The Championship Midweek Previews: Hornets to sting the Owls

Zola's Watford are vastly improved in recent weeks

Mike Norman picks out his best bets from the midweek's Championship fixtures, including wins for in-form Millwall and Watford on their travels...

It was a poor day for the column on Saturday but if ever a result demonstrates how literally anyone can beat anyone in the Championship then look no further than the result at the Riverside Stadium.

Middlesbrough were on a tremendous run of form before playing fantastically well (but unluckily losing) at Cardiff last week, and were at home to Bristol City, a club that had gone 11 Championship games without a win and sat second bottom in the table. The outcome; a comfortable win for the away side and a result that I'm sure wrecked plenty of Betfair Multiples.

Thankfully (he says with tainted confidence) I get an immediate chance to make amends for Saturday's losses, but the ultimate aim is to finish the season in profit, and even if I achieve that by the tiniest of margins then I'll be more than happy.

Blackpool 2.021/1 v Birmingham 3.9n/a; The Draw 3.814/5

If there's one ground pretty much guaranteed to see goals in the Championship then it has to be Bloomfield Road, home of Blackpool. The great entertainers from the 2010/11 Premier League season have carried on scoring and conceding for fun, their home games averaging almost four goals per game during the 10 league and cup fixtures played there this season.

What's more, not one of those 10 fixtures contained fewer than two goals, Over 2.5 Goals paid out in eight of the 10 matches, and Over 3.5 Goals paid out six times.

Birmingham are the visitors to Blackpool on Tuesday night, and the good news is that their away games are just as likely to produce goals. From Brum's 10 away fixtures this term one of them contained six goals, three of them saw the net bulge five times, and another one had four goals. In total, an average of 3.4 goals per game have been witnessed when Birmingham play away from St Andrews.

Recommended Bet: Back Over 3.5 Goals @ 2.942/1

Sheffield Wednesday 2.56/4 v Watford 3.02/1; The Draw 3.613/5

Those of you with good memories will recall I opposed Watford quite regularly at the start of the season, purely on the basis that recruiting so many players - practically half of Udinese to be precise - meant it was always going to be a few months before the team gelled and started playing to their full potential. It seems in recent weeks that time has come.

The Hornets are unbeaten in five games under Gianfranco Zola, climbing to 11th in the table. They've scored eight goals in their last two away games, and although they still don't look 100% comfortable defensively, I believe they are a side that will just keep getting stronger as the season progresses.

Wednesday look a poor side to me, and their recent form is pretty dismal. Four straight defeats has seen them fall to 22nd in the table and they've managed to score just one goal in that time. In fact, the only clubs the Owls have defeated in the last three months (16 league and cup games) are Ipswich and Peterborough, which happen to be the two sides that occupy 23rd and 24th in the Championship table.

Recommended Bet: Back Watford to win @ 3.02/1 (Best Bet)

Wolves 2.568/5 v Millwall 2.9215/8; The Draw 3.613/5

Few clubs in the Championship have been as disappointing as Wolves in the last six weeks or so, even fewer have been as impressive as Millwall. It's like Middlesbrough v Bristol City all over again, in-form v out-of-form, but at least the price about the Lions winning is far more rewarding than the 1.51/2 Boro were on Saturday.

For the record, Stle Solbakken Wolves' side are winless in eight league games, and they haven't won at Molineux since September, whilst Kenny Jackett's Lions are unbeaten in 11 games, winning five of their last six and convincingly beating clubs like Nottm Forest and Blackburn away from home.

On recent form it's impossible to oppose Millwall. Let's just hope we don't get another game where form is completely turned on it's head just like we did at the Riverside on Saturday.

Recommended Bet: Back Millwall to win @ 2.9215/8

Season P/L (1pt each bet, 2pts Best Bet)

Wagered: 68 pts
Returned: 71.08 pts
P/L + 3.08 pts