Sports Blog 07/05/2015: Match Preview – Championship & League One Play-Offs Semi-Finals 1st Leg, Thursday 7th to Saturday 9th May 2015

The end of the football season is fast approaching, with this weekend(ish) seeing the 1st leg of the playoff semi-finals in both League One and the Championship.

Thursday evening sees both of the League One matches; first up is a trip to Derbyshire for Preston North end, who face Chesterfield at 7.45pm on Sky Sports 1. With Bristol City finishing unchallenged at the top of League One on 99 points, MK Dons just edged out Preston with 91 points to the latter’s 89. Preston only lost one of their final 19 League One games; heartbreakingly that defeat came on the final-day to Colchester and ensured the Lilywhites wouldn’t obtain automatic promotion. However this does leave Preston atop Spreadex’s League One Playoff Index, where the winner receives 25 points, the runner-up 10 and the losing semi-finalists a big gat zero, with a spread of 11-12.5 and at a fixed odds price of 15/8.



In contrast Chesterfield may have only finished 3 places lower than Preston in 4th, but gathered a hefty 20 points less than the Lilywhites by the end of the season. This, unsurprisingly, leaves Chesterfield at the lower League One Playoff Index spread of 6-7 and fixed odds of 4/1. Given the gulf in points between the two sides, our Spreadex traders are offering a Preston/Chesterfield (h) Goal Supremacy sports spread betting quote of 0.05-0.25 with a Total Goals spread of 2.25-2.45.

The other League One semi-final playoff is likely to be a bit more of a contest, with Sheffield United hosting Swindon Town at 7.45pm on Sky Sports 2. Both sides only won once in their final 6 games; however, Swindon fared better overall, finishing in 4th, 10 points behind Preston but importantly 8 points ahead of Sheffield United. This has left them with a League One Playoff Index spread of 7-8 and at a fixed odds price of 7/2 to win the entire playoff.



Whilst Sheffield finished a significant distance behind Swindon on points, they will go into the semi-final 1st leg feeling confident in the knowledge that Swindon haven’t won at Bramall Lane since 1970. This fact, alongside Swindon’s sloppy form in their final 5 games, has left Sheffield at a higher League One Playoff Index spread of 9-10.5 and at 9/4 to win the playoff. This mild advantage means that the Blades have the edge going into the match, with a Sheffield United/Swindon Goal Supremacy sports spread betting quote of 0.3-0.5 alongside a Total Goals spread of 2.25-2.45.

Stepping up a league, Friday night sees the first of the Championship playoff semis, with Brentford hosting Middlesbrough at 7.45pm on Sky Sports 1. The Boro were unlucky not to finish in 3rd, one point behind Norwich on 85 to the Canaries’ 86. This meant that they were in the automatic promotion race until the very end, and will be confident they can at the very least get to the playoff final. Considering they have beaten Brentford twice this season already, Middlesbrough are on a strong Championship Playoff Index spread (with the same rules as the League One Playoff Index applying) of 9.5-11 and at 9/4 fixed odds to be promoted.



A late season run managed to push Brentford in the playoff zone; only losing once in their final 9 games, the Bees leap-frogged Ipswich with a goal difference of 19 to the latter’s 18, with both teams sitting on 78 points. Yet, things are complicated somewhat by the fact that Brentford also failed to win in 11 of their 23 home games during the season, leaving them at a slightly weaker Championship Playoff Index spread of 6.5-8 and at 7/2 to win playoffs. However despite the Middlesbrough double-defeat of Brentford already this season, the Bees’ final league push has given them the advantage at a Brentford/Middlesbrough Goal Supremacy sports spread betting quote of 0-0.2 with a Total Goals spread of 2.25-2.45.

Finally, it is the battle of the Wiches on Saturday afternoon, as Ipswich host Norwich at 12.15pm on Sky Sports 1. The home side both narrowly missed finishing in 5th AND only narrowly finished in 6th, with the Tractor Boys’ 4 goal advantage preventing Wolves from reaching the playoffs. This perhaps does a disservice to Ipswich, who only lost at 3 times at home all season and are second only to Middlesbrough in term of home goals conceded. However, their semi-final competition has left them with the worst Championship Playoff Index of the final 4 sides, at spread of 6-7.5 and a fixed odds price of 4/1.



Norwich narrowly missed out on automatic promotion, 3 points behind Watford in 2nd and 4 behind Bournemouth in 1st. Like Preston in League One, however heart-breaking this miss is, it does give Norwich the honour of sitting atop Spreadex’s Championship Playoff Index with a spread of 10-11.5, the best of the semi-finalists, alongside a 7/4 fixed odd price to win playoffs. Given how close the Canaries were to automatic promotion, and the fact that they have already beaten Ipswich in 2 fixtures this season, the away side have the edge at a Norwich/Ipswich (h) Goal Supremacy sports spread betting quote of 0.1-0.3 with a Total Goals spread of 2.25-2.45.