingham Forest. But the two losses in their last five mean The Boro need the three points.

Both teams are likely to score in this clash. The Cherries have conceded in four of their last fives games and Middlesbrough have been on the scoresheet in ten of their last 11 games in the league.

However, Bournemouth have a good record against Middlesbrough in more recent times, winning three of the last five encounters.

A single point separates third-placed Nottingham Forest and fifth-place Luton Town going into the clash at Kenilworth Road this Friday.

The last win in this fixture came back in January 2020, where Nottingham Forest won 3 - 1, all games since then have resulted in draws and one Luton win.

Nottingham Forest have the best form team in the Championship with five wins in their last five games, including a 4 - 0 thrashing of struggling Reading. Luton have drawn their last two games, with one of those being a 1 - 1 draw against bottom of the table Peterborough.

Under 2.5 goals is being predicted partly due to Nottingham Forest’s impressive defensive record. The Reds have conceded one or less in eight consecutive games in the Championship and only conceded an average of 0.92 a game.

Forest have also scored 61 goals this season which equals to an average of 1.56 goals per game. Luton Town have scored 59 goals this season which is an average of 1.48 goals a game.

Peterborough welcomes Blackburn Rovers to the Weston Homes Stadium in desperate need of all three points. The Posh sit at the bottom of the table with only 28 points to their name and nine points from safety.

Peterborough have a single win in their last five games, a 3 - 1 win over a floundering QPR. That win took them up to six for the season, the joint worst in the Championship with fellow relegation candidates Barnsley.

Blackburn Rovers, on the other hand, are up in seventh and only two points off of the play-off places. Rovers come into the clash with less than ideal form, only one win in the last five, that also being a win over QPR.

However, Blackburn have a very good record against The Posh, with six wins in the nine meetings between the club, including a 4 - 0 win at Ewood Park earlier in the season.

Fulham go into the Easter weekend with automatic promotion in their sights, looking to get all three points against Derby County after their surprising loss to Coventry.

Derby need the three points this weekend, as The Rams still find themselves nine points from safety. A home game will be a comfort to Rooney’s men, as they have performed far better at Pride Park this season compared to their away performances. In fact, Derby are on a record-breaking streak of eight successive away losses.

Fulham have two wins in their last five, not too much better than Derby’s singular win in their last five games.

Aleksandar Mitrovic will be looking to improve upon his already impressive scoring record this season. The Serbian has 38 goals in 38 appearances this season and will be looking to get on the scoresheet against a Derby County team who have conceded 47 goals in 41 matches.

Sheffield United travel to the Select Car Leasing Stadium sat in the last play-off place with only two points to spare. Reading, on the other hand, occupies the place just above the relegation zone, but with a handy nine-point buffer between them and Barnsley.

The Blades, hoping to make it back to the Premier League, need three points in order to strengthen their play-off position. However, they only have two wins and two draws in their last five games, their last time out being a 0 - 0 draw with second-place Bournemouth.

The Royals also have two wins and two draws in their last five games. The two wins, coming against Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City, were massively important for their survival.

However, Reading’s poor defensive record, could be majorly beneficial for Sheffield United. The Royals have conceded 77 goals in 41 games compared to The Blades’ record of only 41 goals conceded in 41 games.