Football Bet of the Day: Hamer to haunt Sky Blues?

On Friday night, club football returns with a bang as Premier League hopefuls Sheffield United welcome Coventry City to Bramall Lane. Sorry, Frank Lampard’s Coventry™. This one is free to watch on ITV4 with kick-off at 20:00, and it rightly takes our focus for an ambitious Football Bet of the Day. Check it out below.  

Sheffield United vs Coventry Odds

If you don’t know by now, I am a Coventry fan so am hopefully writing this with a decent amount of knowledge of Frank Lampard’s team, at a tense period of the season. The job the Englishman has done since the turn of the year has been sensational, and the Sky Blues sit top of the form table over the last 10 games, having registered a stonking 10 wins from their last 12. 

There were undeniably a few question marks surrounding his appointment, but a lot of the noise came from outside the club rather than from the Coventry fans. They’ve been rewarded with a team that looks much fitter, more competitive and full of confidence at the time of writing. 

They went five games on the bounce winning by just one goal and riding their luck, with late winners of QPR and Sheffield Wednesday, and it felt like that run would come to an end at some point. It did in brutal fashion at Derby, as the Sky Blues massively underperformed and went down 2-0 at Pride Park. 

The response to that defeat was to put in their best performance of the season at home to Sunderland, as a hat-trick from Haji Wright secured all three points in spectacular fashion. But what of this tough trip to Sheffield? Well, the Blades have won the most points in the league, and would be two points clear at the top if they hadn’t had that points deduction before a ball was kicked. 

Football Odds

They have been able to grind out results with seven wins out of their last nine taking them joint-top, while incredibly six of those victories have come by just one goal. For the entire season, we have discussed whether this form is sustainable, but with eight games to go, that no longer matters. 

Instead, we have to look at Chris Wilder’s magic ability to simply grind results out, and in this run-in, he is probably the manager you want in your camp. Sheffield United have won 13, drawn three and lost three of their home appearances in the league this term, giving them a points total that can only be beaten by Leeds at Elland Road. 

I think, on balance, they will just about get the job done against Cov, although I am also confident that both teams will find the scoresheet. Wright is a very difficult player to keep quiet over 90 minutes and I’ll back him to score at some point, even though Michael Cooper is one of the finest goalkeepers outside the Premier League. 

So if I think both teams will score and Sheffield United will win narrowly, a 2-1 correct score makes the most sense in my opinion. With the scores level and the Blades pushing for top spot, I feel theres’ a ‘narrative’ at play. 

Gustavo Hamer, loved by Coventry fans, is playing further forward for Sheffield United. With seven goals to his name already, he carries more of a goal threat than Callum O’Hare, so who’s to say he won’t break sky blue hearts with a late late goal? 40/1 on a 2-1 home win, with Hamer to score last, just feels right for our Football Bet of the Day on Friday. 

Offers

Place an In-Play single bet of £10 or more at odds of 1/2+ on any FA Cup or Championship game on Friday or Saturday and get £5 in Free Bets to use In-Play on Sunday’s FA Cup or Championship games. (Credited upon Bet Settlement).

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