Cardiff City vs. Reading Betting Tips: Appealing 15/1 shot in the cards market

Our Friday night dose of Championship football takes us to Wales where Cardiff City face Reading at 8pm, live on Sky Sports Main Event.

Below we preview the match-up and pick out two tips, including a 15/1 shot.

Cardiff City are dangling dangerously just two points above the relegation zone in 21st, having played a game more than all of the teams around them.

However, broken hearts were mended on Valentine’s Day after The Bluebirds finally ended their shocking 14-game winless run in all competitions - which included five straight defeats - when they overcame Birmingham City 2-0, thanks to two late goals from Perry Ng and Callum Robinson.

It was manager Sabri Lamouchi’s first win in four matches since he replaced Mark Hudson last month, which he’ll hope will act as a springboard for Cardiff’s survival bid.

As for Reading, they sit 15th, 11 points above the drop zone and six points off the play-off places.

Like Cardiff, Reading had been struggling for form, yet they too ended their own league winless run of six matches on Tuesday courtesy of a last-gasp 2-1 victory at home to Rotherham; their first win of the year.

Cardiff head into the match priced at 57/50 to win for the first time at home in 10 matches, Reading are 29/10 (betfair) to end a six-game winless run on the road, with a draw available at 9/4 (bet365).

For the first bet I'm looking for Callum Robinson and Andy Carroll to each have at least one shot on target on Friday night. 

Over 0.5 SOT has landed in nine of Robinson’s last 12 games, including four of the last five, with the Cardiff player printing his name on the scoresheet against Birmingham earlier in the week.

Carroll also scored - and assisted - in his last match: Tuesday's 2-1 win over Rotherham. The 6ft 4in striker now has three goals in his last six league games, and registered at least one shot on goal in four of those appearances.

You can combined these selections together to form a 2/1 double with bet365.

bet365 will pay out your single bet in full if the team you back goes 2 goals ahead at any stage during the match.

Three players in the Championship are in double figures when it comes to yellow cards, two of which play for Reading: Mamadou Loum and Andy Yiadom.

The card-happy duo have racked up 10 yellows apiece this season, with Andy Yiadom out for the next two games, while Loum is expected to return from a two-game suspension tonight.

Loum, who has given away "silly fouls" according to boss Paul Ince, is available at 12/5 to mark his return from the naughty chair by adding yet another card to his sizeable collection.

Since mid-October the Porto loanee averaged just over one yellow card every two games, picking up eight in 15 outings, including his last outing against Watford.

However, I really like the look of the massive 15/1 on offer for the player to be the first player carded on Friday, with BetVictor’s price double that of many other online betting sites.