5 things to watch for in the EFL – Matchday 39

The Football League is into its final six weeks of the season and there’s still so much up for grabs across all three divisions.

Burnley are seven points clear of Sheffield United in the Championship, with Middlesbrough a further three back in third.

League One’s promotion battle is wide open after Sheffield Wednesday’s recent wobbles, while four successive draws has seen Leyton Orient’s lead at the top of League Two shrink.

Here’s a look at five keys games across the EFL this weekend.

Check out all the latest EFL markets at William Hill.

Kompany’s Clarets to take a step closer?

Burnley are two wins away from securing their return to the Premier League. Will they get the first one against Sunderland on Friday night?

Vincent Kompany’s league leaders are unbeaten in 17 Championship games ahead of the clash at Turf Moor – where they are yet to taste defeat this season (W14 D5). Burnley are odds-on to claim another win, while it’s 6/1 on Sunderland inflicting a first home defeat on the Clarets.

Sunderland’s last league trip to Burnley ended in a 4-1 defeat under David Moyes in 2016. The Clarets also scored four in this season’s reverse fixture, winning 4-2 at the Stadium of Light in October. Burnley to score four or more in this one is 24/5.

Nathan Tella has 17 goals in the league for Kompany’s side this season. The former Southampton man has netted five of Burnley’s last six in the competition. Get 13/2 on him scoring twice in this one.

Rivals collide at the Kenny

Rob Edwards faces the club who sacked him in September on Saturday lunchtime as his Luton side take on Watford in front of the Sky cameras at Kenilworth Road.

Edwards only won three of his 11 games in charge of Watford, but life at Luton is treating him much better. He has a 59% win rate in the league.

The Hornets have had the better of his fierce rivalry recently (W3 D1 L1), including a 4-0 thrashing at Vicarage Road in October. The Hornets are 5/2 to do the double over Luton this season.

Luton have won five of their last eight at home and are 23/20 to claim all three points. Carlton Morris has scored the only goal in the last two home wins. It’s 18/1 he nets in another 1-0 victory.

If cards are more your thing, history suggests this one will be littered with them. The last two meetings between the sides have seen plenty – including seven yellows and a red in the reverse fixture. Over six cards in the match is 19/5, while it’s 4/1 there’s a sending off.

Warnock v Carrick

It’s another big weekend at the bottom of the Championship – with strugglers Blackpool visiting local rivals Preston and a Welsh derby as Cardiff host Swansea. Huddersfield face a much-sterner test as they welcome Middlesbrough to West Yorkshire.

Michael Carrick has turned Boro’s season around and they sit three points off the automatic promotion places ahead of this weekend. Under Carrick Boro have taken 50 points from a possible 66 (W16 D2 L4). However, all four defeats have come on the road. It’s 19/5 that Huddersfield hand them another away loss.

Town got a much-needed victory over Millwall last time out, their second since the return of Neil Warnock. Danny Ward ended his goal drought with the only strike, he’s 15/4 to net at any time against Boro.

Stopping Chuba Akpom could be a problem, though. No-one has scored more than the Boro striker in the second tier (24). He’s found the net 11 times in his last 10 league games and is 3/1 to open the scoring.

Play-off battle at Pride Park

After 19 games unbeaten, Derby’s promotion push is beginning to stutter after one win in five (D1 L3). This weekend they host Ipswich, who have won seven of their last 11 visits to Pride Park (D3 L1).

The Tractor Boys are 21/20 to continue their march, while the Rams are 13/5 to bounce back from successive 2-0 defeats.

Ipswich have reignited their hopes of a top-two finish with six successive wins, a run that has seen them keep clean sheets in every game. Get 27/10 they are the only team to score in this game.

Both Conor Chaplin (Ipswich) and David McGoldrick (Derby) have 16 league goals this season. Backing them to add to their totals? It’s 15/2 they both score with Build #YourOdds.

Northampton v Stevenage

The top four sides in League Two are facing each other on Saturday. Leaders Orient host Carlisle, while at Sixfields it’s second-place Northampton against third-place Stevenage.

Northampton have climbed above their opponents after five wins and two draws in their last seven games. In contrast, Stevenage have only taken 10 points (W3 D1 L3).

It’s 8/5 on a home win, while Stevenage are 15/8 to move back into second with three points.

Striker Sam Hoskins became the first Cobblers player to hit 20 goals in a season since 1987 with his strike against Doncaster last weekend. The former Stevenage loanee, who has three in four, is 7/2 to open to the scoring.

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