Watford vs Bristol City prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2023-12-25 15:00.
Watford’s impressive recent away form has helped keep them within touching distance of the top six with victories secured in all three Championship away trips this month. But their home fans will now feel they’re owed some joy after the Hornets failed to defeat promotion-chasing duo Southampton (1-1) and Ipswich (2-1) between that trio of triumphs.
Very little has been ordinary about Watford’s month so far, underlined by only one of their last six league games being won by the team that opened the scoring. It certainly suited them at the weekend when they took all three points home from mid-table Blackburn (2-1), despite trailing for 80 minutes, in what head coach Valérien Ismaël described as another “ruthless” second-half display.
Bristol City also showed outstanding character to steal a 3-2 win at home to playoff hopefuls Hull City in a dramatic game in which they opened the scoring but trailed with 75 minutes played. That was the first time this Championship season that they collected consecutive wins and were rewarded by finishing the round just four points behind their defeated opponents and crucially, the top six.
But both wins were on home soil, and some poor away form in recent months explains why it took so long to secure back-to-back victories. Based on the Championship table at the start of the round, 16th-placed Swansea were the highest-ranked club City had defeated on the road this league season, with five losses from six trips to better-faring opposition (D1) highlighting why they face a tricky task here.
Players to watch: Home ground specialist Yáser Asprilla has found the back of the net in four of Watford’s last six Championship home games, including three match openers. Thanks in part to his role as a penalty taker, Tommy Conway recorded Bristol’s first goal in three of their last four league games.
Hot stat: Ten of the last 12 Championship games involving either club saw both teams score on the day.