The race for the EFL Championship title is proving every bit as tight as most people expected and two promotion rivals go head to head in this Friday night cracker as Sheffield United host Sunderland.
While the Blades were among the ante-post favourites for the crown after relegation from the Premier League, few people fancied the Black Cats to be serious contenders under new boss Regis Le Bris.
But Sunderland flew out of the traps under the Frenchman, winning five of their first six league games to set the pace at the top of the table. Their title charge has stalled a little in recent weeks, with a run of five successive draws.
Tuesday night's 0-0 stalemate with West Brom, which saw a half-time bet come up for me, left the Black Cats two points behind Sheffield United at the top.
The Blades also got off a strong start and didn't taste defeat until a 2-0 lost at Leeds last month but they followed it up with another loss to Middlesbrough.
The response since then has been impressive though and Tuesday's 3-0 victory over Oxford United made it five wins in six games for Chris Wilder's resurgent men.
How the bookies view it: Blades homing in on the points
There's not much between these sides but Betano reckon home advantage gives Sheffield United the edge as they make the Blades evens favourites. Sunderland are 13/5 shots and the draw pays 11/5.
Recent head to head: Sunder the thumb
Sheffield United have dominated this fixture in recent years, winning four of the last five meetings. But Sunderland can take a little heart from the fact that one victory did come at Bramall Lane in the EFL Cup back in 2019.
Players to watch: Campbell's hot stuff
The Blades have been spreading the goals around this season but striker Tyrese Campbell has hit a rich vein form, with five goals in his last six outings. The striker is 12/5 with Bet365 to keep that run going with a goal here.
Patrick Roberts provides the creative spark for Sunderland and will be key to breaking down Wilder's defence. The former Celtic and Fulham winger is 13/2 with Bet365 to grab his second goal of the season but it might be better backing him for an assist at 4/1 with Bet365.
Probable line-ups
Key defender Anel Ahmedhodzic is still suspended for Sheffield United while midfielder Gustavo Hamer is a doubt. Kieffer Moore and Rhian Brewster are set to miss out again along with Ollie Arblaster.
lan Browne, Romain Mundle, Ian Poveda, Niall Huggins, Jenson Seelt, Ahmed Abdullahi and Salis Abdul Samed are all still out for Sunderland.
Sheffield United: Cooper, Gilchrist, Souttar, Burrows, Robinson, One, O'Hare, Rak-Sakyi, Souza, Peck, Campbell.
Sunderland: Patterson, Cirkin, O'Nien, Mepham, Hume, Neil, Bellingham, Ballard, Roberts, Rigg, Isidor.
Anything else catch the eye?
There's not much between these teams so it should be a tight game. The half-time draw appeals at evens with Betano while backing most goals to come in the second half pays 11/10 at Bet365.
Four of Sheffield United's last five games have hit double figures for corners so it could pay to back over 10,5 flag kicks in this one at 10/11 with Betano. Backing the Blades at -1 in the corner handicap also looks decent value at 5/4 with Bet365.
This could be a fiery one with top spot up for grabs so it could be a busy night for the ref. Try going for over 47.5 booking points, which pays evens with Betfred.
This England Championship match between Sheffield United and Sunderland will be played on Nov 29, 2024 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Sheffield United vs Sunderland prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
