Sunderland v Wycombe betting tips: Black Cats lead betting for Championship return
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League One play-off final: Sunderland v Wycombe betting tips
The first of this year’s Football League play-off finals takes place at Wembley on Saturday when Sunderland and Wycombe fight it out for a place in the Championship.
The Black Cats advanced in dramatic fashion, with Patrick Roberts’ stoppage-time winner securing a 2-1 aggregate victory against Sheffield Wednesday, one day after Wycombe withstood an MK Dons onslaught to progress by the same score over the two legs.
The Wearsiders are the 8/15 favourites to end their four-year stay in League One and 21/20 to get the job done inside 90 minutes, so let’s look at some of the main talking points in our Sunderland v Wycombe betting tips.
Sunderland v Wycombe form
Although these teams finished in fifth and sixth in the table, their form was the best of any team in League One using six, eight, 10 or 12-game measures.
Wycombe signed off for the regular season with a 2-1 win at Burton to ensure they faced MK Dons on the back of a 12-game unbeaten run (W8 D4), exactly the same record as Alex Neil’s side over the last dozen outings, although their undefeated streak stretched to 13 matches.
The Wearsiders beat champions Wigan home and away this season, but Wycombe won just one of their 10 matches against teams that finished in the top five, so it’s understandabe they are the underdogs.
Our captain Corry Evans previews Saturday's Play-Off Final against Wycombe Wanderers.
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— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) May 18, 2022
Neil’s men conceded the highest number of goals of top-six teams (53), but let in just seven during their 13-game unbeaten run, keeping seven clean sheets along the way, so they can be backed at 5/2 to win to nil in our Sunderland v Wycombe betting tips.
Fourteen of their last 17 matches involved three goals or fewer and they are 9/5 to win that way at Wembley.
However, Sunderland fans are fully aware of their play-off record having failed to be promoted on all six occasions, but Neil believes his players have hit form at just the right time.
Matchday loading…
■■■■■■■□□□□ #SAFC | #TilTheEnd pic.twitter.com/h03ZTNXTRB— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) May 17, 2022
He said: “I’m just over the moon for the players because they deserve it. We’ve done the business with an unbelievable run of fixtures in terms of the results we’ve put together and all these players deserve a huge amount of credit.”
Wycombe rode their luck at MK Dons, who hit the crossbar and had 16 shots compared with the visitors’ one in the second leg, but manager Gareth Ainsworth felt his players proved their worth with a dogged display.
“I’m not going to stand here and say we were the better team,” Ainsworth said. “MK Dons dominated possession, dominated shots, but we’ve dominated blocks, we’ve dominated saves, dominated absolute resilience around the box and the experience in my boys told.”
4⃣ Saturday will be @wwfcofficial's fourth appearance in the Final of the #EFLPlayOffs!
⏪🆙 Let's take a look back at their last trip to Wembley…#EFL | #StepUp pic.twitter.com/g2P07JwKql
— Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) May 17, 2022
Wycombe are 13/10 to be promoted, 12/5 to win inside 90 minutes and if they show the same resilience at Wembley, a draw would not be out of the question at 2/1.
The Chairboys have the second best first-half record in the division, but they drew after the break on 20 occasions – the most in League One – and the teams are 13/10 to share the second 45 minutes.
At bigger odds, Wycombe HT/Draw FT can be backed at 14/1, while Sunderland to win from behind is 12/1.
Sunderland v Wycombe head to head
The Black Cats took four points off Wycombe this season although it could have been six had Ainsworth’s side not equalised in the eighth minute of stoppage time to earn a 3-3 draw at Adams Park in January.
Sunderland won 3-1 at the Stadium of Light so we go 7/2 on both teams to score and over 3.5 goals, while more than three is priced at 13/8.
He's committed another year to this magnificent club!
Sam Vokes spoke to WanderersTV today to revel over a brilliant first season as a Chairboy that might get even better yet, and looks forward to the future in light and dark blue.#Chairboys
— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) May 16, 2022
Both teams scored in both halves in that 3-3 draw which is 18/1, but for the more cautious goals at both ends in the opening 45 minutes is 9/2 in our Sunderland v Wycombe betting tips.
Either team to win, over 2.5 goals and both teams to score can be backed at 11/5 as one of our #GetAPrice options.
Wycombe v Sunderland team news
Until the second leg of the semi-final, Neil had not named an unchanged starting XI despite losing just once since he arrived on Wearside, so it remains to be seen who will get the nod for Wembley.
Three days to go.#SAFC | #TilTheEnd pic.twitter.com/8Uz6ibneTN
— Sunderland AFC (@SunderlandAFC) May 18, 2022
Neil may decide to keep faith with the side that prevailed at Hillsborough, with Alex Pritchard playing behind the front two of Ross Stewart and Roberts in a 3-4-1-2 formation, with Corry Evans and Luke O’Nien in the heart of midfield.
The Chairboys will probably line up in a 4-2-3-1 in which top scorer Sam Vokes leads the line supported by Daryl Hogan, Garath McCleary and Jordan Obita.
Goalscorer odds
Stewart scored doubles in both games against Wycombe and only Wigan’s Will Keane netted more goals than the Scot’s 25 this season.
Backing Stewart to break the deadlock is 16/5 and he is available at 7/5 to get on the scoresheet or 15/2 to bag another brace.
Nathan Broadhead has struck 10 goals since joining the club on loan from Everton at the start of the season and is 9/2 and 2/1 in the two markets, while Roberts is 3/1 to find the net again.
Top scorer Vokes is the focal point of Wycombe’s attack and the striker is 5/1 to draw first blood and 23/10 to score, while McCleary is 15/2 and 16/5 having found the net 11 times this season.
Match Info
Where: Wembley Stadium
When: 15:00, Saturday 21st May
How to watch: Sky Sports
All odds and markets correct as of date of publication
