Promotion to the Championship is the prize on the line as Sunderland face Wycombe Wanderers in the League One playoff final. Both teams have been near perfect lately but Sunderland have looked slightly better than their rivals and should have the upper hand on Saturday.
Sunderland went into this year’s playoff looking to overcome a disappointing record in promotion attempts. They have been in the playoffs six times before and have failed to claim the ultimate prize every time.
Things appear to be different this time around for Sunderland, who booked their place in Saturday’s clash after claiming a 2-1 aggregate victory over Sheffield Wednesday. They won the first leg 1-0 home before holding out for a 1-1 draw in the return fixture.
That result is an extension of Sunderland’s fine form in recent weeks and they will be hoping to carry that momentum into Saturday’s final. Alex Neil’s men are unbeaten in their last 15 matches, claiming nine wins in that run.
Wycombe Wanderers are into the final after claiming a 2-1 aggregate victory over MK Dons.
Like Sunderland, Wycombe Wanderers have also been in good form lately, although they have suffered two defeats in their last 15 matches. One of those defeats came in their previous fixture as they were beaten 1-0 by MK Dons in their semi-final second leg clash.
How the bookies view it
Sunderland have the edge among the bookies and are priced at 19/17 by SBK to claim the win on Saturday. SBK is also offering odds of 14/5 for a Wycombe Wanderers victory while a draw is set at odds of 23/10 by William Hill.
Recent head to head
Sunderland are unbeaten in the last three matches against Wycombe Wanderer, claiming two wins in that run. It was a thrilling 3-3 draw in the most recent meeting between both teams back in January.
Players to watch
Sunderland’s campaign has been mostly built on the goals of Ross Stewart, who has found the net 25 times this season. The striker also scored four goals in two regular season matches against Wycombe Wanderers and is priced at 21/10 by Paddy Power to find the net on Saturday.
Wycombe Wanderers will be banking on Sam Vokes to maintain his good form having scored 17 goals this season. The striker was also on target in the last meeting with Sunderland and is priced at 10/3 by Paddy Power to get on the score sheet on Saturday.
Anything else catch the eye?
Sunderland and Wycombe often serve up thrilling encounters, producing over 3.5 goals in their two regular season meetings. A similar outcome is priced at 33/10 by Unibet while over 2.5 goals is valued at 6/5 by Sport Nation.
Both teams were on target in the second half in their two regular season meetings and could be set for a repeat on Saturday at 11/4 with William Hill.
This English League One match between Sunderland and Wycombe Wanderers will be played on May 21, 2022 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Sunderland vs Wycombe Wanderers prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
