Sports Blog 29/02/2016: Championship Preview – Brighton vs Leeds, Monday 29th February 2016

Whilst the Championship is a muddle of un-played games thanks to the recent flooding Brighton have a chance to edge tentatively closer to an automatic promotion spot when they host Leeds at 7.45pm on Sky Sports 1.

The Seagulls tentatively got things back on track last Tuesday, a rampant 4-0 win over Bristol quickly putting to bed the embarrassment that was their 4-1 defeat in Cardiff just a few days before. That leaves the southern side in 4th place with 60 points, 3 ahead of Derby with a game in hand (to be played this evening), 4 behind Hull and Middlesbrough (but with the latter having only played 32 games) and 5 behind Burnley (who, on 34 games played, went top at the weekend with a victory over Bolton). In other words, Brighton need a win on Monday night to ensure they keep up the pace at the top of the table, with automatic promotion a very real possibility in the Championship’s minor-key version of the Premier League’s unpredictable season.



Despite being a firm promotion favourite Brighton are lacking a real star striker, having no one in their team that can match Burnley’s Andre Gray (on 20 Championship goals), Hull’s Abel Hernandez (on 16) or even Fulham’s Ross McCormack (also on 16 despite his side being stuck in 20th). What the Seagulls do have, however, is a solid cabal of steady hands (or should that be feet?), with Tomer Hemed leading the charge with 9 goals and a Super Mega PGM spread of 31-37. Just behind the Israeli striker are the seemingly ageless Bobby Zamora, on 7 goals and a Super Mega PGM of 30-36, and Scottish winger Jamie Murphy, on 6 goals and a Super Mega PGM of 11-15.

Whilst Brighton are chasing their Premier League debut, Leeds, perpetually besmirching their impressive history as a big club, are languishing in 17th place, arguably safe from relegation but nowhere near the play-off zone. Their indifferent form has continued in 2016, with 4 draws, 3 losses and 1 win in the Championship since the New Year began. Even their FA Cup run is over, a 1-0 defeat to Watford sending them out in the 5th round. It is almost as if the players realise there isn’t much to play for. Sadly for Leeds fans Chris Woods, the club’s top scorer this season, remains out with a hamstring injury, leaving the goal-scoring duties to Mirco Antenucci and Souleymane Doukara, on 9 goals between then in all competitions and at Super Mega PGMs of 11-15 and 13-17 respectively.

The Seagulls will be looking to soar when they meet their lifeless rivals on Monday night, with Spreadex offering a Brighton/Leeds Goal Supremacy spread of 0.7-0.9 with a Total Goals spread of 2.25-2.45.

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