Upwardly mobile Owls to triumph in West London

Sheffield Wednesday to register back-to-back Championship victories

QPR 2.245/4 v Sheffield Wednesday 3.613/5; The Draw 3.55/2
Saturday, 15:00

Sheffield Wednesday clinched their largest victory of the season on Easter Monday as they battered Cardiff at Hillsborough. The Owls have been battling relegation all season, and so they nonetheless have an opportunity of remaining in the division, though with Birmingham, Derby and Nottingham Forest having all hit kind in current weeks, their possibilities of avoiding the drop seem to be diminishing. Despite this, Darren Moore‘s appointment has given the squad some much-needed confidence, typified by Callum Paterson‘s dedicated shows. The Scot has featured in a wide range of positions, not too long ago deputising at each proper wing again and in the centre of the park, and his versatility can’t be underestimated.

Wednesday’s 5-0 thrashing did not come out of nowhere, with the Owls having put in plenty of promising performances prior to Monday’s success. After taking a degree from Huddersfield, they picked up an important victory at Oakwell, earlier than happening to a creditable 1-0 defeat at Vicarage Road. They stay 13 factors from security, and with simply 21 factors left to play for, issues are beginning to look bleak, nonetheless, they’ve employed a supervisor who seems able to delivering promotion again to the second tier subsequent season.

Adam Reach is one in every of a handful of gamers who’ve undoubtedly benefitted from Moore’s arrival, and though the previous Middlesbrough man may be placing himself in the store window forward of his contract expiration this summer time, he is now serving to to silence these followers who’ve been important of his performances this season.

The Owls xG numbers have been slowly bettering in current weeks, and solely 4 groups (together with Norwich and Brentford) have been producing higher numbers throughout the final eight Championship fixtures.

QPR are safely entrenched in mid-table and the West Londoners are already planning for subsequent season. The play-offs aren’t an impossibility, nonetheless, they’re 13 factors shy of the highest six, and Mark Warburton will most likely be glad with a prime half end this yr. The R’s have massively improved because the flip of the yr, and there have been plenty of gamers who’ve come to the fore over the past couple of months.

Although they put in an underwhelming show towards Nottingham Forest on Easter Monday, the likes of Lee Wallace and Chris Willock nonetheless managed to impress. Warburton’s males have discovered the online in eight of their final 9 matches, and they’re seemingly to create possibilities throughout the 90 minutes right here.

They have been completely very good towards Coventry on Good Friday, with Ilias Chair and Stefan Johansen inflicting issues for the Sky Blues, and they are going to be hoping for the same efficiency this weekend. However, they could possibly be weak to a much-improved Sheffield Wednesday facet, and the guests are very attractively priced.

The Owls are 3.613/5 on the Exchange and look properly value backing to proceed their combat towards relegation.

Barnsley to enhance play-off hopes at Oakwell

Barnsley 2.35/4 v Middlesbrough 3.55/2; The Draw 3.259/4
Saturday, 15:00

Valerien Ismael has been nominated for the Championship Manager of the Month award for the fourth time this season, and the Barnsley boss has overseen a terrific resurgence at Oakwell this yr. The Tykes have been remodeled and have gone from relegation fodder to play-off contenders in the area of six months.

Barnsley have been significantly efficient away from residence in current weeks, and have now been victorious in six consecutive matches on their travels. At residence, they’ve began to stutter, nonetheless, this seems to be the right alternative to get again to profitable methods in South Yorkshire. They’ve gained 4 of their final seven at this floor, nonetheless, extra not too long ago they have been held by each Derby and Reading, and have been additionally edged out by a much-improved Sheffield Wednesday on March twentieth.

Across the final eight video games, Barnsley have been producing the third finest xG numbers, and though they will not be classed as under-the-radar, they’re nonetheless in a position to catch the opposition out with their dynamic model of play.

At Kenilworth Road, they fired in 17 photographs, and swarmed throughout their hosts. 11 of these efforts have been taken throughout the six-yard field, and so they additionally missed plenty of possibilities to lengthen their lead. Daryl Dike was sensational all through the 90 minutes, though his failure to full his hat-trick from the penalty spot was solely a small blot on his copybook.

Alex Mowatt has additionally been key to Barnsley’s enchancment this season, while the 2 Callums, Styles and Brittain, have offered loads of width. The Tykes’ defence has additionally improved immeasurably, with Mads Andersen having put in plenty of commanding performances alongside Michal Helik and Michael Sollbauer.

Middlesbrough picked up an honest level towards high-flying Watford on Easter Monday, as Neil Warnock‘s facet continued their good run of kind on the Riverside Stadium. Despite this, the Teessiders at the moment are winless in three, and their hopes of reaching the play-offs are hanging by a thread.

Away from residence, their kind is a whole blended bag, with a 4-1-4 file from their final 9 matches on the highway. They’ve misplaced the final three on their travels, and so they have been significantly ineffective on the Vitality Stadium, registering only a single effort on purpose. They additionally produced little or no on the Den prior to the worldwide break, and that does not bode properly for this weekend’s tough away tie.

Barnsley’s 2021 kind has been terrific, and this seems to be the best alternative to put an finish to their winless run at Oakwell. The hosts may be backed at 2.35/4 on the Exchange and might inflict one more away defeat on Boro.

Blues to enhance survival hopes at St.Andrews

Birmingham 2.962/1 v Stoke 2.6813/8; The Draw 3.052/1
Saturday, 15:00

Under Aitor Karanka, Birmingham have been sleepwalking in the direction of relegation. However, Lee Bowyer‘s arrival has helped edge them nearer to security, and regardless of being handed a tough-looking fixture listing, the previous Charlton boss has nonetheless seen his facet choose up 4 factors throughout the Easter Weekend.

The Blues have been the higher facet towards play-off chasing Swansea, and comfortably gained the shot rely. Luckily, Lukas Jutkiewicz‘s errant spot-kick did not show too expensive, along with his strike-partner Scott Hogan in a position to preserve his cool in damage time to assist hearth the West Midlands outfit to a massively vital three factors. They have been in a position to comply with this up with one other notable end result towards high-flying Brentford on Tuesday evening. Admittedly, it was a backs-to-the-wall job all through the vast majority of the 90 minutes, nonetheless, they nonetheless left West London with a degree, and that ought to give them loads of confidence heading into this weekend.

Bowyer hasn’t been afraid to give fringe gamers the chance to impress with the likes of Riley McGree and Steve Seddon having been given recreation time in current weeks. Alen Halilovic, who was usually ignored by the earlier regime, has additionally been given a brand new lease of life, and the midfielder might present a much-needed spark in the ultimate third over the approaching weeks.

Stoke‘s current kind has additionally been spectacular, nonetheless, their unbeaten run was ended by Millwall on Easter Monday. The Potter’s are poor on the highway, though they did comfortably beat struggling Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Good Friday. Michael O’Neill’s facet have not had a lot luck with accidents this season, though they nonetheless possess loads of particular person expertise equivalent to Nick Powell and Steven Fletcher.

The guests have gained simply as soon as on the highway because the starting of December seventh, and they’re value opposing once more right here. The hosts have regarded a lot improved and may be backed on the Draw No Bet market at 2.001/1 on the Sportsbook.

You can comply with Jack Critchley on Twitter @jcritch7

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