Sheffield Utd vs Nottingham prediction: ENGLAND: Championship – Play Offs betting tips on match 2022-05-13 17:00.
Sheffield United are bidding to make it ninth time lucky after failing in each of their eight previous attempts to earn promotion via the play-offs! A 4-0 win over Championship winners Fulham will have boosted their confidence and after securing their top-six place with a four-match unbeaten league run (W3, D1), theyâll reckon theyâre as well prepared as they can be to break their play-off hoodoo.
They could start by adding to five clean sheets across their last six home Championship matches (W4, D1, L1) although they did concede to Nottingham Forest in March (D 1-1) to continue a run of closely fought encounters between the sides, with just one of last six H2H meetings decided by more than a one-goal margin. Match ups at Bramall Lane have been relatively profitable for the âBladesâ in recent times though, where they have won three of the last five H2Hs (D2) and not lost since April 2004 (W3, D5).
With their top-six place assured, Forest didnât finish as strongly as they wanted to (D1, L1) so theyâve got to pick themselves up as they aim to go one better than their previous Championship play-off appearance, when they fell at this stage in 2010/11. Yet qualifying via a fourth-place finish has been a remarkable turnaround after spending the early part of the season in the relegation zone.
That stalemate here in March will offer encouragement for a side that was able to rest players before drawing 1-1 with Hull City so theyâll feel fresher than their opponents. With goals potentially at a premium, scoring first could be key, and Forest have only lost once after netting the opener on the road in the league this term (W8, D2).
Players to watch: Iliman Ndiaye netted in each of Sheffield Unitedâs last three fixtures, and six of his seven league strikes this term were either the gameâs first or second goal. In-form striker Sam Surridge has scored six of seven league strikes for Forest this term after half-time.
Hot streak: Each of the last five H2Hs witnessed a goalless first half.