Relegation-threatened Sheffield Wednesday welcome Cardiff on Monday and Tom Carnduff picks out a best bet for the game.
Cardiff have seen their play-off hopes fade slightly in recent weeks, while Sheffield Wednesday are moving closer and closer to relegation down to Sky Bet League One.
The Owls are now seven points adrift of safety. Another 13 points will see them hit the mid-40s range that usually keeps a team up but this looks like it will be the second consecutive season where the bar is high. Five wins and two draws from eight games will see them reach 49 points - a tally that kept Barnsley up in 2019/20.
Even with home 'advantage', the expectation will be another defeat for Wednesday here. Eight defeats in their last ten is disastrous form, and it doesn't get any easier on Monday with the third-best away team in the division visiting South Yorkshire.
Kick-off time: 17:30 BST, Monday
TV channel: Sky Sports Football
Chance for Cardiff to score again
Cardiff were enjoying a great run following Mick McCarthy's appointment but recent weeks have seen results become inconsistent and goals tough to get. They have found the net just twice across their last five games.
However, they face a Sheffield Wednesday side who have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last ten outings. Across those ten games, five of those have seen the opposition score two or more and there's a case for that to happen again here.
Eight of Wednesday's 17 games against the current top-ten this season have ended in defeat. Seven of those have seen the opposition score at least twice and the 6/4 general price on CARDIFF TO SCORE 2+ GOALS in this game is worth backing on that basis.
In fact, 14 of their 20 defeats this season have had the opposition score twice. When they lose, it's often with the opposition having success in front of their goal and it's not changed massively with Darren Moore's appointment either.
On the flip side, Cardiff boast a strong record against teams in the bottom-half. 11 of their 19 games against sides currently 13th downwards has also seen them score two or more. At a good odds-against price, the value is there in backing them to continue that trend.
Sheffield Wednesday v Cardiff best bets and score prediction
- 2pts Cardiff to score 2+ goals at 6/4 (General)
Score prediction: Sheffield Wednesday 0-2 Cardiff (Sky Bet odds: 9/1)
Odds correct at 1630 GMT (04/04/21)
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