Sheffield United vs Sheffield Wednesday Predictions

The opening Championship clash of the weekend is a big one, as Sheffield United host rivals Wednesday in the Steel City Derby. The hosts have been recently dethroned from the top of the table, and they can bounce back to the top with a victory in this clash. Will the Owls cause a surprise away to their rivals and prevent them from moving top, or can the Blades close in on leaving their neighbours behind?

Sheffield United have recovered from a slow start to contend for automatic promotion, and they are just a point off the top. The Blades fell to third after a 1-0 loss at Nottingham Forest last weekend, but they should expect to return to form when they meet their rivals. They say that form goes out the window in clashes like this, but the hosts’ record of five wins and two draws in seven at home has us siding with them.

The away side have big issues as they prepare for this key clash. They visit Bramall Lane with a pretty average away record. On top of that, they aren’t exactly a side who tend to grind out results. The Owls make this trip with a pretty lax defence, especially on the road. They’re without a clean sheet all season, shipping two goals per game on their travels so far. That’s got to be worrying, with Sheffield United sitting third in the scoring charts this season too.

The Owls can console themselves with the fact that they’ve scored in 81% of their league games, but that’s not much of a boost. They’ve lost their last four matches, while they’ve shipped three goals in their last two trips. This is their most difficult trip of the campaign, and we expect a boisterous home crowd for this Friday night derby under the lights. With the Blades averaging two goals per game at home, we expect plenty of goals here.

Sheffield Wednesday have seen at least three goals in 88% of their trips this term. We think that they’re set for a high scoring encounter on Friday, with both teams scoring in 75% of the Blades’ home games, and the Owls’ away trips. We also see the hosts taking their chance to move top, given the difference in form between the pair. With that in mind, we’re going for a home win and over 2.5 goals here, alongside a 3-1 victory for the Blades.