In this article…
Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds
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Kick Off: Friday 8th March at 20:00
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Competition: Championship
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Watch Live: Sky Sports Football
This weekend’s EFL action kicks off on Friday evening as Sheffield Wednesday face Leeds in an all-Yorkshire clash, and our expert has found several intriguing value bet builder angles for you to choose from. Our football coverage this weekend also includes EFL betting predictions and EFL accumulator tips. As ever on Andy’s Bet Club we also have a huge range of football tips and expert betting predictions from outside the EFL to help you bag a winner.
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Both ends of the Championship table will be watching this Yorkshire derby with interest as the result of this match will set the tone for a lot of teams this weekend.
Both the Owls and the Whites come into this clash in good form. Leeds may have lost their winning streak at Huddersfield last week, but earned a deserved 1-0 win over Stoke in midweek to get straight back on the horse and keep the pressure up on Ipswich and Leicester above them.
Sheffield Wednesday still haven’t been able to breathe above the dotted line since the very beginning of the season, and yet, since Danny Rohl came in, Wednesday have been a top half team in results and performances. This illustrates the competitiveness of this year’s Championship, especially in the bottom half.
It is very difficult to work out which club needs the win more, it is huge for both teams, and, as a result, a fiery and entertaining Yorkshire derby at Hillsborough is on the cards.
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Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds Cheat Sheet
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You can find Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds match stats, on my bet builder stats tool, along with official line-ups one hour before kick-off.
🏆 Match stats: Leeds’ strength across the pitch will cause problems for resurgent Wednesday
Leeds’ quality has been clear through their data on many occasions. They are very much deserving of their position in the league according to their data profile.
Daniel Farke’s side are very solid. They have conceded the fewest number of goals in the league, and have the highest number of clean sheets, 16 in 36 matches.
This is backed up by their xG conceded data. They have, by over 4 xG against now, the lowest xG against total in the Championship. This sits at 30.6 xG, so less than 1 xG per match, very similar to their actual goals conceded total of 28.
Leeds aren’t infallible though, especially away from home. They drew against 10-man Huddersfield only last week, and they have won only half of their away matches.
Sheffield Wednesday were vying with Rotherham at the bottom of almost all of the performance metrics in the first half of the season. Their attacking metrics over the season are still very poor, but have definitely shown improvement under Danny Rohl. The Owls are 23rd for goals scored and shots on target per match, but 19th for xG.
Indeed, Wednesday haven’t scored a penalty, scored from a free kick, or benefitted from an own goal yet this season, and they are underperforming their xG total by eight goals.
Defensively, the Owls’ numbers are actually very positive. They are actually top half for xG conceded and clean sheets earned.
With Leeds’ comparative away difficulties and Wednesday’s well-organised shape and decent form, this actually looks like a very tight match in prospect. Taking on the favourites could be the way to take on the match markets.
Predictions:
⚽ Sheffield Wednesday double chance @ 2.20
🎯 Shooting stats: Ugbo the game-changer for Sheffield Wednesday
In the first third of the season, Wednesday had virtually no attacking prowess. Reliant on Josh Windass for any spark, and therefore Windass’ fitness, meant that it was a real struggle for the Owls to generate much in the final third.
When Rohl took over, this changed fairly instantly, but it was still tough to find a reliable source of shots and goals. The recruitment of Ike Ugbo from Cardiff has been a game-changer.
Ugbo is now a focal point in the box, he is averaging 1.35 shots on target per 90 minutes, and that is delivering goals at the moment. Whilst Leeds do concede fewer shots than anyone in the league, Ugbo’s price still remains pretty fair, considering how this match should play out.
For Leeds, it is interesting to see Daniel James priced up bigger than all of his Leeds attacking contemporaries. This may be because the bookmakers foresee him playing for fewer minutes, but the Welshman’s shot on target ratio is actually higher than those of Crysencio Summerville, Joel Piroe, Georginio Rutter, and Wilfried Gnonto.
Predictions:
⚽ Ike Ugbo to have 1+ shots on target @ 1.73
⚽ Daniel James to have 1+ shots on target @ 1.50
🛑 Fouls stats: Vaulks to continue his remarkable streak
Will Vaulks has made his valuable contributions known to Danny Rohl of late and has cemented a place in the side, playing 90 minutes in three of the last five league games.
Indeed, in each of those matches, beginning with Leicester away, Vaulks has conceded exactly three fouls in every match. Whilst this is obviously going to come to an end, Vaulks is worth adding to the bet builder for at least two fouls here.
The cat is out of the bag somewhat on Georginio Rutter at this stage, but the young Frenchman is still worth adding to bet builders for fouls on both sides of the argument. Rutter committed four fouls in three consecutive matches recently, just broken by conceding only one against Stoke last time out.
The sensibilities of a Yorkshire derby and the importance of the match from a Leeds perspective should encourage Rutter to return to his regular ways here though.
Predictions:
⚽ Will Vaulks to commit 2+ fouls @ 1.73
⚽ Will Vaulks to commit 3+ fouls @ 3.10
⚽ Georginio Rutter to commit 2+ fouls @ 1.57
⚽ Georginio Rutter to commit 3+ fouls @ 2.62
* I recommend waiting for confirmed team line-ups before placing any bets.
* All odds displayed correct at the time of publishing.
Written by an Andy verified content writer
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