Ipswich Town will be aiming to return to the summit of the Championship as they welcome Watford to Portman Road. The Hornets have struggled to find their rhythm lately and Ipswich will be confident of claiming the upper hand here.
Ipswich Town head into Wednesday’s clash off the back of a 1-0 defeat at Norwich City last time out in the Championship. They saw plenty of possession and created several chances but failed to find the net for the first time in 15 matches.
While it was a rare defeat for Ipswich Town, the result was enough to see them lose top spot in the Championship standings. Kieran McKenna’s men are now one point behind leaders Leicester City and should also be wary of Leeds United who are a further point behind.
The good news for Ipswich Town is that their record at Portman Road remains solid having won their last five home matches. However, they are often unconvincing at the back, keeping just one clean sheet in their last eight matches in front of their fans.
Watford are coming off a 0-0 draw with Preston North End in their previous Championship fixture. That was the third straight stalemate for the Hornets, who have thrown away the lead in their previous two fixtures.
Things have been difficult for Watford in recent weeks as they have picked up just two wins from their last 15 matches across all competitions. They appear to be going through the motions at the moment, sitting well clear of the relegation zone but chasing little further up the table.
The strange thing about Watford’s recent form is that they appear to do better on their travels, although they are still erratic. Tom Cleverly’s men are unbeaten in three of their last four away matches but were held to a 2-2 draw at West Brom in their previous fixture on the road.
How the bookies view it
Ipswich Town have been installed as overwhelming favourites with a home win priced at 1/2 by bet365. A victory for Watford is valued at 6/1 by Paddy Power while a draw is set at 15/4 by Unibet.
Head to head
Watford have a 17-12 advantage with nine draws from 38 previous matches against Ipswich Town. However, Ipswich have won the last three meetings and claimed a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture back in December.
Players to watch
Nathan Broadhead and Conor Chaplin have caught the eye for Ipswich Town this season with both men scoring 13 Championship goals each so far. Broadhead is priced at 7/4 by Paddy Power to score anytime while William Hill is offering 7/5 on Chaplin in the same market.
Watford will be keen to capitalise on Ipswich Town’s vulnerable backline and will look to top scorer Mileta Rajovic. The forward has 10 Championship goals this season and is priced at 7/2 with Paddy Power to find the net on Wednesday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Ipswich Town have seen over 3.5 goals in their last six home matches and a repeat is priced at 6/4 by BoyleSports. Over 2.5 goals could also be considered at 8/13 by bet365 while William Hill is offering 4/5 on both teams to score.
Given the minimal odds for a straight Ipswich Town victory, a win and both teams to score could be considered at 2/1 with bet365.
This England Championship match between Ipswich Town and Watford will be played on Apr 10, 2024 and kick off at 19:45. Check below for our tipsters best Ipswich Town vs Watford prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
