Huddersfield have lost seven straight Premier League home games but most of those matches were very close and we fancy them to stop the rot when Wolves visit John Smith’s Stadium. Town’s last victory was a 2-0 triumph over Wanderers at Molineux back in late November.
Cardiff received a wake-up call when thrashed by Watford but our Trueform chart suggests they are worth another chance when entertaining Everton. The Toffees travel to Wales on the back of three straight defeats and may also be a touch rusty after going 17 days without a game.
Newcastle have been battling hard to boost their survival hopes of late and will view Huddersfield at home as a great chance to pick up three more valuable points. The Terriers are cut adrift at the foot of the Premier League table following a run of 12 defeats in 13 top-flight fixtures.
Cardiff have climbed out of the Premier League relegation zone with back-to-back victories and will be fired up for the visit of Watford on Friday night. However, the Hornets are also in fine form, only losing once in their last 10 matches – and that was a narrow defeat away to Tottenham.
Middlesbrough could do with a win at Blackburn to boost their Championship promotion prospects and may be meeting Rovers at just the right time. The Lancashire outfit have done well since returning to this level but a sequence of three straight defeats suggests they are starting to run out of steam.
Ralph Hasenhuttl suffered a 1-0 defeat at Cardiff in his first game as Southampton manager but can gain revenge at St Mary’s Stadium. The Saints have since shown marked improvement under the upbeat Austrian manager and are fancied to be too strong for the Bluebirds this time.
Arsenal have only picked up one point from their last five Premier League away games, so we’re wary of taking short odds for them to win at Huddersfield. The Terriers are cut adrift at the foot of the table and look doomed to relegation, but this isn’t the type of team to throw in the towel.
Norwich and Ipswich are at opposite ends of the Championship table this season but the formbook can often be thrown out of the window for local derbies. Four of the last five games between these East Anglia rivals have ended in stalemate and this clash could be closer than many expect.
Emotions will be running high in Cardiff this weekend but anyone betting with their head, rather than their heart, will be on Bournemouth. The Cherries were outstanding when thrashing Chelsea 4-0 in midweek and have already beaten the Bluebirds in convincing fashion this season.
Alarm bells will be ringing at Chelsea after Wednesday’s 4-0 loss at Bournemouth but the Blues are expected to steady the ship by beating Huddersfield. Maurizio Sarri’s side prevailed 3-0 when these teams met in Yorkshire last August and Town are now cut adrift at the bottom of the table.
As the January transfer window comes to a close, it’s natural to expect the Premier League clubs will have spent the most when the dust settles. The English top flight is the richest league in the world, but does that reputation mean that they’re getting overcharged in the transfer market?
Preston do not have a good record against Derby but look well placed to buck that trend after a couple of cracking Championship victories. The Rams prevailed 2-0 at Pride Park back in August and have won at Deepdale for the past three seasons, but will face a red-hot North End outfit this Friday.
Huddersfield have a mountain to climb to stay up but Jan Siewert’s arrival may give them a fresh impetus ahead of entertaining Everton. The Toffees have been suffering from travel sickness of late, losing their last two Premier League away games and Saturday’s FA Cup tie at Millwall.
Arsenal suffered a disappointing FA Cup exit when hosting Manchester United but can bounce back with a Premier League triumph over Cardiff. The Gunners had previously impressed when beating Chelsea in this competition, whereas the Bluebirds are languishing in the bottom three.