Championship Betting: Tractor Boys to mow down Brighton

Mike fancies Mick McCarthy's men to beat Brighton on Tuesday

After another successful best bet slection on Saturday Mike Norman is back to preview the midweek action in the Championship, but this time he's hoping to land a trio of winning recommendations...

Brentford 3.3512/5 v Norwich 2.427/5; The Draw 3.412/5

Norwich sit second in the Championship table after taking 13 points from the last 15 available two them, including winning their last two games on the road.

On Saturday the Canaries produced a remarkable comeback to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 2-4 win at Cardiff, and what appears encouraging about that victory is that none of the four goals they scored came from in-form striker Lewis Grabban, who had scored in all of Norwich's previous four league games.

Norwich have generally performed well this season, though their first half performance at the Cardiff City stadium incited an angry outburst from Neil Adams so the boss will be delighted at the response he got from his men.

Brentford were terrific on home soil in League One last term but they have recorded just one win at Griffin Park this season, that being a nerve-jangling 3-2 win over Brighton at the weekend having at one point surrendered a two-goal lead.

No doubt Mark Warburton's men will be a tough nut to crack again on Tuesday night, but I expected in-form Norwich to be slightly shorter in the betting if I'm being honest so at 2.427/5 to back I'm hoping their quality can win the day.

Recommended Bet
Back Norwich to Win @ 2.427/5

Ipswich 2.8415/8 v Brighton 2.8615/8; The Draw 3.3512/5

Having 'tipped' both Ipswich and Reading to challenge for a play-off place this season I've been no more than slightly encouraged by the starts that each club has made to their Championship campaigns. But I'll be much more encouraged if both can win on Tuesday night, and I'm backing them to do just that.

I had to look twice at the odds on offer for the Tractor Boys to beat Brighton, and once the 2.8415/8 was confirmed I had to take a second look to make sure the Seagulls weren't flying high at the top of the Championship table.

But no, as I thought, Brighton are down in 17th place having collected seven points from their opening six fixtures. Sami Hyypia's men have lost twice on the road already, to Birmingham (a side that has a truly awful home record) and Brentford, while their only victory came a Leeds. It's hardly sensational away form is it?

I know Ipswich haven't started the season on fire, far from it, but Mick McCarthy's men have won two of their opening three games at Portman Road and their only loss was to second-in-the-table Norwich.

There's only a single point between these two in the table, but given Ipswich's bright start at home and the Seagulls' poor start away from home I'm very surprised that the Tractor Boys aren't clear favourites and therefore at the current odds I have to make them my best bet of the night.

Recommended Bet
Back Ipswich to Win @ 2.8415/8 (best bet)

Reading 2.226/5 v Millwall 3.65n/a; The Draw 3.55/2

Reading are up to ninth following terrific back-to-back wins over Middlesbrough and Fulham and I fully expect Nigel Adkins' men to make it three on the spin by beating a Millwal side that haven't really built on a very promising start to the season.

The Royals didn't do much transfer business in the summer and losing Adam Le Fondre was seen as a huge negative. But I was of the opinion that they still have a very decent squad and their chances of being promoted were being largely overlooked.

Pavel Pogrebnyak will certainly score goals at this level, but in a few months time we may well be saying that the Championship's best loan signing of the season is Glen Murray from Crystal Palace.

This is a player who had a phenomenal season in 2012/13, scoring 30 league goals no less. He scored two on his Reading debut on Saturday, demonstrating that he knows this division inside out and retains the class to shine in it once more.

The Lions won three straight games without conceding a goal at the start of the season but since then Ian Holloway's men have won just one of five league and cup fixtures. They're a decent outfit who I expect to finish top half, but right now the momentum is with Reading and I fancy them to take all three points being the home side.

Recommended Bet
Back Reading to Win @ 2.226/5

Championship 2014/15 Season P/L

Staked: 24 pts
Returned: 23.54 pts
P/L: - 0.46 pts

*based on 1pt each bet, 2pts best bet