Charlton’s away form puts them in Championship play-off contention
Published:Charlton Athletic are huge outsiders to secure a play-off berth this season, yet their impressive away record means they should not be ignored.
Odds of 20/1 should indicate that Chris Powell’s Addicks are without a hope of reaching the post-season extravaganza and only four sides are priced longer than the south Londoners.
However, their away form calls this price into question.
They proved too solid a unit for Millwall – the Championship’s resident big, bad wolf – to blow over at the Den and fully deserved their share of the points in a goalless draw.
This was their third successive away game in which they kept a clean sheet and haven’t lost on the road since going down 3-2 at Derby in the middle of September, picking up 15 from 21 available points in that time.
With just nine goals conceded they boast the meanest away defence in the division; Cardiff, who are nailed on for promotion if current betting patterns are to be read into, have shipped more than double the goals that Charlton have on their travels.
As the season approaches its’ halfway point, the Addicks are a mere five points off the play-off spots and, crucially, it appears as though their form at The Valley is on the up too.
They had failed to win any of the six home games that followed their win over Leicester in August, culminating in Middlesbrough running riot in a 4-1 drubbing in early November. Encouragingly, since then they’ve avoided defeat in three, winning twice and, following their next home game with Brighton, they host a run of games against teams who don’t travel well heading into the New Year.
Great away form counts for very little if it’s not complimented with a regular flow of points coming in from the home games, yet if Charlton can be consistent at The Valley then a punt on them to qualify for the play-offs could prove a profitable venture indeed.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
