Kick Off: 1500, 29/05/2017
Stadium: Wembley
TV: Sky Sports 1
Huddersfield and Reading will do battle in the richest game in football at Wembley and everything points to this year’s Championship play-off final being a tight affair with few goals.
Each team won 1-0 at home in the regular season and we can’t see things opening up here either, with up to £200million at stake for reaching the Premier League.
We’re taking 7/4 for under two goals to be scored during normal time in our Championship play-off final betting tips.
A Look At Huddersfield Town’s Betting Odds
Huddersfield have already shown they can go all the way in a close contest after getting the better of Sheffield Wednesday on penalties in their semi-final.
After being held to a goalless stalemate at home by the Owls, Town showed great spirit to come from behind and draw 1-1 at Hillsborough before their German influence paid off in a shoot-out.
“We are the small dog, the terrier, but we have belief,” said manager David Wagner. “Now we are in the final, the fairytale goes on and we want to write the last chapter at Wembley.”
Town have regularly proven they can hold their nerve at big venues away from John Smith’s Stadium this term, winning at Newcastle, Leeds, Norwich and Ipswich.
Looking at the Championship play-off final odds, we like 23/4 for Wagner’s side to shade it 1-0.
A Look At Reading’s Betting Odds
Reading have already upset the odds once by seeing off Fulham, drawing 1-1 at Craven Cottage and then prevailing 1-0 at the Madejski Stadium.
Yann Kermorgant’s 49th-minute penalty eventually proved decisive in the second leg, with Royals goalkeeper Ali Al Habsi pulling off several smart saves to prevent an equaliser.
Jaap Stam said: “We fought with everything we had. We’ve done that so many times this season and if you hold on like that, you will force mistakes out of people.”
Looking ahead to the final, he added: “It could be a game of great nerves; a great occasion, but we’ll have to manage it properly.”
Those comments back up our view that this will be tense early on and 31/20 for it to be 0-0 at half-time is another of our Championship play-off final predictions.
Additional stats
Last result:
Sheff Wed 1-1 HUDDERSFIELD – Tom Lees (og)
READING 1-0 Fulham – Yann Kermorgant (pen)
Head-to-head: Huddersfield 1-0 Reading, Reading 1-0 Huddersfield, Huddersfield 3-1 Reading, Reading 5-2 Huddersfield, Huddersfield 2-2 Reading, Reading 2-2 Huddersfield.
