Blackpool vs Watford prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2022-10-07 14:00.
After finishing last season comfortably away from relegation danger, Blackpool’s poor start to the season hasn’t afforded them that safety so far, as they sit just one place above the drop zone. While a 0-0 draw last time out at Sunderland put an end to a three-game losing streak, their troubles upfront continued, with Blackpool now failing to score in half of their Championship games this season.
With four of their last five games being played away, the Seasiders return to Bloomfield Road having lost their last two home league fixtures and on the verge of losing three successive Championship games at home for the first time since March 2015. Coincidentally, January of that year was actually the last time Blackpool faced Watford, and they would’ve enjoyed the hiatus considering the last three H2Hs all ended in defeat with an aggregate score of 12-2!
Watford might be leaning on that positive H2H record for confidence, as they may well still be reeling from their 2-1 defeat against Swansea last time out in what was one of the strangest games of the season. Watford took the lead in the first-half before conceding an equaliser early in the second, only to see a massive 17 minutes of stoppage time added due to the match officials' technology failing, during which Swansea scored the winner, leaving Watford just outside the playoff spots.
While new manager Slaven Bilić’s first game at Vicarage Road ended in defeat, his actual first game in charge saw the Hornets sting Stoke 4-0 away from home. That was Watford's first away league win in ten attempts (D4, L5), and was also only the second time in that run that they opened the scoring, so Bilić will hope to see more signs of positive change in this clash as his side look to bounce back from their midweek Swansea defeat.
Players to watch: Blackpool’s Jerry Yates has scored four of his last six goals past the 75th minute, while Watford’s Ismaïla Sarr has scored his side's opener in five of his last six domestic goalscoring outings.
Hot stat: There’s been goals scored in both halves in eight of Watford’s last ten matches.