QPR vs Sunderland Prediction: More luck for Black Cats?

League leaders Sunderland travel to 23rd-placed QPR on Saturday afternoon (15:00) hoping to extend their five-point lead at the top of the table. The Black Cats have been outstanding so far this term under Regis Le Bris and now there’s growing belief that they can get promoted this term, with Betfred now pricing them at 7/2 to lift the trophy in May. 

Meanwhile, QPR have arrested their losing run with back-to-back draws, earning a creditable point at Turf Moor last time out. Below you will find my QPR vs Sunderland prediction featuring betting tips and team news. 

Team News

QPR have suffered a blow to two key players as both Kenneth Paal and Michael Frey have been ruled out for several weeks. Frey missed the game against Coventry last week while Paal came off injured in that game.

“Both have had scans and some tests,” Marti Cifuentes explained. “They will be out for some weeks. We don’t know yet how long, so we need to take it day by day.”

Having scored four goals this season, the Swiss forward’s absence is a major blow and his absence was felt at Turf Moor as the R’s failed to register a shot on target. However, Cifuentes will be buoyed by that performance and is likely to name an unchanged side. 

Football Odds

Jake Clarke-Salter has improved the defence since coming back from injury, Jonathan Varane is doing well in the heart of midfield and wide man Koki Saito has earned some rave reviews recently. Zan Celar and Ilias Chair are likely to provide the attacking thrust in the absence of Frey. 

Meanwhile, Sunderland’s Simon Moore kept a clean sheet in his first league start for the club and he looks set to start again in the capital as Anthony Patterson is yet to return to training. Le Bris says Sunderland are confident that the goalkeeper has not suffered a major injury but he could miss the games up until the international break.

Eliezer Mayenda returned to full training last week and is available for selection while Dan Ballard is unlikely to be back in the squad this weekend as he recovers from an ankle injury. His settled XI currently rolls off the tongue however, with a front six of Chris Rigg, Jobe Bellingham, Dan Neil, Romaine Mundle, Patrick Roberts and Wilson Isidor functioning like a well-oiled machine. 

QPR vs Sunderland Odds

QPR are priced at 11/4 to win this game, with Sunderland available at 21/20. That gives the away side an implied win probability of 48%, while a draw can be backed at 23/10. Over 2.5 goals is 11/10, BTTS is 5/6 and Wilson Isidor is the favourite to open the scoring at 11/2. 

Sunderland to win to nil @ 11/5

I’m confident that Sunderland will win this game based on what we have seen so far. They’ve just got so much ability in their squad and they are a couple of levels above QPR at this moment in time. There’s a realistic probability that these two teams could end up two divisions apart by summer, and I think that gulf in class will show on the pitch. 

I’m a big fan of Mundle in particular, and the way he has filled the boots of the departed Jack Clarke has been mightily impressive. Meanwhile, the combination of Rigg and Bellingham in midfield is just wonderful and I cannot see QPR getting close to them at Loftus Road. To boost our odds we can back a Sunderland clean sheet as well. 

QPR, without Frey, are pretty tepid and they’ve only scored three goals in their last six outings. They failed to test James Trafford at all last time out, and I think we could see something similar against a Sunderland outfit that has only conceded nine in 12.