Sunderland
V
Stadium of Light
17/02/2018 | 3:00 pm
Brentford
V
Stadium of Light
17/02/2018 | 3:00 pm
Sunderland vs Brentford Betting Tips, Preview & Predictions
In a sentence: Sunderland’s battle to escape the relegation zone in the Championship continues as they welcome Brentford to the Stadium of Light this weekend.
Last time: These two teams played out a pulsating 3-3 draw in the reverse league match earlier this season. Sunderland led 3-2 going into the latter stages before Neal Maupay came up with an equaliser for the hosts at Griffin Park.
This time: Sunderland are 12/5 to collect all three points with Brentford at 33/25 and the draw at 13/5.
You might remember: Brentford’s last away win against Sunderland. It was during the 1991-92 campaign, with the Bees recording a 3-1 success in the First Division clash.
Team News
Sunderland's Last Six:
Won: 1 Drawn: 1 Lost: 4
Aiden McGeady came off the bench to score in Sunderland’s 3-3 draw at Bristol City in the Championship last weekend, and the attacker could start here.
Ashley Fletcher will again lead the line as he goes in search of his first Sunderland goal since joining the club on loan from Middlesbrough.
Brentford's Last Six:
Won: 2 Drawn: 1 Lost: 3
Ben Pearson will return to the Brentford side after missing the 1-1 draw with Preston North End last time through suspension.
Emiliano Marcondes is pushing for a spot in the away side’s XI, although Neal Maupay is expected to start at the tip of the attack once again.
Betting Tips & Predictions
Sunderland’s fight against Championship relegation will continue when they host Brentford this weekend. The Black Cats came from 3-0 behind to pick up a point at Bristol City last time out, although Chris Coleman’s side remain in 23rd position in the Championship and three points from safety. Brentford, meanwhile, drew 1-1 at home against Preston at the weekend to leave themselves 10th in the table with 15 games of the season left.
Sunderland are 12/5 to collect all three points as the Black Cats attempt to move out of the bottom three. The former Premier League club have only won two of their 15 home Championship matches this season, but would have taken plenty of confidence from their comeback against play-off hopefuls Bristol last time out. That said, Sunderland are without a victory in their last four fixtures against Brentford, and they have only picked up one win since the turn of the year.
Brentford are 33/25 to triumph at the Stadium of Light on Saturday afternoon, with Dean Smith’s side currently on 44 points. They are well clear of the relegation zone, but sit eight points off the play-offs, and it would take some effort to push into the top six in the latter stages of the campaign. The Bees will enter the match having won five of their 15 away Championship matches this term, although they lost 3-0 at Derby County in their last game on the road.
The draw is 13/5, and it is worth noting that the two teams played out a 3-3 draw in the reverse match at Griffin Park earlier this season. It would also be fair to say that not too much separates these two sides when it comes to the strength of their squads, and both managers would potentially be happy with a point this weekend. Indeed, Sunderland have already drawn five league games on home soil this season.
Ashley Fletcher is 7/1 in the first goalscorer market this weekend, while the on-loan forward can be backed at 14/1 to score two or more times for Sunderland. The 22-year-old only managed one league goal for Middlesbrough in the first half of the season, but certainly has the capabilities of harming Brentford this weekend.
Neal Maupay is 6/1 to break the deadlock, while the Brentford man can be backed at 12/1 to score two or more times. The 21-year-old has managed seven goals in all competitions this season, and scored against Sunderland in the reverse match at Griffin Park earlier this season.
Predicted Score: Sunderland 2 - 2 Brentford
Match Summary
1
Look out for:
The match result and both teams to score market, which has some excellent value. Sunderland can be backed under these circumstances at 11/2, while Brentford are at 10/3.
2
We fancy:
A 2-2 draw at 14/1. Sunderland will fancy their chances of picking up all three points on home soil but Brentford have proved a tough nut to crack this season, losing just nine of their 31 matches.
3
It’s a long shot, but:
Sunderland scored three times in their last Championship clash, while Brentford lost 3-0 at Derby in their last away league fixture. It is 45/1 that Sunderland record a 3-0 win this weekend.
Written by
Matt Law is a European football writer with an interest in betting and gambling. An avid Manchester United supporter, Matt can regularly be found backing away wins in unlikely circumstances, sometimes with big success.