Football Bet of the Day: Leeds to smash another Saturday afternoon opponent

Club football returns with a bang on Saturday with a full fixture list in the EFL and Europe, as well as the FA Cup quarter-finals to look forward to on what should be a belting day of action. As usual, my eye is caught by a fixture in the Championship, where Leeds United have the rarity of a 15:00 kick-off. Read on for my Football Bet of the Day.

Leeds vs Swansea Odds

I would like to start this piece by reiterating my confidence that Leeds United will win the championship this season. Despite their fans wavering slightly in recent weeks, with eight games to go Daniel Farke's men remain the team to beat in my eyes due to their immense quality all over the pitch.

Up next they face Swansea City at Elland Road and this fixture is a rarity for Leeds, as their games are usually moved for Sky Sports. For only the seventh time this season they will play a home match at 15:00 on a Saturday. This fact alone also swings my belief that they will win this game comfortably. Out of six home league matches that have kicked off at 15:00 this season Leeds have won all six, scoring 21 goals and conceding zero.

For the mathematicians out there, that averages out at 3.5 goals per game, while that clean sheet record is truly remarkable. Farke’s team at home are so tough to beat and given their poor form in early kick-offs, they will be delighted to escape the Sky cameras this weekend. 

Their last home game on a Saturday afternoon ended in a 7-0 win over Cardiff City, and up against another underperforming Welsh side, I’m expecting another comprehensive victory. Swansea should survive this season but they aren’t pulling away from the relegation zone, with Alan Sheehan now at the helm until the end of the campaign. They’ve scored just one goal in their last four matches and it's difficult to see them troubling a Leeds outfit who are just so dominant at home. 

Football Odds

Farke has seen his side win 48 points in front of their own fans, six more than any other team in the division, with 15 wins, three draws and one defeat to date. They’ve scored 47 and conceded just nine at Elland Road this term and after the international break, will want to put a marker down in their push for the title. Depending on how Sheffield United fare on Friday night against Coventry, Leeds may have lost top spot by the time they kick off, so they will want to put things right with a big win. 

I don’t have to talk too much about their individual quality at this stage of the season but the likes of Wilfried Gnonto could play a big part in this final run-in, while Manor Solomon, Dan James and Largie Ramazani are all top-end Championship players. Joel Piroe is one of the finest finishers in the division and should fancy his chances of bagging a couple against his former club. 

If you want a correct score punt, I’d go for 4-0 Leeds at 10/1, but to play things safe for our Football Bet of the Day, let’s go for Leeds to win by three goals or with a -2 handicap, at 15/8.

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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