Cardiff v Nottingham Forest – Bothroyd will inspire Bluebirds
Published:Fresh from his cameo against France yesterday, Jay Bothroyd returns to Championship action this weekend looking to keep the Bluebirds perched on top of the league.
Bothroyd’s importance to the Cardiff cause was highlighted in their 1-0 loss Swansea City, when his absence lead to an incredibly toothless performance. Since his return from his one match ban, Bothroyd has found the net three times in two games, taking his total for the season to an impressive 15 goals.
Forest have an abysmal away record – winning just one of their last 19 on the road and should suffer another defeat in south Wales. Back the Bluebirds at 4/5.
Derby County v Scunthorpe United
Derby County are currently lying in fourth place in the Championship thanks, in no small part, to their fantastic home record. The Rams have won their last five games at Pride Park, conceding a miserly two goals while hitting the net a hugely impressive 18 times.
With 18th placed Scunthorpe winning just three of their last 11 Championship games, it’s hard to see past a win for the rampant Rams at 4/6.
Doncaster United v Swansea City
The last time these sides met was on the final day of last season when a goalless draw at the Liberty stopped the Swans from claiming the final play-off spot.
A lot has changed since then, with Paulo Sousa leaving the Swans and Brendan Rogers taking the helm. The former Reading boss has instilled a new spark in the south Wales side who were the lowest scorers in the Championship last term.
The purchase of Scott Sinclair from Chelsea has helped in the goal scoring stakes and he bagged his 12th in 16 games in the Swans’ 1-0 win against Middlesbrough last Sunday.
Doncaster have also been in impressive form, losing just two of their previous eight games to propel them to seventh in the league. However, with the Swans winning their last four on the road and not conceding in their previous three, backing them to win at 17/10 looks to be the bet worth taking on.
Could Billy Davies’ side upset Cardiff? Click here for the full Championship odds
