Sheffield Utd vs Coventry prediction: ENGLAND: Championship betting tips on match 2022-12-25 15:00.
Sheffield United remained clear in the automatic promotion places after a 2-1 win over Wigan on Monday kept them within three points of leaders Burnley. While news of a takeover bid continues to dominate headlines off the pitch, manager Paul Heckingbottom wants his side to pick up “as many points as possible now” with the Blades looking to ride the momentum of their recent stellar form and bolster their chances of promotion (W6, L1).
On a more worrying note, Bramall Lane hasn’t been a fortress with just two United wins across their last seven home matches (D3, L2). The margins are fine though, as both of their home losses and four of the Blades’ five league defeats overall this term have come via a 1-0 scoreline.
Visitors Coventry City arrive in good spirits after a 1-0 victory over West Midlands rivals West Brom, and will now look to do the season double over Sheffield United for the first time since 2001/02, after winning the reverse fixture 1-0 in October. The midweek victory pushed the Sky Blues to just outside the play-off spots, but manager Mark Robins was keen to control excitement levels after Viktor Gyökeres’ stoppage-time penalty winner against the Baggies. Robins said that “expectations should not be going through the roof”, but five wins across seven league games (D1, L1) has got the fans dreaming.
Coventry lost 1-0 at Reading when their Championship action resumed after the World Cup break, which remains the only goal they conceded across their last six league road trips (W3, D2). Their defensive strengths may once again have to come to the fore seeing as they netted only four goals during this sequence, two from their top-scorer Gyökeres.
Key battle: Sheffield United are unbeaten in the last 11 Championship matches that Iliman Ndiaye has scored in (W10, D1). Extending that record will depend on getting past Ben Wilson, as the Coventry stopper boasts an impressive return of 11 clean sheets in 19 Championship matches, including the reverse fixture.
Hot stat: Sheffield United have scored 11 of their last 23 Championship home goals beyond the hour mark.