THE bottom two clubs in the Premier League do battle on Saturday afternoon, as Sheffield United welcome Burnley to Bramall Lane.
A 2-0 defeat at Brentford last weekend has nudged the Blades one step closer to what has long felt like an inevitable relegation.
That latest setback has left Chris Wilder's side rock-bottom and 10 points from safety with just six games left to play.
However, Wilder and Co will believe that banking three points against second-bottom Burnley would give them a slither of hope in their bid to pull off the unlikeliest of great escapes.
As for Vincent Kompany's crew, they were denied a much-needed win at home to Brighton last weekend when being pegged back in a 1-1 draw thanks to a comedy own goal from goalkeeper Arijanet Muric.
That being said, the Clarets have shown signs of life in their fight for survival in recent weeks and a win at Bramall Lane on Saturday would certainly boost their chances of beating the drop.
Outright Betting
Sheffield United are the 15/8 (Bet 365) outsiders as they go in search of their fourth league win of the season while a Steel City stalemate can be backed at a best price of 5/2 (Ladbrokes).
Burnley, who ran out 5-0 winners in December's reverse fixture, are 7/5 favourites on Bet 365.
Betting Angles
With neither side making particular appeal in the match odds market, I'll dip into the Bet Builder and combine Both Teams to Score and Under 8 Cards at 4/5 (Bet 365).
Sheffield United have been a lot more competitive of late, having drawn three of their last five league games, as well as pushing Liverpool all the way in a 3-1 loss at Anfield.
In fact, last week's 2-0 reverse at Brentford was the first time that the Blades had failed to make the net bulge in five matches, so they could certainly land a blow at home to a Burnley team with just two shutouts to their name in 33 top-flight outings this term.
However, Chris Wilder's side have also found clean sheets hard to come by in the Premier League this season, having silenced their opponents just once across their 32 outings so far.
With that in mind, I'll back both teams to get on the scoresheet on Saturday, but to bolster the odds, I'll also go with under eight match cards.
Whilst there is potential that sparks could fly in the Steel City given the predicament that both sides currently find themselves in, I'm prepared to go with under eight bookings, which still gives us plenty of room for some cards to be flashed by referee Anthony Taylor.
What's more, this Bet Builder would have paid out in three of Sheffield United's last four Premier League games, not to mention the same combination would have clicked in five of the Clarets' previous six outings.
Elsewhere, one player who looks worthy of interest in the cards market is Burnley's Sander Berge who has been priced up at 9/2 on Bet 365.
The former Sheffield United midfielder has clocked up seven cards in the Premier League this season, including two of the Clarets' last three road games, so the Norwegian could be worth a nibble at 9/2 (Bet 365) to have his name taken when he returns to his old stomping ground on Saturday.
This English Premier League match between Sheffield United and Burnley will be played on Apr 20, 2024 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Sheffield United vs Burnley prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
