Competition: Championship
Market: Leeds win
Odds: 1/2 @ 1xBet
Hoping to find a route to the top of the Championship table, Leeds will travel to a struggling Stoke on Boxing Day night.
Starting with the hosts, while Stoke might have eventually clung to their Championship status last season, the Potters have another real challenge on their hands this time around. Despite appointing new boss Narcis Pelach back in September, the former Huddersfield coach already has a tremendous amount of pressure on his shoulders. Putting in another downbeat display last weekend as they slumped to a 2-0 loss at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke are at the heart of yet another Championship relegation scrap. Signing off November with a 2-0 loss against Burnley, Thursday’s hosts have collected just a single point from any of their previous five appearances. In fact, Pelach’s men have failed to record a single win from any of their last eight consecutive outings. Shipping at least a pair of goals in all of their previous five showdowns, Stoke certainly have another major challenge on their hands in midweek.
As for the visitors, while Leeds might have suffered play-off heartbreak last season, Daniel Farke’s side are pencilled in as a leading promotion contender this time around. Putting in a thumping performance last weekend as they stormed their way to a routine 4-0 win against Oxford United, the former Norwich boss has seen his squad enjoying a real purple patch. Making a statement earlier in the month as they claimed a 3-1 victory against Middlesbrough, the Yorkshire-based outfit have collected 10 points from their previous four Championship appearances. Opening December with a routine 2-0 win against Derby, Farke’s side have also lost just one of their last eight consecutive outings – a run that stems back to November 6th. It should also be noted, Leeds secured a 1-0 victory when they last met Stoke back in March. Given the polar opposite moods in their respective camps, we are backing an away win on Boxing Day.
Bet: Leeds 1/2 to beat Stoke in Thursday’s Championship matchup @ 1xBet
