Brighton v Millwall: Loan star Bent backed to tame visiting Lions
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In something approaching a derby for the otherwise remote Brighton, Millwall head to the AMEX Stadium, with both sides looking to arrest some rather alarming form in the Championship
The hosts look the best placed to bounce back from two defeats on the trot with manager Sami Hyypia now able to call on the services of one-time England international Darren Bent, who has joined the club on loan from Aston Villa.
Priced at 10/11 for the victory the Seagulls boast the superior head-to-head record in recent times, though four of the last six meetings between the teams have ended as draws making the 12/5 offered on another stalemate here more than a little enticing.
Millwall, meanwhile, are a distant 3/1 for victory following a 5-1 home loss against Middlesbrough last weekend but with the Championship proving as unpredictable as ever, we’ve found three slightly more reliable prospects ahead of kick-off.
With five of the last six fixtures between the sides seeing both teams score, it’s something of a safe bet to expect goals at either end in this one and with the home crowd behind them we fancy Brighton to come out on top, with the Seagulls unbeaten in six against the Lions.
Each of Millwall’s last six defeats have come in games where Ian Holloway’s team have also scored and while we expect them to find the net here, a certain ex-Tottenham striker could prove too hot to handle…
Keen to play regular football once again after a period spent in something approaching purgatory at Aston Villa, Bent wasted no time in joining Brighton on loan and has already started repaying the south coast club, scoring on his debut in a 2-1 home loss against Fulham.
There could be better things to come against Millwall though, with the visitors shipping 12 goals in their last five games heading into this encounter, while Bent previously netted against the London club for Villa in the FA Cup back in January 2013.
With two of the last three meetings between these sides in Brighton featuring over 3.5 goals, there is certainly some reason to think a repeat could be on the cards, with five of Millwall’s last six games featuring over that required tally too.
Brighton, meanwhile, have scored seven in their last three and were recently involved in a 3-3 thriller with Norwich so there could be another goal fest on the cards.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
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