Derby County's return to the EFL Championship has gone pretty well so far and they'll be looking to climb further up the table when they host Sheffield Wednesday.
After a two-year stint in League One, Paul Warne led the Rams to automatic promotion as runners-up last term and the target this season was to re-establish the club in the second tier.
Derby remain on track do that, with Wednesday's ?-? win/loss/draw with Swansea leaving them ???????? in the table. Our man Andy backed the Rams to win in midweek and Warne's side have lost just once/twice in their last nine matches so they will head into this game with their tails up.
But it won't be easy against a Sheffield Wednesday side who are also in decent form. The Owls only just dodged the drop last term but they finished the season as one of the Championship's form teams and have built on that in the new campaign.
Tuesday's 2-0 win at Hull made it just one defeat in the last four games for Danny Rohl's side and another victory in this game could move them to within striking distance of a play-off place.
How the bookies view it: Rams hold upper hand
This is a tricky one to call with both teams in good form but Betano reckon home advantage just gives Derby County the edge as they're priced at 29/20. Sheffield Wednesday are 7/4 for a big three points and the draw pays 85/40.
Recent head to head: Couldn't be any tighter
These sides were in League One when they last faced off two seasons ago and Sheffield Wednesday just edged it, with a 0-0 draw at Pride Park followed by a 1-0 home win at Hillsborough. But there has been nothing in it over the last 12 meetings, with four wins apiece and four draws.
Players to watch: Jerry's back for more
Jerry Yates has hit a rich vein of form for Derby County, netting three times in his last three matches. He had to sit it out against parent club Swansea in midweek but will return here and is 19/10 at Betano for anytime scorer.
Michael Smith came off the bench to grab Sheffield Wednesday's clincher at Hull and that could earn him a start here. The forward has four goals this season and is 5/2 at Betano to add to that tally.
Probable line-ups
Derby remain without Callum Elder, Ryan Nyambe, Tawanda Chirewa and David Ozoh. Sheffield Wednesday duo Josh Windass and Ike Ugbo both came off at half-time in midweek with their side leading 1-0 and it's unclear if that was down to injuries or was tactical. The Owls are definitely without forward Olaf Kobacki and defender Akin Famewo.
Derby County: Zetterstrom, Jackson, Wilson, Nelson, Cashin, Elder Goudmijn, Adams, Harness, Blackett-Taylor, Yates.
Sheffield Wednesday: Beadle, Lowe, Bernard, Valentin, Johnson, Valery, Bannan, Windass, Gassama, S Charles, Smith.
Anything else catch the eye?
This has the makings of a tight game and the half-time draw is always a good option when the teams are evenly matched. That bet pays 21/20 here with Betano.
BTTS has landed in seven of the last eight for Derby/Derby's last eight games/ so it's not a big surprise to see that bet at just 4/5 tonight. Adding on over 2.5 goals boosts the odds to 11/8 in a bet builder while over 2.5 strikes on its own also pays a decent 11/10.
Derby defender Eiran Cashin has been good value for cards this season, with the Irishman going in the book five/six times. He's ?/? at Bet365 for another card in this one and that could be worth a punt.
This England Championship match between Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday will be played on Dec 1, 2024 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Derby County vs Sheffield Wednesday prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
