Sky Bet EFL: Match previews and best bets for fixtures on Tuesday January 28
Tom Carnduff has enjoyed success backing corners in recent weeks and is hoping for more from the Sky Bet EFL on Tuesday night.
Recommended bets
2pts 13+ corners in Leeds v Millwall at 9/4
2pts 13+ corners in Reading v Bristol City at 11/4
For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record
Leeds v Millwall
It's funny how a couple of new faces can completely change the mood around a football club, isn't it?
Leeds are on an awful run of form with just one win in their last eight games. Promotion looked like it was slipping away from them already, but a weekend off and an opportunity to recharge the batteries could put them in a good place here.
The weekend without football did bring two new faces. Winger Ian Poveda joined from Manchester City while they also pulled off a coup for Championship level as they welcomed Jean-Kevin Augustin from RB Leipzig.
The latter is unlikely to be involved but Poveda could take his place in the squad. Leeds' Stuart Dallas spoke on Monday about how impressed he was with the way in which the youngster has adapted to his new environment.
It seems to have galvanised the Leeds fans. The belief is starting to come back and a win here will go a long way in ensuring that their promotion push returns to the right tracks.
As ever, Leeds are odds-on favourites for victory here but there continues to be value in the corners market and backing a high tally in their games at Elland Road.
The Whites are a high corner tally team. Visiting sides to Elland Road tend to sit on the back foot and look to hit Leeds on the counter. That sees the home side given opportunities to push forward which ends in plenty of balls going behind for a corner.
Their last three home games have seen them average eleven corners per fixture. A trend that you'd back to continue on Tuesday night.
13+ corners in the game is available at a best price of 9/4, which is where the best bet can be found after factoring in the handful of corners that Millwall will take.
Best bet: 13+ corners at 9/4
Opta facts
- Leeds have won six of their last seven home league matches against Millwall (L1), losing the other match 4-3 in January 2018.
- The home side has won nine of the last 11 league meetings between Leeds and Millwall (D1 L1).
- This is the first time Leeds and Millwall have faced on a Tuesday in a league match – they last faced on this day of the week in November 1988 in the Full Members Cup, a 2-0 Millwall win.
- Defeat against Millwall would see Marcelo Bielsa lose four consecutive games in all competitions for the first time since April 2015 with Marseille.
- Since (and including) their 3-3 draw at home to Cardiff on December 14th, Leeds have earned six points from seven matches; only Luton (1) have picked up fewer points over this period.
- No Championship side have earned more points than Millwall (29 from 15 games) since Gary Rowett’s first match in charge at the end of October.
Reading v Bristol City
The time is ticking on Bristol City's hunt for a striker as their plan to bring in Arsenal's Eddie Nketiah was halted by the Gunners' decision to keep hold of the youngster.
They are still in a good position in the table regardless; one of a number of teams in the play-off hunt as they sit two points off Preston in sixth.
In Reading, they take on a side who are very likely to finish in mid-table this season. 13 points clear of relegation but nine points clear of the play-offs; their current 15th position is likely to be their final outcome.
There's little value in chasing the outright market here given how this is a contest that could go either way. If you were forced to choose one of the three outcomes, it would have to be a home win given the fact that the Robins have lost three of their last four on the road.
Again, this is another contest where corners provide the value. Reading have seen the match corner count hit double figures in each of their last seven home matches across all competitions.
The same can be said for four of Bristol City's last five on the road. The one that fell short of the mark had a total of nine, so it wasn't too far away from continuing the trend.
There's a best price available of 11/4 on there being 13+ in the contest, a general price of around 5/2 across the board, all of which are worth taking on this outcome.
Best bet: 13+ corners at 11/4
Opta facts
- Reading won seven consecutive league matches against Bristol City between 2010 and 2017, but have since won just one of five meetings (D1 L3).
- Bristol City have lost six of their last seven away league games against Reading, winning the other 1-0 in September 2017 thanks to a late Aden Flint goal.
- Reading have 14 points more than they did at the same stage last season (P28 W10 D7 L11 in 2019-20, P28 W5 D8 L15 in 2018-19).
- Bristol City are looking to win three successive league games for the first time since August.
- Each of the last eight league goals Reading have conceded have been scored in the second half, with an average time of 74 minutes.
- 15 of Bristol City’s 22 away league goals this season have been scored after half-time (68%).
Odds correct at 1715 GMT (27/01/20)