Championship - Best Bets

We'll start off in the Midlands, where Derby County entertain Norwich. Both sides know how to defend, and a tight game could well be in the offing.

Starting with Norwich, the Canaries have now kept six clean sheets in their last nine matches, including away matches at Birmingham, Burton, Bristol City and Brentford, and home matches against Middlesbrough and Chesea.

It's been a similar story for Derby. Since the start of December, they have played 12 matches, and shut out their opponents in nine of them.

We'll take the 9/4 on offer for Under 1.5 goals, and also chuck a point at Derby keeping a clean sheet at generous looking 6/4.

1pt Under 1.5 Goals Derby v Norwich at 9/4 (Bet365)

1pt Derby Clean Sheet at 6/4 (General)

We're expecting similar sorts of scenes up at the Riverside when Middlesbrough take on Reading. Running a club like Boro in the Championship is a very different prospect for Tony Pulis than what he's been used to in recent years, but from all the match reports it appears he is struggling to adapt his tactics to a team who should be confident favourites in the majority of their home games.

Reports suggested that the side looked short of imaginative solutions when Sheffield Wednesday visited, and that's perhaps not surprising for a side managed by Pulis. Since taking over, five from eight have ended up with one or fewer goals with Boro beaten 1-0 in four of those.

With seven of Reading's last ten going Under 2.5 Goals, they could well play their part in a dour affair, and the 11/5 available on Under 1.5 Goals looks the best play in this one.

1pt Under 1.5 Goals in Middlesbrough v Reading at 11/5

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