James Buttler looks ahead to Friday evening's Championship clash between Leeds United and Sheffield United to find the best bets in the Yorkshire derby.
It’s a big one on Friday evening as Leeds United and Sheffield Utd meet for the first time since a Premier League clash at Elland Road in April 2021, which Leeds won 2-1. Leeds did the double over their Yorkshire rivals that season.
Head-to-Heads give a guide?
Weirdly, four of the last eight H2Hs have ended 1-0 and three others 2-1. Four were won by Leeds, four by the Blades. There’s never much between these sides. You have to go back to April 2005, 11 meetings ago, when Sheffield Utd won 4-0 at Elland Road, to find a match that was dominated by either side. A 2-0 home Blades win in March 2011 was the only time in the last 10 H2Hs that the winning margin was by more than one goal. It’s not a match where I’m turning to the handicap markets.
Leeds looking for a bounce back
5th placed Leeds start the weekend three points behind 2nd placed Sheffield Utd who are only behind Sunderland at the top on goal difference. Leeds are four wins, four draws and a solitary home defeat to Burnley.
They put in a tremendous display last time out and where seconds from beating table-toppers Sunderland when keeper Illan Meslier conceded with a well-publicised howler to see the match end 2-2. Ethan Ampadu and Ilia Gruev continue to miss out with injury.
Blades unbeaten
The Blades would be top by two points if they’d not started the season with a two-point deduction and will head up the M1 seeking to extend their unbeaten league start to 10 matches. They are the only unbeaten side across the Championship, League One and League Two. They have only conceded three goals across those first nine matches and kept six straight clean sheets.
The draw is tempting, but…
There is so little between these sides the draw at 25/9 is highly tempting, but we’ve had a lot of success on these Championship preview backing the Blades and Unders this season. Eight of nine Blades Championship matches this season have seen Under 2.5 match goals and they’ve won five of the last six of the unders games. That makes the price of 15/2 on Sheff Utd and Under 2.5 look like a price that simply cannot be ignored with Bet365.
Hamer could make Leeds regret their tight purse strings
Sheffield Utd have won two of their four away trips this season and on both occasions Gustavo Hamer scored. For much of the summer window there was huge speculation that the Dutch midfielder was Leeds bound, and you know how football works. He has scored four in nine matches this season.
Hamer to score anytime is 11/2 but bear in mind he’s 16/1 to score the first goal of the game and 16/1 to score the last with AK Bets. As we’re not expecting more than two goals, that’s the better play. If the match ends 1-0 and Hamer scores, you collect on both bets!
To see yellow
Gustavo Hamer and Anel Ahmedhodžić have both received four yellows this league season. Ahmedhodžić is 7/4 with vBet and Hamer 29/10 with Unibet to be carded again. Cards could be a great play in a contest that will be fiercely contested.
James' Championship Tips
Sheff Utd and Under 2.5 match goals at 15/2
Gustavo Hamer to score the 1st goal at 16/1
Gustavo Hamer to score the last goal at 16/1
Gustavo Hamer to be carded at 29/10
Anel Ahmedhodžić to be carded at 7/4
However you bet, please always gamble responsibly.