Charlton to finish season off in style

 

There's some crucial games on the final day of the Championship but it's a game that appears to have nothing at stake where Mike Norman finds his best bet...

 

Crystal Palace 2.0 v Peterborough 3.95; The Draw 3.85

 

I'm not even going to attempt to makes sense of all the permutations that can happen at the bottom of the table, and I'm pretty sure Peterborough won't either.  Survival is in Posh' hands - win and they're safe, draw and they could be safe, and that's all that Darren Ferguson and his men will be interested in.

 

Palace have their play-off place in their own hands too of course - win and they will be in the end-of-season lottery, draw or lose and they can be overtaken and lose  out. So at least we know this game will be played with high intensity with no last-game niceties going on here.

 

Peterborough are in the better form having lost just one of their last 12, beating teams like Blackpool, Cardiff and Watford in the process, and holding decent outfits  Leeds and Middlesbrough away from home. They have momentum, and perhaps it's a bit folly to think so, but I just believe that the desire to stay up is greater than  that of claiming a play-off place and having a chance of promotion.

 

There's also the fact that Palace haven't won in nine league games to consider, and on home soil they've conceded two each to relatively out of form Leeds and  Leicester, and four to Birmingham in recent weeks. Despite having Ian Holloway at the helm, confidence can't be high in the Eagles camp, whereas in the Posh camp it  couldn't be higher. Back Peterborough.

 

Recommended Bet: Back Peterborough to win @ 3.85

 

 

Charlton 1.82 v Bristol City 4.9; The Draw 3.85

 

At first glance, a game that has little meaning. Charlton have nothing to play for, and Bristol City have already been relegated and will finish rock bottom of the  Championship.

 

But The Addicks have been in very good form of late and have a chance to finish in the top 10 with a win or draw, which would be a remarkable achievement for a club  that came up from League One last season.

 

Chris Powell's men have been playing some really entertaining football of late, going on an unbeaten run of seven and scoring plenty of goals in the process - the  highlight being a 6-0 away victory at Barnsley two weeks ago. They've scored enough first half goals in that time too to suggest they can have this game wrapped up  before the interval. I fancy them really strongly to do so.

 

Bristol City have taken just two points from the last 24 available and since their relegation was confirmed they've lost four and drew one of their last five,  conceding almost two goals per game. They look a spent force to me, and are surely in London just for the day out.

 

Recommended Bet: Back Charlton HT/FT @ 2.98 (best bet)

 

 

Nottm Forest 2.44 v Leicester 3.05; The Draw 3.6

 

Arguably the game of the day in the Championship between the two clubs immediately outside the play-off places. A win for either side - Forest more so than Leicester  undoubtedly - will mean they have a good chance of climbing into the top six, and that means that we are virtually guaranteed a cup-tie like game - it's a derby no  less also - with neither set of players sitting back.

 

In such situations I prefer to side with the team in the better form, and that is without a doubt Billy Davies' men at the moment.

 

True, Forest have won just one of their last seven, but in four of those games they avoided defeat and prior to that they'd won six on the bounce meaning they've  suffered just two reversals in their last 13 games. Compare that with The Foxes, who have been in free-fall since beating Wolves at the end of January. It's just two  wins in 16 (both on home soil) for Nigel Pearson's men, and in a normal Championship season they would be completely out of the play-off picture by now.

 

But this is no normal season in English football's second tier, and that's my disclaimer to say that anyone can beat anyone on any given day. Thankfully there's just  one day left of regulation football, though hopefully Forest will have more games to come with a victory here.

 

Recommended Bet: Back Nottm Forest to win @ 2.44

 

Bet HERE

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