Close Encounter For Championship Play-Off Hopefuls

Two Championship play-off hopefuls Charlton and Ipswich, meet at Valley Parade this Saturday; can either side take all three points?

Form
A run of just one defeat in six see Charlton lingering on the outskirts of the Championship play-off positions and knowing that a win here would, at least temporarily, lift them into the top six.

The Addicks have lost fewer league games – two – than any other team in the Championship this season, but also drawn more – 10 – than any other side too. Bob Peeters’ men are obviously a tough nut to crack.

Igor Vetokele, signed from FC Copenhagen on a free transfer in the summer, has been one of the signings of the season so far in the Championship and Charlton’s league position is thanks in no small part to the Angolan’s eight goals scored.

Ipswich are also a side in very good form and arrive in the capital having lost only one of their last 14 and having won three of their last four. Three points for the Tractor Boys this Saturday lunchtime would lift them into the automatic promotion places.

No Championship striker has scored more than Daryl Murphy’s 11 goals this season, with the former Sunderland forward also netting four in his last four.

Mick McCarthy’s men have, however, won only one – against bottom-of-the-table Blackpool – of their last five away games and have only kept one clean sheet – also against Blackpool – in 10 games on the road this season.

Team News
Charlton will be hopeful that first-choice goalkeeper Stephen Henderson is fit to return to the starting XI after he withdrew from last week’s game against Millwall due to a sore shoulder. The Addicks are also sweating on the fitness of influential midfielder Yoni Buyens who was substituted during the first half of last Saturday’s game with a hamstring problem.

Ipswich are without loanee Jonny Williams who is back at parent club Crystal Palace receiving treatment on a groin injury.

Head-to-Head
Ipswich won this fixture 1-0 last season thanks to an early Tommy Smith goal, with the reverse fixture at Portman Road ending 1-1 after a late Johnnie Jackson equaliser. Charlton haven’t won any of the last three head-to-heads and haven’t beaten Ipswich at Valley Parade since 2008.

Recommended Bets

With Charlton being such a difficult side to beat, I couldn’t be having any of the 7/5 about an away win this weekend. The 23/20 about Bob Peeters’ men in the Draw No Bet market looks to be an outstanding bit of value.

Daryl Murphy and Igor Vetokele are two in-form strikers and so it is no surprise to see them head the first goalscorer market at odds of 11/2 and 13/2 respectively; the former probably offering the better value bet of the two. Goals in general can be expected and the 23/20 about there being more than 2.5 in the game look to be generous odds that should be taken advantage of.