Burnley will be aiming to strengthen their lead at the top when they travel to QPR in the English Championship on Sunday. The hosts have been out of sorts in recent times and should find things difficult against Burnley who have looked imperious all season.
QPR were desperate for the international break as their campaign appeared to be spiralling out of control. They were top of the standings after 16 games but are now winless in their last five matches and have dropped to sixth.
It is a steep decline for QPR whose manager Michael Beale was courting interest from Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers. Beale turned down any approach from Wolves but the distraction appears to have affected his team who have lost their way in recent times.
QPR suffered a 2-0 defeat to Coventry City in their previous Championship fixture to extend their poor run to four defeats and a draw from their last five matches. That winless run includes a 2-1 defeat to bottom side Huddersfield Town in their previous home fixture.
While QPR are struggling to find their rhythm, Burnley appear to be getting better as the season progresses. They have been beaten just twice in 21 matches this term and are currently three points clear at the top.
Burnley were particularly impressive in the weeks leading up to the international break as they claimed five wins from their last six Championship matches. Vincent Kompany’s men eased past close challengers Blackburn Rovers 3-0 in their previous fixture.
The Clarets were beaten 5-2 by Sheffield United in their previous away fixture, although that was their first defeat on the road in the last eight Championship matches. That result highlights a poor defensive record on their travels, where they have kept just one clean sheet in the last nine matches.
How the bookies view it
Burnley have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 15/11 by SBK to claim the win. A victory for QPR is valued at 43/20 by Unibet while a draw is set at odds od 5/2 by SBK.
Head to head
Burnley have a 17-6 advantage with seven draws from 30 previous matches with QPR. The most recent meeting between both teams was a Championship fixture in 2016 which ended 1-0 in favour of the Clarets.
Players to watch
Lyndon Dykes has six goals this season but has found the net just once in his last seven matches, his dry spell appears to have coincided with QPR’s poor run. The hosts will be relying on the striker to rediscover his scoring touch on Sunday at 11/4 with bet365.
Jay Rodriguez has been pivotal to Burnley’s fine campaign this season and is their top scorer with nine goals. The striker is set to return after a spell on the sidelines and could be backed at 12/5 with bet365 to get on the score sheet on Sunday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Burnley have quality in attack but their defensive vulnerability means both teams could be backed to score at 8/11 with William Hill. The visitors have opened the scoring in seven of their last eight away matches and could be tipped to grab the first goal on Sunday at 5/6 with Betfred.
The Clarets have seen over 3.5 goals in their last two away matches and could be set for a repeat at 13/5 with BetVictor. Over 2.5 goals could also be considered at evens with William Hill.
This England Championship match between QPR and Burnley will be played on Dec 11, 2022 and kick off at 13:00. Check below for our tipsters best QPR vs Burnley prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
