EFL Championship Play-Off Betting Tips: Two bet builder selections for Sunday's matches

The Championship regular season is finally over. But fear not – the play-offs are here. Norwich City host Leeds United at midday on Sunday, before Southampton make the trip up to the Midlands to face West Bromwich Albion later in the afternoon. 

Norwich vs Leeds

Kick Off: 12:00

Despite a lethargic 1-0 loss at Birmingham on the final day, Norwich qualified for the play-offs thanks to their excellent home form. 

David Wagner’s side ranked fourth for home points, picking up over 65% of their total points at Carrow Road. Away from home, the Canaries have just 24 points – only the relegated trio, Plymouth and Sheffield Wednesday have fewer. Therefore, expect Norwich to want to take at least a one-goal lead to Elland Road. 

Norwich should have the momentum, they rank fourth in the league for form over the last ten games, with Leeds ranking 12th. 

Norwich average 6.39 corners per home game – the seventh most in the division. They have won the corner count in six of the last seven at home – the exception coming in the match with bitter rivals Ipswich. In these games the corner count for Wagner’s side was 8, 5, 4, 13, 4, 8 and 12. Meanwhile, they conceded 0, 2, 3, 3, 6,  5 and 6. 

The visit of Leeds on Sunday sees the return of popular manager Daniel Farke, who enjoyed four fruitful years in Norfolk. While Leeds rank fourth for away points (37), there is a clear disparity between their performances at Elland Road and on the road.

At home, they average 6.91 corners per game. Away they average 5.09. They concede just 2.48 corners per game at home, compared to their 6.57 away. Despite having arguably the best squad in the league, Farke has failed to get a tune out of them often relying on individual quality to bail him out. Leeds have only had more corners than their opposition 6 times from their last 20 away games. 

However, with the star quality Leeds have, they often draw plenty of cards from the opposition. They have only drawn more cards than their opponents in five of their last 20 matches. 

Leeds may also come into this game deflated. Their 91 points accumulated would’ve been enough for automatic promotion in four of the last six seasons. Norwich will look to exploit this and play a high-octane style of play to suffocate Leeds. This should lead to plenty of corners – a familiar sight for sides hosting Leeds. 

Prediction: Norwich Most Corners and Norwich Most Cards @ 4.00

West Brom vs Southampton

Kick Off: 14:15

Despite being comfortably inside the play-off places for the majority of the season, three losses in a row against Sunderland, Leicester and Sheffield Wednesday meant that West Brom needed a final-day victory over Preston to secure their spot. Carlos Coberan’s side obliged and are rewarded with a semi-final clash with a Southampton side that finished 12 points above them. 

The Baggies finished on 75 points, nine points better off than last season. Defensively, they were resolute – conceding just 47 goals. Only champions Leicester and third-place Leeds conceded fewer. Since Carlos Corberán’s first game in charge on October 29 2022, West Brom have kept 22 clean sheets in 38 home games, so Southampton will have to be on top form to break down a resilient Baggies defence. 

Southampton have been the definition of inconsistent this season. The Saints went 25 games unbeaten in all competitions earlier in the season and looked good value to steam into the promotion places. The stuttering form of Leicester, Leeds and Ipswich gave Russell Martin’s side a glimpse of hope, but in typical Southampton style, they lost three on the bounce, completely killing any outside hopes. 

It means they must settle for the play-offs as they chase an immediate promotion back to the Premier League. Only the top two have scored more than Southampton, with their 63 goals conceded a major reason they did not make the top 2. 

With a rock-solid defence pitted against a potent attack, Sunday’s semi-final remains tough to split. 

Despite referee Samuel Barrott averaging just 3.2 cards per game, a couple of card bets stand out. 

In West Brom’s 23 games in 2024, eight centre-backs have been booked against them. The Baggies possess many exciting attacking talents in Tom Fellows, Grady Diangana, Micky Johnston and Brandon Thomas-Asante who pose real threats to opposition defenders. 

Southampton defender Jan Bednarek has picked up 12 yellow cards in the Championship this season, for an average of a yellow every 3.5 games, including two in his last three starts. 

In Southampton’s 25 games in 2024, a remarkable 22 centre midfielders have been booked. Russell Martin’s side favours possession football, often seeing the ball for most of the game.

The Saints pack the midfield with three central midfielders and look to frustrate the opposition. Okay Yokuslu is likely to start in midfield for the Baggies. The Turk has picked up nine yellows in 41 starts, for an average of 0.25 yellow cards per 90. The all action midfielder is averaging 1.17 fouls per 90 and has a big task on his hands to contain a talented Southampton midfield. 

Prediction: Jan Bednarek and Okay Yokuslu to be booked @ 12.00

Recommended Bets

Back Norwich Most Corners and Norwich Most Cards vs Leeds @ 4.00
Back Jan Bednarek and Okay Yokuslu to be booked in West Brom vs Southampton @ 12.00