Watford vs Derby Prediction: More away day misery awaits the Rams

Watford will look to keep up their 100 per cent win record this season when they host Derby County at Vicarage Road in the EFL Championship on Saturday (15:00).

Read below for my Watford vs Derby prediction and all the latest team news and match odds.

The Hornets have beaten Millwall (2-3) and Stoke City (3-0) in the league either side of a 5-0 victory over MK Dons in the League Cup, racking up 11 goals already this term under Tom Cleverley.

The ex-Manchester United midfielder will be hoping for more of the same on Saturday when his side host newly-promoted Derby, whose journey back in the second tier got off to an awful start as they were beaten 4-2 at Blackburn Rovers on August 9.

However, the Rams beat Chesterfield 2-1 in the League Cup four days later before getting off the mark in the Championship last weekend, beating pre-season promotion candidates Middlesbrough 1-0 at Pride Park, and go in search of a third-straight victory on Saturday.

Team News

Wesley Hoedt is yet to feature in a Watford squad this season as his move to Saudi Araba edges closer, with Al-Shabab reportedly keen on luring the 30-year-old Dutchman to the Middle East.

Ten players have started both Championship matches for the Hornets so far - only Ryan Porteous lost his place after the team's opening weekend win against Millwall, with 22-year-old James Morris selected instead of the Scotland international in defence against Stoke. It remains to be seen whether Porteous is reinstalled to the starting XI.

Jeremy Ngakia was substituted at half-time last Saturday and is at risk of being replaced in the side by Troyes loanee Yasser Larouci, who was brought on in place of Ngakia at the start of the second half against the Potters and impressed down the left-hand side.

Football Odds

Derby boss Paul Warne was forced to make two first-half substitutions against Middlesbrough with defenders Eiran Cashin and Kane Wilson both forced from the field; the former was withdrawn under concussion protocols and will miss the next two matches, while Wilson is unlikely to play before the September international break, according to Warne.

Sonny Bradley replaced Cashin against Boro and Ryan Nyambe was brought in after Wilson's injury; the duo are in line for starts this weekend.

Meanwhile, Blackpool loanee Jerry Yates is available to make his competitive senior debut for the Rams after missing the first three games of the season through suspension.

Watford vs Derby Odds

*Please click on the link above to be taken to the main Watford vs Derby page on betfred.com (or app) for all the live betting prices on this match.

Unsurprisingly, given they are at home and have won all three games this season, Watford have been made favourites ahead of Saturday. Their odds of 19/20 give them an implied win probability of 51.3%, while 3/1 for Derby puts theirs at 25%. The draw, meanwhile, can be backed at 5/2.

Both teams to score is 8/11 and over 2.5 goals is 5/6 while Vakoun Bayo, yet to get off the mark this term, is favourite in the anytime scorer market at 9/5.

Watford to win & over 1.5 total goals @ 11/8

Watford have scored at least three goals in all three matches so far this term, netting eight across two games at Vicarage Road. A much-changed starting XI put five past MK Dons without reply in the League Cup before a more familiar line-up shut out Stoke in a 3-0 victory.

Whether Watford can make it a hat-trick of clean sheets remains to be seen, but I do have confidence that they can make it four wins on the spin, all with at least two goals scored.

Derby kept out Middlesbrough last weekend but Blackburn Rovers struck four times past them on the opening day at Ewood Park, and the Rams could find it difficult to keep up with a rampant Hornets side at Vicarage Road.

Edo Kayembe anytime scorer @ 5/2

DR Congo international Edo Kayembe was signed by Watford midway through their 2021/22 Premier League campaign, which ultimately ended in relegation. The 26-year-old failed to score in his first one-and-a-half seasons at the club, which totalled 35 appearances.

Kayembe finally got off the mark in Watford colours last season and ended the 2023/24 campaign with five Championship goals to his name.

He's already 60 per cent of the way there this term after netting the opener in Watford's first game against Millwall before bagging a brace against Stoke last weekend.

The question is whether Kayembe is just on a hot streak or if he is starting to establish himself as a goalscoring midfielder under Cleverley. Of course, there is a good chance that he fails to make it three goalscoring games in a row on Saturday, but at 5/2, he looks a great price to keep up his terrific form.

Kayembe scored twice at home to Stoke last time out and the visit of a newly-promoted side that shipped four goals to Blackburn in their first away outing back in the Championship should fill him with confidence this weekend.

Offers

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