Watford vs. Blackburn Betting Tips: Best bets from Vicarage Road
Just one game in the Championship takes place on Sunday with Watford facing Blackburn live on Sky Sports. The game kicks-off at 12pm and we’ve asked our very own rambling Rover Anthony Eadson to provide us with his best bets.
The Hornets have started their 2023/24 season with one win, one draw and one loss in the Championship. Watford boast the joint-best defensive record in the division so far this season with their only goal that they have conceded coming in the 1-0 defeat to Stoke City last weekend.
Blackburn Rovers have also collected four points this season after an opening day victory over West Brom before coming from 2-0 down to rescue at point away at Rotherham. Jon Dahl Tomasson’s side went down to 10-men after 16 minutes against Hull last weekend and after taking the lead in the second half, will have been disappointed to come away with nothing after two goals in the final ten minutes from Aaron Connolly.
Taking a look at the match result odds and Watford are the favourites priced at Evens (1/1) with most betting sites. The draw is available at 5/2, while a win for Rovers is a stand-out best price of 11/4 with bet365.
Watford vs Blackburn Tips
First up I’ve picked out a double from the player fouls market consisting of both Joe Rankin-Costello and Ryan Porteous to each give away one at Vicarage Road.
Rovers roaming right-back Rankin-Costello will make the switch to left-back this weekend after Harry Pickering’s red card last week and Callum Britain slotting on the right side of defence. JRC can often find himself in much more attacking areas and loves to get forward which can leave him a little exposed at times defensively. When it comes to fouls he has given away one or more in all three matches this season and looking back a little further, this selection has clicked in nine of his last ten.
Watford’s Ryan Porteous is another player who has committed a foul in all three league outings so far of this new term. Since arriving at the club in January the defender has given away at least one foul in 13 of his 17 appearances and combining him with Rankin-Costello to do so on Sunday pays 5/4 with Paddy Power.
Watford may have only conceded one goal so far this season only conceding once, but I think there is real scope for Blackburn to get on the scoresheet, with the visitors being potentially overlooked considering they are all the way out at 11/4 for the win.
The selection I’m highlighting is Sammie Szmodics to score and be carded. The former Peterborough man will have a much more prominent role this season after the departure of Bradley Dack and Ben Brerton Diaz.
Szmodics and his high energy is much more suited to Jon Dahl Tomasson’s style of play than Bradley Dack previously and he has also been promoted to penalty taker for the campaign ahead.
Szmodics has linked up well with Tyrhys Dolan and Harry Leonard so far this season and has already managed two goals, consistently getting into scoring positions. A player who loves to press high and one who can often have something to say to referees which can land him in the book.
The 27-year-old already has two goals and two yellow cards to his name this season and I’ll be hoping for a repeat of what happened against Rotherham two weeks ago when he scored and was carded in the same game. At the time of writing 16/1 is available with bet365, although it may be worth having a shop around closer to kick-off as more firms release their ‘to be carded’ prices.
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